The Howler

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Robbie Mertz started playing soccer as soon as he could walk. By the age of 3, he was playing against other children his age at his local YMCA.

By his side was his father, who would pass his knowledge of the game on to his son. To this day, Mertz is thankful for the lessons his father taught him, both on and off the pitch.

Around the age of 7, Mertz started to watch soccer on TV. He grew a liking for Arsenal F.C., and still roots for them to this day.

“I started watching soccer on TV around 2003, when [Arsenal] was really good,” Mertz said. “I followed them as they went undefeated that year, and I still like them even now. My favorite player on that team was Thierry Henry.”

Just like Henry, Mertz knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. In his rookie season with the Hounds in 2019, he netted six goals in 26 appearances. And despite not having played since November, Mertz’s mentality hasn’t changed.

“COVID-19 has changed my mindset, for sure; what we were doing three or four months ago was so normal,” Mertz said. “I think this is a challenge because whenever we come back we are expected to perform at a high level; it’s a high standard. But I’m still trying to get better each and every day, in preparation for the season.”

Taking things day by day has allowed Mertz to stay ready mentally. In this light, Mertz hasn’t missed a beat during the pandemic–he still looks to better himself both as a person and a player. This source of intrinsic motivation, Mertz says, has been in him since he was younger. 

The vibe around the team is similar; as restrictions are lifted, they are working (both on Zoom and on the pitch) to grow as a unit.

Mertz believes that, despite the lack of in-person practices/training with the team, he feels closer to his teammates than ever before.

“It was definitely weird there for a while, especially because we didn’t know when we were coming back,” Mertz said. “When things shut down initially, we thought we were only going to be out for a few weeks. So for a few months there, I didn’t really see some of my teammates, which was difficult. But as we’ve gotten back, I think I feel closer to the guys, honestly. I think both in terms of talent and character, we have a great group of guys this year.”

Mark Lindstrom is excited to step onto the field at Highmark Stadium this summer, after a knee injury in preseason, rehab and quarantine.

“The last time I played a real game was November,” Lindstrom said. “It’s been a while so I’m excited to play once more.”

The defender will enter his rookie season with the Hounds and has been training hard to get back into playing shape. 

Lindstrom said he would work out at the gym in his apartment complex. He had also been able to connect with his teammates over the past few months, something he said was easy, being an open person who likes making friends.

“We have good chemistry and connection,” Lindstrom said.

Growing up playing soccer in Sweden, where Lindstrom says it is one of the biggest sports other than ice hockey, he began playing for fun with friends around 6 or 7 years old.

When he eventually progressed to the biggest team in his city, he began taking the sport much more seriously and treated the game as a lifestyle.

Since the Hounds have resumed in-person training, Lindstrom said he has been working extra on passing and fitness, mentioning there is a certain toughness in the pros, as compared to college play. 

“I don’t like to limit myself and just do stuff, it’s different from other sports,” Lindstrom said. “Other sports you can focus on five or six drills for the role you want to play but for me I want to be good at everything.”

During quarantine, Lindstrom has been well-rounded with a variety of activities, including reading, playing chess, watching Netflix and hanging by the pool at his apartment complex.

“I like to read a lot,” Lindstrom said. “I’m [currently] re-reading ‘The Alchemist’ for maybe the fifth time. It’s really good.”

Meanwhile in the esports realm, Lindstrom was the Hounds’ representative for the FIFA20 tourney that the league held this past month. Although he did not play video games that much, he said he began playing the game a lot to represent the team well.

“I maybe played a bit more than usual,” Lindstrom said. “It was fun to be able to do something for the fans and everybody watching.”

When Ryan James was just 4 years old, he would attend his sister’s soccer games as a fan, and then as a team member.

While he did not play in games with the team of 6-year-olds, he was given a jersey from his father and was allowed to sit on the bench eating orange slices and drinking water with his “teammates.”

James fell in love with the sport early, practicing frequently after school. And then he watched his brother go on to play in college and professionally.

“It became one of those things where I kept seeing people in my life doing well in soccer and I wanted to be a part of it,” James said. “It’s really integrated in my family.”

Now, in his second year with the Hounds, James plays a sport he loves in front of the Steel Army supporters group.

