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Pittsburgh Riverhounds

FINAL: Riverhounds SC 0, Indy Eleven 0

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 0, Indy Eleven 0

The Riverhounds SC remain unbeaten after eight games, and they’ve still yet to trail this season, but they couldn’t solve a tough Indy Eleven side in a battle that went beyond 90 minutes that ended in a scoreless draw at Highmark Stadium on Friday night.

Full game recap to follow.

2nd half

50′ – Hounds earn another corner early in 2nd half — Forbes and Dover with nice work on right side…
ball in to center of box and after Vancaeyezeele header — they can’t create any shot attempts

55′ – another injury on field for Indy Eleven may have to force another substitution. As Nico Matern being attended to by medical staff.

58′ – best chance of half, and probably game for Hounds. Forbes overlaps Dover — sends in a nice bending ball into box. But François who gets in deep to connect with it, sends ball over bar.

61′ – that’s it for Matern who walks off the field very gingerly. Replaced by Juan Guerra. Indy down to one sub. Hounds still have all three.

66′ – Vancaeyezeele with a handball — and Indy with free kick chance from 30 yards just to the right of the goal.
It’s a stinging shot struck by Saad toward upper right corner — but misses.

68′ – Indy earns corner — but goes over everyone.

71′ – Forbes continues to impress with every touch.

73′ – Hounds bringing in a pair of subs — Romeo Parkes and Joe Holland — in for Kevin Kerr and François

77′ – after a bit of a delay — yellow card to Indy’s Brad Ring.

79′ – Crowd coming to life a bit — as Steel Army leading the chants and grandstand is stomping. Indy with majority of possession past five minutes or so.

80′ – Holland and Parkes definitely up high — but it looks like Parkes and Brett are two top men, with Holland just underneath.

85′ – Hugh Roberts coming on as last Hounds sub — in for Ben Zemanski.

Vancaeyezeele pushing up into holding mid spot now as Roberts goes into the three man back line.

90′ – can six minutes of stoppage time help either side generate a decent chance? Neither team really seems to be giving in. Two very well organized, defensive units have gotten stronger as the game has gone on.

92′ – Ray Lee keeps ball alive in box — then gets to end line for cross into goal box, but it’s cleared away.

Halftime 

It’s been a pretty high-quality first half of action. Both teams looking to attack. Hounds using experienced central midfielders to extend possessions and they’re doing a nice job in getting it to the width — swinging balls in and setting up five corners. The Hounds have had a total of 13 crosses into the box.

Indy Eleven have held slight possession edge (52/48), have countered into edge of box a few times with a pair of close shots by Soony Saad. Otherwise, most of its attack has centered around sending diagonal balls toward the Hounds box, trying to cut through a seem in the three-man back line, and a number of these balls in, keeper Kyle Morton has had to come way off his line a number of times to play the ball.

Pittsburgh holds the edge on shots (8-5), with the only shot on target thus far.

1st Half

1′ (7:08 p.m.) – we’ve kicked off. Hounds wearing all-white kit for first time this season, and for first time in a really, really long time.

5′ – most of possession with Pittsburgh early. A couple of attempted crosses but nothing to come of it.

9′ – Indy earns first set piece — a free kick from far left side – -about 40 yards out — they knock it around and generate a corner

13′ –  Hounds GK Kyle Morton comes off his line to play ball in air — and is nicked by Jack McInerney. Then comes way out of box again on a bouncing ball — punches it away from trouble in time.

16′ – that’s three times now in short period of time Morton’s had to come out to the edge of box as Indy’s been busy playing in balls to try to cut through Hounds 3-man back line

19′ – Forbes to Kerr in the midfield — sets up ball wide to Dover — who whips ball into dangerous area that can’t connect

21′ – Hounds earn first corner of match — and ball toward near post for Christiano François who is well defended, is headed away from goal.

23′ – low ball in from François sets up another corner. again it’s into near post area — and cleared

24′ – Hounds earn corner # 3 — again Forbes orchestrating things nicely in middle to set it up. Another corner without a shot attempt though.

26′ – Hounds get it into the box — and Brett from about 16 yards misses left of goal

27′ – Indy with a clever counter — and diagonal ball through finds Soony Saad in stride with space to shoot — but his shot from 19 yards goes over bar

29′ – Saad with another shot with some room to shoot on the edge of box. It gets through, but misses left as Morton dives for it.

30′ – Indy with corner — plays to near post, deflected away by Hounds. Another corner cleared by Dover, but Nathan Lewis‘ shot attempt from 25 yards goes over bar and into Steel Army.

32’ – Indy makes an early substitution — as Brad Rusin comes in for Carlyle Mitchell who was injured.

36′ – Forbes and François hook-up on left side to set up another corner. François gives a scissor kick attempt a go — but it’s deflected off Indy defender.

44′ – Hounds set up I believe 5th corner of half — after Kerr cuts back pass to Francois that is deflected away by Indy. Corner provides ball that bounces out — and it appears Pratzner with a chance from outside box but barely goes over.

