Only six days after prevailing in dramatic fashion, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC went the distance and played an another penalty kick shootout in the USL Championship Eastern Conference playoffs. This time, they came out on the losing end, falling to Louisville City FC, 2-2 (5-3 in the shootout), in a heartbreaking end to the 2022 campaign at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, KY, on Saturday night.
For more than 80 minutes, the Riverhounds SC managed and scrapped their way to holding a 2-0 lead in hostile territory, but a quick surge from Louisville City FC in the late stages turned the tables of the match, with two goals.
The teams would play through the end of regulation and extra time testing each other in spurts, but ultimately having to settle the contest in a penalty kick shootout. Louisville held a decided advantage in shots, possession (66/34), corners (14-2) and crosses (49-14).
The Hounds came up short in the shootout, bringing the 2022 campaign to an abrupt halt, when only a half-hour or so earlier, they were on the brink of finally beating Louisville City FC in the playoffs.
FINAL: Louisville City FC 2, Riverhounds 2 (LouCity wins PK shootout, 5-3)
Instead, the Hounds suffered their third playoff exit in the last four years at the hands of the now eight-time Eastern Conference finalists.
After the match, John Krysinsky and Alex Fydryszewski, of Three Rivers Broadcasting, provide instant reaction to another nailbiting match and their immediate takeaways on the Riverhounds playoff performances and season overall.