James said the Steel Army is one of his favorite parts of playing in Pittsburgh and something he is looking forward to doing after restrictions due to COVID-19 are lifted.

“To play soccer is amazing and I’m thankful I get to do it every day,” James said. “But to play in front of the fans who say ‘hi’ to you at every game and support you whether you win or lose is a special moment I think I’ve been missing.”

James recalled one of his favorite moments with the Riverhounds was when the fans greeted the team at the airport with signs and cheers last season after the Eastern Conference was clinched.

To prepare for moments like these, James had been working on staying in shape while at home in Canada, before returning to Pittsburgh to participate in voluntary small group trainings.

“I did lots of walking and playing Just Dance,” James said. “I do that a lot with my mom, she loves to dance.”

James said he has also been reading books in his free time and watching Netflix – Avatar being one of his new favorites to watch.

Now back in Pittsburgh, James said he has been attending the small group trainings and working on trying to be sharp with his passes and crosses on the field.

James said trying to get the chemistry back between the team during the small group sessions has been a challenge because of the nature of the sport.

“It’s one thing to play and get into a session alone or with a small group,” James said. “But once you are playing with contact and a larger group, the game changes.” 

Growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, Kenardo Forbes fell in love with soccer at an early age. Forbes’ exposure to the sport started when he began attending his older siblings’ soccer games; however, it was one of his older brothers who inspired him to take soccer seriously.

“He acted as a mentor for me,” Forbes explained. “He always told me that if I had the right mindset and work ethic, I would get to play.”

In addition to watching his siblings, Forbes would also watch his country play. At 10 years old, Forbes watched the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Jamaica’s first appearance in the tournament. From then, he knew he would want to represent his country. 

To do this, he dedicated countless hours to his craft and debuted with the Jamaican National Team in 2010.

“It was a cool moment, seeing everything come together,” Forbes said. “It meant a lot, from watching them play in the ‘98 World Cup, to playing for them in 2010. It was a dream come true.”

Around 2010, Forbes was starting to gain recognition. He began his professional career in Jamaica at 18 years old, playing for Naggo Head FC of the Jamaican National Premier League. He moved to the USL Championship in 2015, where, as a key member of the Rochester Rhinos, he assisted the game-winning goal in the 2015 USL Cup.

Now in his third season with the Hounds, Forbes continues to be a force in the league. He was named to the All-League Second Team in 2018 and was named to the All-League First Team in 2019. He was also an MVP Finalist in 2019. Because of a great work ethic, Forbes has improved each season.

While he values these accomplishments, it is evident he cares more about the team as a whole. To Forbes, showing up with the right mindset and being a student of the game are more important than individual accomplishments.

Forbes has been participating in voluntary small-group practices with the team recently in an effort to strengthen team chemistry. He also bought a treadmill recently and uses it in his downtime.

Following his brother’s example, Forbes has also made sure to keep his mind right during these difficult times. He has thought about his goals for when the season starts up.

“To get to the championship and improve on each season are my main goals,” Forbes said. “My first year, we finished third and were knocked out on penalty kicks in the playoffs. My second year, we won the East and lost to Louisville. This year, I want to bring a championship to Pittsburgh.”

Skylar Thomas got his start in the soccer world in quite an unconventional way. 

Born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada to a Canadian mother and a Trinidadian father, Thomas was exposed to many different sports. Soccer, however, was not one of them.

Despite this, his father, one of the biggest influences in Thomas’ life, learned the game to help his son.

“My parents emphasized the importance of playing a sport, but neither of them knew a lot about soccer,” Thomas said. “Once I got into soccer, my father learned a lot about the game to help coach me and strengthen my mindset at a young age. He also taught me to focus more on the little things, and play with attention to detail.”

Although Skylar played soccer and basketball growing up, soccer was always his top priority. He grew up playing in the midfield, but started to get recognition when he moved to defender. 

Following his father’s example, Thomas continued to garner more recognition, and earned a spot on the U-23 Canada National Team in 2015.

“It was a lot of fun to play for my home country,” Thomas said. “It was a humbling experience, for sure. It was great to be around so much talent.”

His next experience, however, was even more fun. He was drafted by his hometown team, Toronto FC, with the No. 11 overall pick in the first round of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. He would sign with the affiliate Toronto FC II, playing there for one season before suiting up for the Charleston Battery.

