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Pittsburgh Riverhounds

FINAL: FC Cincinnati 2, Riverhounds SC 0 (AET)

Photo Courtesy Alan Saunders
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Third Round

FINAL: FC Cincinnati 2, Riverhounds SC 0

Match Summary

In a thrilling match that went to extra time, the Riverhounds SC ran out of gas, falling to Major League Soccer’s FC Cincinnati, 2-0, in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at TQL Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Despite playing on the front foot for most of the first half, the Hounds failed to capitalize, as the match went to the half in a scoreless deadlock.

The match flipped in the second half when the home side turned up the pressure on Pittsburgh, with numerous chances, creating nervy moments and heroics from Hounds rookie goalkeeper Jahmali Waite and defender Arturo Ordonez, who saved one shot with a header clearance.

In extra time, Alvaro Barreal scored twice in the first extra-time period, converting a penalty kick in the 95th minute and driving home another score from a wide angle in the 98th minute. Cincinnati (3-4-1 all competitions) will wait to learn its fourth-round opponent, while the Hounds exit the Open Cup with an all-time record of 1-6 against MLS opponents.

A crowd of 5,458 attended FCC’s first Open Cup match since June 2019 as the competition was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Look for more from Pittsburgh Soccer Now’s coverage team at TQL Stadium including post match recap, reaction on Pittsburgh Sports Live, Twitter Reaction and Ed Thompson’s photo gallery.  

Match Day Updates 

Here we have match day updates and live coverage from TQL Stadium, as PSN’s Alan Saunders and Ed Thompson will be in Cincinnati to provide in-game updates, photos, match reaction and more.

120′ – FINAL: Cincinnati 2, Riverhounds 0

104′ – Toby Sims is the last man off the Pittsburgh bench, on for Dos Santos.

103′ – Midfielder Junior Moreno Borrero on for Cincinnati, taking off forward Markanich.

99′ – GOAL: It’s now a brace for Barreal, as two players collided going for a diagonal ball, and he was left unmarked to the right of Waite. Slotted in the far corner.

95′ – GOAL: Barreal taks his own penalty and converts in the top right.

94′ – Penalty for Cincinnati. Waite called for the foul, diving after a loose ball and clipping Barreal. An ill-advised dive from the Pittsburgh keeper, who has been excellent.

90+’ – Regulation is not enough. Hounds make two changes at the full time whistle, bringing Shane Wiedt and Mekeil Williams on for Jelani Peters and Luke Biasi. One change for the home squad, with Yuya Kubo on.

90′ – Hounds defend a free kick and a corner, Kelly wins the ball and draws a foul and a yellow card for Haris Medunjanin.

86′ – Forbes with a look to his left for Biasi, over the net. Then after a turnover, Kelly with an open look from the top of the 18, again just high. Hounds finding some offensive life late.

83′ – Multiple incredible chances for Cincinnati, the last of which was headed away by Hounds defender Arturo Osuna Ordonez. Can’t believe they can’t find the net. Waite shaken up on the sequence, but he’s staying in.

78′ – Argudo off with an injury, replaced by Angelo Kelly-Rosales. Two more changes for Cincinnati, with Luciano Acosta and Calvin Harris coming on. Acosta is a

74’ – Substitutions for the visitors, and big ones, as Kenardo Forbes and Dane Kelly come on for Dikwa and Rovira.

72′ – Yellow card for Argudo, who went studs up on an ill-advised challenge.

70′ – Arquimedes Orodonez and Alvas Powell on for Cincinnati.

68′ – Dikwa collects a yellow card for backing under a leaping Nicholas Hagglund.

62’ – Alvaro Barreal with a drive into the upper 90, Waite leaps to get one hand on it. Cincy corner corralled by Waite. All FCC so far in the second.

57′ – Cincinnati plays a short free kick to the right, and Wait has to make a diving stop at a one-time. FCC coming on strong in the second half.

50’ – Just an incredible sequence to start the second half. Allan Cruz Leal had a breakaway, beat Waite but hit the bottom of the right post. Markanick got the rebound, and his point-blank shot was saved by Waite. Markanick then got a second crack at hit, but his second shot sailed high.

