Thomas Vancaeyezeele (center) plays the ball in Riverhounds training at Highmark Stadium. (RIVERHOUNDS SC)
French-born defender Thomas Vancaeyezeele has been the definition of durable and reliable in his three seasons with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, one of many topics I addressed in this week’s 1-v1 Pittsburgh Soccer Now interview!
Also on tap during the face-to-face conversation: His role on the team, both in terms of tactics and leadership, how he stays at a high level under a heavy workload, his developmental years in NCAA Division II, how his homeland influenced his style & how the Hounds can get revenge against New York this weekend at home.
Matt Gajtka (pronounced GITE-kah) is a columnist, analyst and reporter for Pittsburgh Soccer Now. In addition to his four-year role as play-by-play broadcaster for Riverhounds SC, he has experience covering pro and amateur sports for over a decade. Matt got his start in soccer while calling games for the Marshall University men's and women's Division I teams. He fondly remembers attending Hounds matches at Bethel Park High School, although he lapsed during the Moon and Chartiers Valley years. Like many, the construction of Highmark Stadium in 2013 rekindled his passion for the club and local soccer in general.