He would return to Canada to play for Valour FC of the Canadian Premier League, before signing with the Hounds this past February. 

Despite the current situation, he has been able to build some chemistry with his teammates.

“We’ve only recently started small group practices, but it is good for us to be able to prepare for when everything is back to normal.”

Normally, this is where the story ends – a player who worked hard to get recognized, lived out his dream. But this was not the end of Skylar’s plan.

In 2019, Thomas gave back to the next generation and launched his own company named Kick Deck. They are playing cards with soccer drills on them for workouts. They allow players of all ages to stay in shape and refine their skills.

Even Thomas has used these cards to stay in shape.

“No lie, I’ve used these cards during COVID-19 to stay in shape,” he said. “I try to mix in different cards when I can, just so I’m not always doing the same thing.”

At the end of the day, though, these cards can’t take the place of the game he loves.

“I can’t wait to suit up for the Hounds,” Thomas said. “I am still trying to better myself as a player whenever I can, and playing at this level allows me to do that.”

With an American father and Peruvian mother, Danny Griffin had plenty of exposure to different sports at a young age. However, at 3 years old, Griffin picked up a soccer ball for the first time with some family members and the rest was history.

Playing for Oakwood Soccer Club in Connecticut, Griffin said his father was and still is the biggest mentor in his life.

While his family would take him to all of his games and practices, his father taught him the lessons that he is carrying into his rookie season with the Riverhounds.

“My father taught me that if I wanted to be serious about this game,” Griffin said, “that I would treat every day and every aspect of my life as a true professional.”

For Griffin, this meant doing the work on and off the field, including his schoolwork and training.

Griffin said his father also taught him about showing up early to things, encouraging him to attend practices and games a half hour to hour early.

He would arrive an hour early for a match at 8 p.m. and play the 7 o’clock game when they needed more players.

Griffin said sometimes he would stay after his games as well, looking for more training opportunities and through it all, his father would be there.

“He would be at Oakwood for four or five hours at a time,” Griffin said. “He didn’t really miss a college game and I’m sure he won’t miss many professional ones.”

Griffin’s father also gave him his competitive nature, telling his son there was always an opportunity to be better than he was before.

Through his father’s life lessons, Griffin had the ability to do the things that make him proud, such as getting called into U-19 men’s national camps, training with the New England Revolution’s first team in the summertime and having a preseason with Columbus Crew SC.

“I think for me it’s an honor for any kid to represent their country,” Griffin said. “That experience of being in that environment and with the top players in the country was definitely a very magical moment for me.”

Throughout all of his experiences, the rookie contract with the Riverhounds gave Griffin a lot of excitement and he has been using the quarantine as a preseason of sorts for himself at home in Connecticut. 

Griffin said on a typical day he trains across the street from his home at his old high school doing cardio and fitness exercises and technical skills with the ball. After the morning session, he goes to Oakwood to train at the park.

Other than three weekly morning training sessions with the Hounds, Griffin said it is different trying to form and maintain teammate bonds during quarantine. Griffin said he uses social media to keep tabs on the guys and reaches out over text and after their training sessions on Zoom.

“I’m looking forward to the beautiful atmosphere the Steel Army and all the fans give to us,” Griffin said. “And having them in Highmark Stadium as soon as possible.” 

Thomas Vancaeyezeele got his start in the world of soccer in his hometown of Caen, France. His mother was a huge fan of the sport, which inspired him to begin playing at a young age.

Vancaeyezeele said he remembers his mom going to the stadium near them often and standing with all of the fans in the bleachers.

“I would see her coming back on Saturday nights with no voice because she sung all the chants and stuff,” Vancaeyezeele said.

Sometimes he would go with his mom or his dad to watch soccer games, which made him fall in love with the sport.

Eventually, this transitioned into his parents traveling four or five hours to watch his own games, once he began playing regularly.

“They would come and support,” Vancaeyezeele said. “They would watch my games and try to give me some advice.”

Vancaeyezeele knew since he was young he wanted to go pro and decided to try out for his first professional team, fourth-tier club Stade Malherbe Caen II, in France.

The tryout went well, but Vancaeyezeele said it was difficult at first being a part of the team because the skill level was so high.

