Preview and Scouting Report: Riverhounds are back on West Coast to face stingy Sacramento Republic FC

Photo courtesy Sacramento Republic FC

The extended run of matches at home has ended for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC — and now, they have some important road business ahead, as they travel to Northern California to face Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday night (kickoff 10 pm ET — ESPN 2) as part of a tough two-match road swing and a three-matches in a week stretch that will be critical to their push to the postseason.

The good news for the Hounds (22 points, 10th place) is that they come into this match relatively healthy squad, however, midfielder Bradley Sample will be missing the match due to a red card suspension, having been sent off very late in last week’s 1-1 draw vs Loudoun United FC.

With the draw vs Loudoun, Pittsburgh is unbeaten in its last three matches, but still trail the Northern Virginia-based club by five points in the standings, and at kickoff that number could increase, depending on how Loudoun fares in its match vs The Miami FC earlier on Saturday.

One of the key storylines is that the Republic FC likely take the ‘Pittsburgh West’ moniker once again this season, as goalkeeper Danny Vitiello, midfielder Shane Wiedt, and forward Russell Cicerone were all prominent fairly recent Riverhounds, who will face their former club, this time in Sacramento.

On the flip side, this will be a return to Northern California for one of the Hounds’ youngest players and former Republic FC academy product, Emmanuel ‘EJ’ Johnson, who got his start training with the club under a USL Academy Contract.

This will be the lone meeting of the year between the clubs, and the Hounds are still seeking their first win against Sacramento after a loss in 2014 and draws in each of the past two seasons. The teams played to a scoreless result last year at Highmark, and in 2022, the result was an entertaining 1-1 draw that saw each team’s veteran playmaker — Rodrigo López for the Republic and Forbes for the Hounds — find the net in a four-minute span.

This will also be the second match of the season for the Hounds to be nationally televised, as ESPN 2 will be carrying the match live.

Sacramento Republic FC: A Closer Look

Led by Mark Briggs, a well-traveled English journeyman (from Wolverhampton, England) as a player, who has some history facing the Riverhounds back when he was a player, as part of one of the USL’s old guard franchises, Wilmington Hammerheads, where he also got his start coaching soon after retiring in 2015.

Since his ascension from assistant and academy posts, first with Wilmington, then Real Monarch, and eventually Sacramento, he took over the Republic’s Head Coaching duties in 2020 after serving as a year as the Academy Director, and has kept the club as a formidable Western Conference side for the good part this decade, and this year this team is once again very difficult to play against and dissect.

The Republic are a strong possession team (6th in league in average possession: 52.9%; and accurate passes per match: 361) who are also well-organized out of the back and don’t allow many goals — in fact they’re (by far — 5 goals clear) the stingiest side in the Championship, allowing just 15 goals (by comparison the Hounds have allowed the third least goals: 22).

Typically they’ll play out of a 3-4-1-2 formation, but like most good teams, will adjust to their opponents.

They’re very strong in the middle and out of the back, with Goalkeeper of the Year Vitiello, who is in his third year with the Republic remaining one of the league’s best and most durable stoppers, leading the USLC in shutouts (10) and with a solid unit in front of him, is 10th in saves (50).

🇺🇸Danny Vitiello for Sacramento Republic FC in 1-0 win over Detroit City FC:

⏰90 minutes played
🦿14 shots against
🦵5 shots faced
🧤5 saves
🛑4 saves from inside box
🦘1 high claims
🧱1 (1) runs out (succ)
🥅0 goals conceded https://t.co/vKbp4be2m3

— Pedro Rondon (@usasupersoccer) July 28, 2024

DANNY. VITIELLO. 🔥

Not one, not two, but THREE SAVES to keep Miami out. 👊#MIAvSAC pic.twitter.com/gzWAjXhwnv

— Sacramento Republic FC (@SacRepublicFC) March 16, 2024

Vitiello is joined by two other former Hounds, center back Shane Wiedt and forward Russell Cicerone, who scored the winning goal last week against Detroit in his return from more than two months on the sideline after ankle surgery.

Instant impact 👊

Russell Cicerone scores in his first game back from injury. 🔥#DETvSAC pic.twitter.com/t0yHlSqdzw

— Sacramento Republic FC (@SacRepublicFC) July 28, 2024

Vitiello, Wiedt, and Cicerone were all key contributors for the Hounds from 2020-2022. Cicerone led the team in goals scored for two seasons between 2021-22, scoring 31 goals and 14 assists in 67 appearances, while Wiedt, a former Pitt standout, was a durable center back during those same two years.

Vitiello seized the starting goalkeeper position in Pittsburgh in 2020 and 2021, before moving on to Sacramento in 2022, where he was an essential part of a team that went on a monumental Open Cup run to the Final.

Along with top scorer Trevor Amann (nine goals) and Huddersfield Town loanee Kieran Phillips (five goals), the Republic has plenty of firepower to match its defensive prowess.

