FINAL: Riverhounds SC 0, Louisville City FC 0

Riverhounds 0, Louisville City FC 0

Match Stats: USL Championship Match Center

Match Summary

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and Louisville City FC showed why they’re two of the tougher defensive clubs in the USL Championship, playing to a hard-fought, scoreless draw at Highmark Stadium on Saturday night.

With the result, the Hounds (8-2-7, 31 points), are now level with Charleston Battery at the top of the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference standings.

Louisville (7-4-5) held 55 percent of possession but did not record a shot on goal. The Hounds extended their streak to 10 consecutive USL Championship matches without a loss.

Between the two teams, only one shot found its way on frame, with goalkeepers Luis Zamudio and Oliver Zemmle picking up clean sheets.

“Tonight, we were poor,” RIverhounds SC Head Coach Bob Lilley said after the match.
“We had balls in the middle of the box, but no one there. Decision making on ball wasn’t good. Defensively we were good. I don’t know if we did enough to win. Can’t have one or two chances a game.”

Pittsburgh were on the front foot for most of the first half, primarily working the wide channels to create some dangerous moments.

In total, the Hounds sent 14 crosses and set up four corners, while sending four shots toward goal, with one needing to be saved.  On the defensive side, Pittsburgh picked off six Louisville City passes.

The Hounds lone shot on frame came from veteran midfielder Kenardo Forbes, who delivered three consecutive corner kicks between the 26th and 27th minutes, while pouncing on one ball that rolled back to him, sending a bending shot that forced Louisville’s keeper, Oliver Semmle to punch over the bar.

Neither side made any changes at the start of the second half, but some of the match’s biggest fireworks to that point took place shortly after kickoff.

The Hounds were pressing high, and nearly stole one when Marc Ybarra intercepted a ball on the top of the 18, then chipped a ball forward for Tola Showunmi, who couldn’t get a solid touch on it before Semmle pushed it away.

While the Hounds brought a lot of pressure forward in the first half, Louisville City increased its chances, sending eight shots (none on frame) in the second half, as they held the advantages in corners and crosses in the final 45 minutes.

City’s best chance came in the 64th minute when Elijah Wynder’s shot from the middle of the box at the end of a rare 3-on-2 counter chance on a nice feed from Wilson Harris.  Wynder’s shot pinged off the right post, then bounced into middle of the goal area where Hounds’ defender Arturo Ordonez lunged on the line to cleared it away with a header, then Dani Rovira reacted quickly to also clear the ball away from danger.

Louisville City players contested the play, citing that the ball crossed the line.

Look for a reaction from the Hounds’ Head Coach Bob Lilley and players and Takeaways and Player Grades in our subsequent coverage.  

Match Day Updates: 

Look for match updates to be posted below, including starting lineups, in-game highlights and more. Plus stay with Pittsburgh Soccer Now for post match coverage presented by The Bulldog Pub

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FINAL:  PITTSBURGH 0, LOUISVILLE CITY FC 0

88′ — SUB — Hounds swap Marc Ybarra (out) for Trevor Zwetsloot.  Joe Farrell is also out, with Pat Hogan coming on.

84′ — Looking for some late answers, Hounds with another sub as Edward Kizza comes on for Luke Biasi. Hounds switching out from 5-4-1 to 4-2-3-1 formation now.

80′ — Another LouCity sub: 80′ – Striker swap. Cameron Lancaster comes on for Wilson Harris. Visitors with one sub remaining, Hounds still have three.

74′ — Potential goal taken away!  Linesman had flag up as Burke Fahling header goes into net.

74′  — We have a trio of LouCity subs. Niall McCabe checks in for Tyler Gibson. Manny Perez subs in for Oscar Jimenez.  Maarten Pouwels replaces Wilson Harris.

69′ – Mushagalusa cuts in off the goal line for Louisville and hits a hard shot from a tight angle. High and wide, but definitely a dangerous moment.

64′ – Elijah Wynder gets booked after a hard foul at the top of the Hounds’ box. Each time now with two yellow cards.

57′ — Bob Lilley jumps up and around in protest of foul call in front of him on Kenardo Forbes. The veteran coach may get some style points on that reaction.  Forbes was also booked on the infraction.

48′ — Wow! Hounds nearly get beat on Louisville counter — as the visitors has 3on2 adv into final third. Louisville chance from close range from Elijah Wynder bangs off right post, then Arturo Ordonez clears it away with a header. Lou City wanted goal (thought went over line)

46′ — Lou City having trouble clearing it with Hounds pressing — and Marc Ybarra finds ball at his feet, chips ball over to Showunmi’s outstretched leg, but can’t connect.

8:09 p.m. — Second half starts with no changes for either side.

HALF — PITTSBURGH 0, LOUISVILLE CITY 0

37′ — Louisville, held without a shot through the first 35 minutes, sees Enoch Musagalusa get behind the Hounds back line on left side, but his shot attempt is blocked by Hounds defender Illal Osumanu.

26′ — As the rain comes down hard — Hounds set up three consecutive corners, but despite some clever balls in from Kenardo Forbes, no breakthroughs for Pittsburgh who’ve been on the front foot.

20′ — Showunmi gets a nice feed from Forbes to the end line, then sends a blistering cross from the edge, but it’s deflected out for a corner.

12′ — First real nice build-up and combination for Hounds ends with Junior Etou cross from right side that is dangerous through the box, but doesn’t quite connect with striker Tola Showunmi.

Starting Lineups

Hounds:

77	Zamudio	GK
13	Biasi	DF
4	Rovira	DF
15	Farrell	DF
5	Ordoñez	DF
28	Osumanu	DF
11	Forbes (C)	MF
2	Griffin	MF
23	Ybarra	MF
8	Etou	MF
24	Showunmi	FW

 

Louisville City FC

 

Louisville City FC

This will be Saini's 15th USL-C match, all time. 7 of the previous 14 have been at Highmark. In those 7 games, the boys are 6-0-1. Add a Cup match in '19, the record goes to 7-0-1. He was last here in May for the Lights thrashing.

He's never seen Louisville.

Averages 3.8 🟨 pic.twitter.com/llfmu1zLz0

— Steel Army (@SteelArmy) July 1, 2023

Here's what happened the last time @RiverhoundsSC and @loucityfc met!

Could we see another classic tonight? 🤔#PITvLOU pic.twitter.com/UTHMOJNWew

— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) July 1, 2023