BREAKING DOWN THE HOUNDS: Seeking elusive win vs struggling Kickers

• Riverhounds (5-8-8) vs. Richmond Kickers (3-11-7)
• 7:01 p.m.
• Highmark Stadium
• Video: USL YouTube
• Boxscore: USL Match Center
• Media notes: Hounds | Kickers

I will not be at Highmark Stadium tonight due to other obligations, but for the Riverhounds, this is an important game.
Without a win since June (0-2-4 since beating Tampa Bay 2-0 June 22), the Hounds are still right in the middle of the playoff hunt, trailing four teams tied for 8th place (and the final playoff spot) by merely a single point.
With a win against struggling Richmond, the Hounds can right the ship a bit, and keep pace and potentially surge ahead of some of those teams in front of them. But a loss, or even a tie, against a team that’s really struggling this season, would be a blow to their efforts to get back into contention.
Earlier this week, I wrote about the Hounds struggles and what’s at stake in the next three games – Teetering on the edge of results, Hounds seek first win since June – on DK Pittsburgh Sports.
Richmond beat the Hounds earlier this year, 2-1, at City Stadium in a game marred by hard, driving rain storms. The last time these two teams played at Highmark Stadium, both teams endured a long-weather and then electrical outage delay.

Here’s my piece from that night – The Night the Lights Went Out at Highmark – when the playoff-bound Kickers topped the Hounds, 2-0, in a game that ended around midnight.
In addition, the Hounds are hosting a very worthwhile effort to assist a young girl, and her family in her battle with brain cancer. The club is partnering with Payton’s Army, a group formed to help 11-year-old Payton Michele Bowling, who was diagnosed with Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma this past May. A rare form of brain cancer that affects only two out of 100,000 people aged 5-14, Bowling underwent successful surgery in May.
For more information about the fund raiser that will take place this Saturday at Highmark Stadium, with a cookout in the afternoon prior to the game and then during the game, please contact John Rotz at jrotz@riverhounds.com. Earlier this week, I also posted the complete list of soccer memorabilia and items donated for this effort that will be auctioned earlier this week.

For live coverage of tonight’s game, you can follow DK Pittsburgh Sports‘ Lance Lysowski for live updates.