Press Releases

PITTSBURGH (July 27, 2020) – Fans will not be in attendance for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s home match against Philadelphia Union II on Saturday, Aug. 1 at Highmark Stadium.

The club is working closely with the state of Pennsylvania and local government and health officials to determine the ability to accommodate fans in future home games following this Aug. 1 date, and updates will be issued at a later time. The safety and well-being of players, coaches, employees and fans are Riverhounds SC’s first priority. The club’s ticketing department will work with ticket holders directly regarding options for future games.

The club’s home match against Philadelphia on Saturday, Aug. 1, which will kick off at 7 p.m., will be televised locally on 22 The Point.

PITTSBURGH (July 21, 2020) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC midfielders Kenardo Forbes and Danny Griffin have been named to USL Championship Team of the Week following the squad’s 6-0 victory against Philadelphia Union II this past Saturday at Subaru Park.

Forbes assisted on three of Pittsburgh’s six goals in the road victory, and all three of the 2019 MVP finalist’s helpers came in the second half. In addition, the Kingston, Jamaica native posted two shots and one shot on target.

Having 35 career assists at the USL Championship level, Forbes is two assists away from tying Maikel Chang for the league’s all-time record.

Meanwhile, Griffin made the best of his first professional start and posted a goal and two assists for a four-point night. After notching his first career assist in the 29th minute, the rookie out of Providence College scored his first career goal in the 37th minute, which gave the Hounds a 2-0 lead at the time. The Wethersfield, Connecticut native tacked on another assist in the second half.

Both Forbes and Griffin tied with a game-high three chances created against Philadelphia.

Riverhounds SC will host its home opener against Indy Eleven on Wednesday, July 22 at Highmark Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., and the match will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Fans will not be in attendance for this match.

For more information on Team of the Week for Week 4, visit uslchampionship.com.
 
HOUNDS NAMED TO TEAM OF THE WEEK:
Jordan Dover: Week 3 – July 14
Robbie Mertz: Week 3 – July 14
Kenardo Forbes: Week 4 – July 21
Danny Griffin: Week 4 – July 21

PITTSBURGH (July 14, 2020) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC defender Jordan Dover and midfielder Robbie Mertz have each been named to USL Championship Team of the Week following the club’s 3-1 road victory in its season opener against Louisville City FC on Sunday.

Dover scored the Hounds’ first goal of the season in the 45th minute before the halftime whistle. Making a perfectly timed run inside of the 18-yard box, the Ajax, Ontario, Canada native received a ball played in by Kenardo Forbes before placing it into the net.

As Dover scored just before the halftime whistle, Mertz scored right after it. In the 46th minute, the Pittsburgh native buried a left-footed shot into the bottom-right corner of the goal.

In addition, Ropapa Mensah has been named to the Team of the Week bench after assisting two of the club’s three goals from this past Sunday. The forward assisted Mertz in the 46th minute and Anthony Velarde in the 51st minute.

Pittsburgh returns to the pitch for a match against Philadelphia Union II at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Subaru Park. This road match will be televised on 22 The Point.

For more information on Team of the Week for Week 3, visit uslchampionship.com.

HOUNDS NAMED TO TEAM OF THE WEEK:

Jordan Dover: Week 3 – July 14

Robbie Mertz: Week 3 – July 14

PITTSBURGH (July 6, 2020) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has announced its 2020 broadcast schedule, presented by Allegheny Health Network, for the 2020 USL Championship season restart. The club has partnered with 22 The Point (WPNT) to broadcast 11 regular season matches upon return to play.

“We are proud to be the first to bring professional sports back to the Greater Pittsburgh Area,” owner Tuffy Shallenberger said. “We are grateful for our partnerships with AHN and 22 The Point, and excited to have 11 of our soccer matches locally televised to our southwest Pennsylvania communities, as well as an additional two games nationally broadcasted on ESPN2.”

This set of games is highlighted by a trip to Indy Eleven on Aug. 15 and three matches against perennial contender, and division competitor, New York Red Bulls II. The season finale, coming against Philadelphia Union II on Oct. 3, will also be televised on 22 The Point.

Six home matches and five away games form this group of 11 aired showdowns. Furthermore, nine of the 11 matches on 22 The Point will highlight division matchups, coming against a combination of Hartford Athletic, Loudoun United FC, New York and Philadelphia.

“Back in March, we were thrilled to expand our service to include Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC soccer to our lineup of local sports on WPNT,” WPNT General Manager Richard Cook said. “Now with all that has happened to sports in 2020, we are even more thrilled to bring the first live professional sports back to the Pittsburgh television audience starting in July.” 