“It was really professional,” Vancaeyezeele said. “I learned from really really good coaches and played with good players.”

Vancaeyezeele said training was intense and that he would sometimes train early in the morning before school and after as well. 

After a few years of playing in France, Vancaeyezeele made his way to America and played at the University of Charleston in West Virginia.

This will be Vancaeyezeele’s third season with the Riverhounds and while in quarantine he has been keeping himself busy in Pittsburgh. 

Vancaeyezeele said he has been playing PlayStation and talking to friends, using this time as a way to make sure those around him are okay. 

His family is still in France and he said they cannot leave their residences, but has kept in contact with them almost daily.

Vancaeyezeele has also been training over Zoom with the rest of his teammates, as well as doing things on his own like running to stay healthy and fit. 

“I can’t wait to start the new season because last year we fell a bit short,” Vancaeyezeele said. “I really work hard to be ready and help the team to get into playoffs again.” 

Currently away from the Highmark Stadium pitch in his hometown of St. Louis, Tomas Gomez has taken up yoga and reading along with his normal workouts.

“It’s similar to the offseason when you have all that time to yourself,” Gomez said. “For the most part, I’ve done a lot of working out.”

Soccer is something that has been a part of Gomez’s life ever since he was a child. His father, who played the sport himself, had a large role of passing the love of the game on to the goalkeeper.

When he was about 5 years old, Gomez began playing soccer. And he started on the frontline instead of in the net. Once he reached high school, he was faced with a decision.

“I played baseball and soccer,” Gomez said. “I played both of those up until high school, and high school is when I decided to go with the soccer path. I always was ambitious and wanted to play Division I soccer. Fortunately for me, I was able to play at Georgetown University. My time at Georgetown is what made me realize I could be a professional.”

After his collegiate career with the Hoyas, Gomez was drafted by Columbus Crew SC with the No. 60 overall selection of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. He did not sign with Crew SC, but instead spent the 2015 campaign with the San Jose Earthquakes. He did not appear in a match for the Earthquakes.

So when Gomez arrived with the Rochester Rhinos under head coach Bob Lilley in 2016, he would get a strong taste of professional soccer. Off the bat, he showed tremendous success en route to winning the USL Championship’s Golden Gloves Award in 2016 and 2017.

The keeper will look to have similar success this year with the Hounds.

“I’m excited to join a club that finished very high in the standings last year and made a run at a championship,” Gomez said. “It’s good to reunite with coach Lilley because I’ve had success under him while I was in Rochester.”

In addition to reuniting with Lilley, Gomez will also rejoin a slew of teammates. While in Rochester, his path previously crossed with Steevan Dos Santos, Jordan Dover, Kenardo Forbes and Ryan James.

“Being able to play in a beautiful stadium on the waterfront with a beautiful view,” Gomez said about what he’s looking forward to in 2020. “I’ve heard wonderful things about the fans and how the following for Pittsburgh has grown tremendously over the last year or two. It’s exciting times around the club and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

On the field, fans can catch Dani Rovira patrolling the sidelines. Off the pitch, the outside defender is cooking up some mean meals.

As his father likes to cook, Rovira has joined in. One of his favorites is a Colombian dish that has beans, rice and steak, as well as a salad.

“It reminds me of home,” Rovira said.

Currently staying in Boston with his father and older brother, Rovira’s family is originally from Colombia, where his mother and younger brother are presently.

While with his older brother, who also played soccer, the two compete in juggling contests and kick the ball around. In addition to his individual work and time with his brother, he has also participated with his Hounds teammates in the team’s virtual training sessions.

“It’s different, but it’s still enjoyable,” Rovira said. “We’re putting in the work and we’re waiting for the season to start. It’s good to see the guys.”

The upcoming 2020 season will be Rovira’s second straight season with the Hounds and second playing professional soccer. He played a role late last year for the Hounds, appearing in three of the team’s final five regular season games. He also logged minutes in the team’s 7-0 playoff victory against Birmingham Legion FC.

Now, he will be looking to build off of these prior experiences.

“I think we did great last season and developed throughout the year,” Rovira said. “We won the Eastern Conference regular season and we’re hungry for more. I want to help the team keep on moving forward.”