45’ – Fourth corner for the Hounds, left-sided this time. Argudo from the other side, on goal and snared easily.

40’ – Dikwa passes left to a streaking Griffin, who forces a strong diving save. If you told an uneducated observer one of these teams played at a higher level, don’t think they’d pick Cincy so far

36′ – Yellow card for Daniel Griffin for an accumulation of fouls. Cincy has been somewhat lazy with their passing on the back end and Griffin was aggressively challenging, trying to force a turnover. He did, but got caught for another foul.

30’ – Cincy with another good scoring chance on a cross, looking for a header. Nicholas Markanich got a hold of this one, but couldn’t put it on frame.

26′ – Alex Dixon, wearing the arm band tonight, forces the first save from Cincy keeper Roman Celentano on a low shot from an angle.

20′ – Third corner, again Argudo, and this time the Hounds play it short. Rovira had a nice back-heel cross, but there was no one home at the far end.

17′ – Second corner from Hounds is once again Argudo’s. Daniel Rovira with a good chance from the top of the 18-yard box, but sails it into the supporter’s section.

16′ – Cincinnati free kick just misses connecting with an open man at the back post. Hounds having the better of the play, but fortunate to still be tied.

14′ – Hounds with a corner, but no scoring chance after Luis Argudo’s service, as a handball was called.

Starting lineups

 

Here’s Mark Goodman’s Game Preview:

Preview: Open Cup FC Cincinnati is a real opportunity for the Hounds

Key Storylines / Preview 

The Riverhounds and FC Cincinnati renew aquaintances once again.  Former league foes from 2016-18, will do battle in the US Open Cup’s Third Round.

After a handful of near misses over the past eight years, the Riverhounds will get another chance to knock off an MLS side when they face FC Cincinnati in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The Hounds, who are 1-5 all-time against MLS teams, have suffered some narrow (and in some cases, unlucky) losses against teams from the higher division since 2014. In that year, the team was knocked out 2-1 by the Chicago Fire in a match that was abandoned in the 48th minute due to weather.

The next year, the Hounds hosted D.C. United and took them all the way to extra time before falling 3-1 after playing to a 1-1 score through 90 minutes. And in the most recent edition of the cup before the pandemic, the Hounds were beaten 1-0 on the road at the Columbus Crew, a match where the Crew had the better of play, but the Hounds still had their chances to steal a result.

If they are to secure the win, it will take a reversal of history against FC Cincinnati, which had the Hounds’ number during their time in USL. The Hounds are 0-5-4 all time against FCC, and though the Hounds did take a 2-1 win in the 2021 preseason, that match is hardly instructive with the amount of lineup shuffling and roster turnover for both clubs in the year since.

The Hounds still have a clean bill of health coming off Saturday’s first loss of the year in Las Vegas, and they were able to keep a handful of regulars fresh for the match. Jelani Peters did not play a league match for the first time in 2022, while Dani Rovira, Albert Dikwa, Alex Dixon, Nate Dossantos and Luis Argudo all played off the bench in varying amounts. Second Round goal-scoring star Toby Sims also did not play Saturday, while history suggests two games in four days is nothing that will keep Danny Griffin from his spot in the middle of the park.

FC Cincinnati’s selection will be interesting to watch.

The team played in Atlanta last Saturday, but their reserve team played at New England on Sunday, which might limit any potential roster shuffling ahead of the match. Brandon Vazquez has scored five of Cincinnati’s eight goals this season, and Luciano Acosta remains their most dynamic midfield creator, but both have played nearly every minute after seven MLS matches. If they give way to less-seasoned replacements, it could make the match even less predictable.

The forecast calls for a chilly morning in Cincinnati, but temperatures are expected to steadily rise, hitting the high of 53 shortly before kickoff. And take note: It’s a 7 p.m. start after originally being announced at 7:30.

PSN Hounds & Open Cup Coverage 

Pittsburgh-Cincinnati soccer rivalry never had a chance

U.S. Open Cup Third Round Draw Update: Hounds to face FC Cincinnati

Riverhounds SC Reaction: Sims’ brace leads Hounds to Open Cup victory

Glory on the Grass

Riverhounds MF Kenardo Forbes

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