In addition to these 11 games, Riverhounds SC will be nationally televised on ESPN2 for another two matches. The club’s season opener at Louisville City FC on July 12 and home opener against Indy Eleven on July 22 will be aired live on ESPN2. Additional Hounds matches could be moved to the ESPN family of networks at a later date.

In total, 13 of the club’s 16 regular season games will be televised upon return to play.

For out-of-market fans, they can stream every Riverhounds SC match live on ESPN+ with a paid subscription.

Below is this season’s updated broadcast schedule. All home games take place at Highmark Stadium. Please note kickoff times are to be determined unless otherwise specified. Kickoff times are also subject to change.

22 The Point
Saturday, July 18 – @Philadelphia Union II
Sunday, July 26 – @New York Red Bulls II
Saturday, Aug. 1 – Philadelphia Union II
Saturday, Aug. 8 – New York Red Bulls II
Saturday, Aug. 15 – @Indy Eleven
Saturday, Aug. 22 – Saint Louis FC
Sunday, Sept. 6 – @New York Red Bulls II
Saturday, Sept. 12 – Hartford Athletic
Saturday, Sept. 19 – @Loudoun United FC
Saturday, Sept. 26 – Hartford Athletic
Saturday, Oct. 3 – Philadelphia Union II

ESPN2
5 p.m. on Sunday, July 12 – @Louisville City FC
6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22 – Indy Eleven

PITTSBURGH (July 2, 2020) – Today, the USL Championship released its regular season schedule upon return to play, which has Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC geared up for a 16-game slate.

Placed in Group F, the Hounds will face division opponents Hartford Athletic, Loudoun United FC, New York Red Bulls II and Philadelphia Union II three times each. In addition, Pittsburgh will play Louisville City FC and Saint Louis FC once each, as well as Indy Eleven twice.

The top two teams in each division will make the USL Championship Playoffs. Riverhounds SC has yet to play a match during the 2020 season.

Earlier this week, it was announced the Hounds will have two matches nationally televised on ESPN2. This consists of their season opener at Louisville City FC on Sunday, July 12 and their home opener against Indy Eleven on Wednesday, July 22. Pittsburgh is the only USL Championship team to have multiple nationally televised games on the station after the league’s ESPN2 linear schedule announcement.

Fans will not be in attendance for Riverhounds SC July home games at Highmark Stadium. The club is working closely with the state of Pennsylvania and local government and health officials to determine the ability to accommodate fans in future home games, and updates will be issued at a later time. The safety and well-being of players, coaches, employees and fans are Riverhounds SC’s first priority. The club’s ticketing department will work with ticket holders directly regarding options for future games.

The full 16-game regular season schedule is below. Kickoff times are subject to change and others are to be determined.

2020 Revised Schedule
Sunday, July 12 | 5 p.m. – @Louisville City FC
Saturday, July 18 – @Philadelphia Union II
Wednesday, July 22 | 6 p.m. – Indy Eleven
Sunday, July 26 – @New York Red Bulls II

Saturday, Aug. 1 – Philadelphia Union II
Saturday, Aug. 8 – New York Red Bulls II
Saturday, Aug. 15 – @Indy Eleven
Wednesday, Aug. 19 – @Loudoun United FC
Saturday, Aug. 22 – Saint Louis FC
Friday, Aug. 28 – @Hartford Athletic

Tuesday, Sept. 1 – Loudoun United FC
Sunday, Sept. 6 – @New York Red Bulls II
Saturday, Sept. 12 – Hartford Athletic
Saturday, Sept. 19 – @Loudoun United FC
Saturday. Sept. 26 – Hartford Athletic

Saturday, Oct. 3 – Philadelphia Union II

PITTSBURGH (July 2, 2020) – Announced today by the USL Championship and ESPN, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s home opener will be nationally televised on ESPN2. The match will take place against Indy Eleven at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22 at Highmark Stadium.

This will mark the club’s second match to be nationally aired on ESPN2. Earlier this week, it was announced the Hounds’ season opener against Louisville City FC would be on the sports television station. The match against Louisville will kick off at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 12 at Lynn Family Stadium, marking the first-ever match at the venue.

Pittsburgh is the only USL Championship team to have multiple nationally televised games on the station after today’s ESPN2 linear schedule announcement.

Fans will not be in attendance for Riverhounds SC July home games at Highmark Stadium. The club is working closely with the state of Pennsylvania and local government and health officials to determine the ability to accommodate fans in future home games, and updates will be issued at a later time. The safety and well-being of players, coaches, employees and fans are Riverhounds SC’s first priority. The club’s ticketing department will work with ticket holders directly regarding options for future games.

The remainder of the club’s 2020 regular season schedule will be announced in the near future. Follow the club at https://www.riverhounds.com and on social media at @RiverhoundsSC for updates surrounding the 2020 season.

