Riverhounds 0, Nashville SC 0, FINAL (game live file)

FINAL SCORE: Pittsburgh 0, Nashville SC 0

USL Match Center 

 

You can follow along here — as I’ll have some live comments and updates during the game. Below you’ll also see both team’s starting line-ups as we’re just about set for kickoff.

Hounds opting to go with a 3-4-3 formation, that also packs into 5-4-1 when they’re defending. Under Lilley, they’ll be drawing at least two defenders on the ball with every possession, especially in the final third.

Hounds owner Tuffy Shallenberger is here too…

It time!! Let’s spoil this party!!! @RiverhoundsSC pic.twitter.com/rVskqBXUky

— Tuffy Shallenberger (@Tuffy_Shall) March 24, 2018

 

In Game updates: 

2nd half

47′ – same line-ups for both teams.  Vancaeyezeele loses possession as ball gets away after Hounds ping it around nicely in first advance of 2nd half. 

49′ – Holland gets it to Parkes — and makes a run but Romeo decided to shoot from 28 yards out — and goes over bar. Holland was there on right side give-n-go

52′ – Vancaeyezeele starts a nice build up for Hounds — played between François and Parkes — and number 7’s shot pings off left post

53′ – now Parkes with a chance from same spot Moloto took in 1st half — and Pickens dives right for save

Not today!

Matt Pickens showing no mercy in net for @NashvilleSC #NSHvPGH pic.twitter.com/b6a3ABPJQy

— USL (@USL) March 24, 2018

54′ – Moloto with yellow card for a bad challenge. Both teams now with one player in the book.

61′ – Great ball in to Kerr — diving header on target but Pickens turns him away to the delight of crowd

63′ – Adewole and Mensah with a battle in corner. Crowd wants foul on Tobi, but it goes the Hounds way.

64′ – former Hound, Taylor Washington is second sub for Nashville as he’s in game for Kimura

65′ – Holland is coming out and now Kenardo Forbes making his Hounds’ debut

69′ – Getting a little testy now — Mensah comes into GK Lynd hard on ball outside of box. Greenspan took exception — and pushed Mensah. Nashville forward gets the caution and crowd loudly expresses their displeasure

72′ – Neco Brett coming on now for Parkes, who had a decent effort. Lilley looking for that spark from

75′ Kerr took a shot earlier and now wearing bandage around head. Looking very much like venerable warrior

77′ – Nashville with final sub Bolu Akinyode in now

78′ – Nashville wins a corner — and crowd erupts and starts waving yellow towels.

79′ – Then Adewole with save of game — off chest in center of goal box — as Lebo Moloto delivers a beautiful scissor kick after corner kick played to far post area with yellow flags waving around. Wow!

85′ – Hounds get a free kick on edge of corner — Kerr takes it — but cleared away. Hounds can get a shot on target on ensuing possession 85′

87′ – Andy Lubahn coming in as Hounds last sub.

88′ –  Nashville gets forward and another corner — and here come the towels… 88′

89′ – Brett wins a ball away — but can’t get anything from it

90′ – That’s it!
And first @RiverhoundsSC game of Bob Lilley era ends in a hard fought scoreless draw before a fantastic crowd

 

1st Half

10′ – Most of possession was with Nashville in the first 10 minutes, but the Hounds set up a corner kick in the 10th minute. Kevin Kerr‘s low ball in to near post area was redirected by Greenspan to center of goal box, but Nashville cleared it.

17’ – Thomas Vancaeyezeele or Tommy V — as we called him on @mongoals podcast — booked for hard challenge on Michael Reed

21′ – Christiano François with a nice effort to win ball, then fouled near midfield.

24′ – Hounds bringing some high press — Kerr was clearly telling Romeo Parkes to stay as high as he can but thus far Pickens has handled it well and not seen any direct shots on target.

26′ – Vancaeyezeele having some issues keeping the ball near his feet — as it’s gotten away from him a few times.

27′ – Hounds just won ball at midfield, looked for quick counter, but Joe Holland’s ball thru to Parkes was for not — as Jamaican striker offside.

Ohhh, get 'em Ray! #NSHvPGH ???? pic.twitter.com/k3C4ErXtUx

— Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (@RiverhoundsSC) March 24, 2018

31′ – Moloto gets a little bit of room just inside the box, but Greenspan says no way Lebo. Then Nashville counters — Lebo opts to play it to middle and sets up corner. The corner was a bit of a dangerous ball in to far post, but Lynd and Greenspan converge to clear it.

35′ – Parkes gets sandwiched between pair of Nashville defenders, but still manages to get shot off — but goes wide right.

38′ – Holland rips a shot that skims off Parkes’ back — but again just misses

40′ – Nashville corner — plays to Moloto to near corner of box and with all kinds of room to shoot — it’s right to center of goal but Lynd is there

43′ – Liam Doyle all over Parkes’ back — called for foul. Kerr free kick to far corner of box cleared away

46′ (5:53 CST) – after a minute added — it’s halftime. Still scoreless.

????: Holding steady dahn south after the first 45. #NSHvPGH pic.twitter.com/o0xDuUkgvj

— Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (@RiverhoundsSC) March 24, 2018

Halftime thoughts:

To tell you the truth, this is pretty much what I expected. The Hounds are playing cautiously at times, enough so that Nashville has had more possession (57%) and then trying to get forward quickly — particularly eyeing to get it to Parkes. Another key stat — Hounds with 14 interceptions to only 3 for Nashville.

Nashville’s had a few chances getting into the box, and Moloto had one clear shot on target, but for the most part, even if one Hounds defender has been beat, another has been there to swoop in to avert danger. Holland had a decent chance as well as Kerr on a ball in from Ray Lee that might have been a little too hot to redirect cleanly on goal.

Hounds have 5 shots — 3 off target and other two blocked while NSH with only one shot by Moloto Most interesting stat – Hounds with 14 intercepted passes (Nsh w/3).

You can find all these and more at USL Match Center.

 

Starting line-ups: 

Pittsburgh (3-4-3)

GK – Dan Lynd

D – Tobi Adewole, Joe Greenspan, Todd Pratzner

MF – Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Christiano François, Ray Lee, Jordan Dover

F – Kevin Kerr, Joe Holland, Romeo Parkes

SUBS: Kyle Morton (G), Neco Brett, Kenardo Forbes, Ben Zemanski, Andrew Lubahn, Kay Banjo, Mouhamed Dabo

Nashville (4-4-2) 

GK – Matt Pickens

D – Bradley Bourgeois, Liam Doyle, Justin Davis; Kosuke Kimura,

MF – Matt LaGrassa, Michael Reed (c), Ryan James; Lebo Moloto

F – Tucker Hume, Robin Shroot

SUBS: Cochran, Washington, Hughes, Akinyode, Winn, Mensah, Cox

 

 

2nd Half

 

Scoring summary: 

 

Next Up

The Riverhounds will return home on Saturday, March 31 to host in-state, Keystone Derby Cup rivals, Penn FC at Highmark Stadium at 7 p.m.

 

 

 

Forwards (4): Kay Banjo, Neco Brett, Dennis Chin, Romeo Parkes

Midfielders (9): Mouhamed Dabo, Ben Fitzpatrick, Bakie Goodman, Kenardo Forbes, Joe Holland, Christiano François, Kevin Kerr, Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Ben Zemanski

Defenders (7): Tobi Adewole, Jordan Dover, Joe Greenspan, Raymond Lee, Andrew Lubahn, Todd Pratzner, Hugh Roberts

Goalkeepers (3): Mike Kirk, Dan Lynd, Kyle Morton