 

Starting Line-ups

Riverhounds (3-4-3 / 3-6-1)

GK – Dan Lynd 

D –  Tobi Adewole, Thomas Vancaeyezeele Todd Pratzner

MF – Kevin Kerr, Kenardo Forbes, Ben Zemanski, Christiano François, Jordan Dover, Ray Lee

F – Neco Brett

Available subs:

Dan Lynd (G), Hugh Roberts, Andy Lubahn, Noah Franke, Bakie Goodman, Joe Holland, Romeo Parkes

GAME PREVIEW

Friday, May 11 – 7 p.m.
Highmark Stadium

BROADCAST:   ESPN+

FOLLOW:  Twitter: #PGHvIND

USL Match Center

WEATHER:  Mostly cloudy, 67°

 

Key Storylines:

The Hounds unbeaten record will be put to a stern test on Friday night when they face USL newbies Indy Eleven. The former NASL franchise brings a strong resume to this match, having lost only two times this year, both losses to front running FC Cincinnati. A win for the Hounds, and they could catapult all the way to the top of the table before the other league games are played this weekend.

• Only two points separate the two clubs in the Eastern Conference table, with the Hounds holding the upper hand with 15 points and a third-place standing.

• Friday’s game marks the 500th game in Hounds history, including regular season (458 matches), postseason (17
matches) and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (25 matches) play. Pittsburgh has competed against 80 different teams – Indy will make it 81 – since 1999.

•  The match also begins a grueling stretch of upcoming play for the Hounds. With the addition of Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup action beginning next Wednesday, Pittsburgh could potentially play up to eight games – five league and three Open Cup – in the next month depending on how the club fares in the single-elimination tournament.

• We’ll see the return to Pittsburgh for Tyler Pasher, who played his first full pro season as a 19-year old with the Riverhounds in 2015. After playing two seasons as part of Sporting KC and primarily for its USL outfit, Swope Park Rangers, playing in a pair of USL Cup appearances, the speedy left outside back/flank player and Elmira, Ontario native has found a new home with Indy.  This season Pasher has already made six appearances and was named to USL Team of the Week once.

• This match will also mark the return of another Canadian, Karl Ouimette to Highmark Stadium.  Ouimette was on the receiving end of a harsh kick from Romeo Parkes. It was a little more two years ago to the day (May 6, 2016) when this incident took place. Ouimette was carted off on a stretcher, and after being treated at a local hospital was okay, while Parkes immediately had his contract terminated by the Hounds, and was later banned by USL and FIFA through the 2016 season. The Hounds re-signed Parkes in May 2017.

HOUNDS INJURY REPORT

Kay Banjo – Out (Hamstring)
Dennis Chin – Out (Ankle)
Mouhamed Dabo – Questionable (Lower-body)
Ben Fitzpatrick – Out (Lower-body)
Joe Greenspan – Out (Calf)

Indy Eleven Logo

MORE ON INDY ELEVEN

For an excellent look at how Indy Eleven lines up, more details on its personnel and what to expect from the former NASL club, check out Riverhound Rabbi’s Scouting Report below.

RIVERHOUNDS RABBI SCOUTING REPORT: Indy Eleven is more than a handful 

Here’s MonGoal Preview Pod as Justin from Mon Goals gets together with Kevin from Soc Takes to help break down what fans can expect.

MONGOALS PREVIEW POD: Indy Eleven 

A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY

The team was named after the 11th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment, an infantry regiment that served with notoriety in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Colonel Lew Wallace commanded the regiment, which was mustered on April 25, 1861. The team name reflects both the culture of the game and pays homage to the history of the state. The number also is an obvious reference to the number of players on the field when at full strength.

The number eleven is also important to the world-renowned Indianapolis 500, with the race traditionally featuring eleven rows of cars and drivers and the first race being held in 1911.

 

WHAT THEY SAYING ABOUT #PGHvIND

 

During warm ups, Hounds players will wear special #MollieSTRONG bracelets in support of Mollie Nicholas, daughter of Riverhounds SC Development Academy coach Dave Nicholas and his wife, Sara. At less than 1 year old, Mollie was diagnosed with a very rare congenital brain abnormality called Subcortical Band Heterotopia. These wristbands will be available at the stadium for $5 with all proceeds going toward Mollie’s recovery. If you would like to learn more or further donate, please visit their GoFundMe page.

 

John Krysinsky has covered soccer and other sports for many years for various publications and media outlets. He is also author of 'Miracle on the Mon' -- a book about the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, which chronicles the club, particularly the early years of Highmark Stadium with the narrative leading up to and centered around a remarkable match that helped provide a spark for the franchise. John has covered sports for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, DK Pittsburgh Sports, Pittsburgh Sports Report, has served as color commentator on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC broadcasts, and worked with OPTA Stats and broadcast teams for US Open Cup and International Champions Cup matches held in the US. Krysinsky also served as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at his alma mater, Point Park University, where he led the Pioneers to the first-ever winning seasons and playoff berths (1996-98); head coach of North Catholic boys (2007-08), associate head coach of Shady Side Academy boys (2009-2014).

Glory on the Grass

Riverhounds MF Kenardo Forbes

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