Taking a look at their most recent performance, it was impressive road win, as Republic FC tacked on another road win with a late goal and another solid defensive performance against Detroit City FC. Last Saturday’s 1-0 victory extended the club’s undefeated road streak to 11 – as the club sits as the only side in the league to not falter on the road. Vitello stood out with five saves to claim the club’s 10th clean sheet of the season – the most by a single keeper. Returning from injury, Cicerone’s goal (see above) came just thirteen minutes after checking into the game after an 11-week hiatus.

It came thanks to the Republic FC’s patience in building up possession around the edge of the final third, then Jared Timmer delivered a cross to the far post – his second in a week, where Cicerone headed in the game-winning goal to clinch all three points — and keep them firmly in second place in the Western Conference.

Luis Felipe (Fernandes) and Jared Timmer’s performances against Detroit City FC earned them selections to the Team of the Week.

Felipe contributed to the club’s dominant defensive performance, winning all 6 of his tackles, 9 of 12 aerial duels, and 17 total duels—the second most by a player in a single game this season.

The savvy Brazilian, Felipe, and another USLC veteran Justin Portillo make up a very strong central midfield pairing who really are key players who set the tone for Republic’s ability to control matches and set tempo.

How Republic FC lined up last week vs Detroit City FC… 

Key match ups to watch and Riverhounds’ projected lineup

The Hounds followed a pretty similiar formula for success in their fairly successful four-match homestand, as their high press was often effective and they brought constant pressure, especially in win against Oakland, Hartford and in the first half against Loudoun.

They can’t afford to have too much drop off against Sacramento. Pittsburgh will absolutely need to capitalize on chances because they’re facing an opponent who simply doesn’t allow many goals or quality scoring chances (0.8 goals per game — best in the league).

We’ve seen the Republic, when pushing forward, switch to a 3-4-3 formation too, pushing their wingers up higher.

Either way, they typically line up with three center backs, but when their attack is peaking, they use an assortment of midfielders and attackers who are always moving with overlapping runs, playing a free-flowing style when getting forward.

The Hounds have not been under a lot of pressure in recent matches, but last week one alarming sign against a quality possession team, they were chasing large portions of the match against Loudoun.  The Hounds will have to do their best to break Sacramento’s rhythm and implement their own pressure.  The midfield battle should be a good one, as it was last year when the two teams met and played to a stalemate.

The battle between Sacramento’s central midfield pairing (Portillo and Felipe) and the Hounds (likely Griffin, Walti and/or Forbes) should be fun to see play out between two teams that don’t allow many quality chances for opponents in the final third.

Pittsburgh ran out very similiar lineup each of the four matches in the July homestand, but without midfielder Bradley Sample available and the fact that the Hounds will have two more matches in an eight day span, the Hounds will definitely need to used their depth.

Two players who have seen more playing time of late have been 21 year-old forward Emannuel ‘EJ’ Johnson and midfielder Jackson Walti who have each started the past four matches, as each were focal points in this week’s Riverhounds Notebook.

Riverhounds Notebook: Bigger roles for Jackson Walti and Emmanuel ‘EJ’ Johnson help shift the tide and club’s push to the postseason

When asked about initial preparations for Sacramento, Walti focused on what that Hounds will need to do.

“Our game plan — we’ll always be a high pressing team. Play for second balls.  Past four games it’s been super successful. We’ve outshot our opponents.  My prediction would be, it will be more of the same agenda for us,” Walti said.

Among some of the possiblities, Hounds Head Coach Bob Lilley could add seldom used Aiden O’Toole to the midfield rotation for this match, while potentially giving Forbes a start in one of these matches to add experience and a valued quality player on the ball against all the upcoming high-level opponents.

John K’s Projected Riverhounds Lineup vs Sacramento… 

• GK – Eric Dick
• Winger/OB (L) – Junior Etou
• CB – Luke Biasi
• CB – Sean Suber
• CB – Illal Osumanu
• Winger/OB (R) – Langston Blackstock
• CMF – Jackson Walti
• CMF – Danny Griffin
• AMF – Robbie Mertz
• F – Edward Kizza
• F – Emmanuel Johnson

Bench options:

• GK – Gabe Perrotta, Jacob Randolph
• MF – Kenardo Forbes, Aiden O’Toole, Dani Rovira, Nate Dragisich, Pablo Linzoain (Academy)
• D – Pat Hogan, Jake Kent-Loop, Pierre Cayet
• F – Babacar Diene, Enoch Mushagalusa, Kazaiah Sterling

Not available:

Bradley Sample (Red Card Suspension)

Match info

Riverhounds (5-9-7) vs. Sacramento Republic FC (9-3-8)
Date: Saturday, Aug. 3
Time: 10 p.m.
Location: Heart Health Park, Sacramento, Calif.
Odds: Hounds +280 / Draw +220 / Sacramento -105 (FanDuel)
TV: ESPN2
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #SACvPIT and #HOUNDTAHN