PITTSBURGH (June 30, 2020) – Announced today by the USL Championship and ESPN, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will have its season opener at Louisville City FC nationally broadcasted on ESPN2. This match is set for Sunday, July 12 at Lynn Family Stadium, marking the first-ever match at the newly built venue. The kickoff time of this match is to be determined.

In addition to airing on ESPN2, this match will also be aired on ESPN Deportes and the ESPN App.

“We are excited to kick off our 2020 season with a nationally televised match on ESPN2,” owner Tuffy Shallenberger said. “The national stage will mark a tremendous opportunity for our club to return to play. We are looking forward to playing soccer again and beginning our 2020 season.”

Pittsburgh and Louisville last met during the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2019 USL Championship playoffs. Louisville won the match, 2-1, in extra time at Highmark Stadium in front of a venue record crowd of 6,073 fans. As for away matches at Louisville, the Hounds have won two straight and hold a 3-1-1 all-time road record when facing the conference foe.

The Hounds have not yet played a match this season. On the other hand, Louisville has played one match, in which they defeated North Carolina FC, 1-0, before the season was suspended this past March.

The remainder of the club’s 2020 regular season schedule will be announced in the coming days. Follow the club at https://www.riverhounds.com and on social media at @RiverhoundsSC for updates surrounding the 2020 season.

PITTSBURGH (June 26, 2020) – Announced today by the USL Championship, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will compete in a regional division consisting of four other Eastern Conference competitors at the resumption of the 2020 season, which is provisionally scheduled for July 11.

Hartford Athletic, Loudoun United FC, New York Red Bulls II and Philadelphia Union II round out the regional group with the Hounds.

With a 16-game regular season in place, Riverhounds SC will face all four of these regional division opponents three times each. The remaining four games on the yet-to-be-released schedule will be against other clubs in a similar geographic region to Pittsburgh.

At the completion of the regular season, the top two teams in this regional division will advance to the USL Championship Playoffs.

Earlier this week, the USL Championship announced the structure for the remainder of the 2020 season.

Follow the club at https://www.riverhounds.com and on social media at @RiverhoundsSC for updates surrounding the 2020 season.

PITTSBURGH (June 24, 2020) – Today, the USL Championship announced its competition format for the remainder of the 2020 season, consisting of a 16-game regular season schedule as well as an updated single-elimination playoff structure.

As Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has not yet played a match this season, the club will have a full 16-game slate upon return to play, which is provisionally set for July 11. Other USL Championship clubs that had already played one or two matches will play 15 or 14 games, respectively, upon the season restart.

The regular season will last 13 weeks and conclude on the weekend of Oct. 2-4. In order to limit travel, clubs will be split into eight regionalized groups, five of which consisting of four teams and three of which having five teams. These regionalized groups have yet to be unveiled.

Of the 16-game schedule, 12 matches will be against regionalized group members while the remaining four matches will be played against teams in a similar geographic region. Through this, each team placed in a four-team group will play its three fellow group members four times, while each team placed in a five-team group will play its four fellow group members three times.

Games played prior to the suspension of the season will count toward the allotment of 16 overall games, either as in-group contests or as one of the additional four contests that will complete the schedule.

Teams will be initially scheduled to play a balanced schedule of eight games, home and away, in the regular season. However, the Board of Governors has also approved the ability for clubs to play an unbalanced amount of home and away matches, if necessary. For example, if a club is experiencing difficulties with venue availability due to the impact of COVID-19 in its community. 

At the completion of the regular season, the top two teams from each group will advance to the 2020 USL Championship Playoffs, producing a field of 16 teams overall in a regionalized single-elimination bracket. Group winners will be paired with group runners-up in the Round of 16, with home advantage being determined by record for the remainder of the bracket.

Earlier this week, the USL Championship announced it will allow five substitutions in the remainder of 2020 matches, which is an increase from the prior maximum of three substitutions. Teams will have three opportunities to make these five substitutions over the course of the game, and substitutions made at halftime will not be counted against clubs’ three in-game opportunities.

For more information on return to play, please visit uslchampionship.com.

PITTSBURGH (June 23, 2020) – Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has postponed its 2020 Hall of Fame voting and induction to 2021.

The same candidates who were up for election in 2020 will roll over to next year’s ballot. These candidates consist of builders Paul Child and Gene Klein as well as players Steve Bell, Tenywa Bonseu, Randy Dedini, Gary DePalma and Phil Karn.

The Riverhounds SC Hall of Fame was established in 2019 in honor of the organization’s 20th anniversary season, and the club inducted its inaugural Hall of Fame class that year. For more information on the Riverhounds SC Hall of Fame, visit https://www.riverhounds.com/hall-of-fame.