Preview and Scouting Report: Points and goals are at a greater premium for Riverhounds vs frisky Switchbacks

Photo courtesy Ed Thompson

With 10 matches to go, room for error becomes smaller and smaller as the Riverhounds are heading into the home stretch of the season, beginning with Saturday night’s home matchup against a first-time visitor to Pittsburgh, the Colorado Springs Switchbacks (7 p.m. kickoff).

Following a pair of scoreless draws in the past two matches, the Hounds are desperately seeking goals, despite being unbeaten in their past six matches, going 3-0-3 to take 12 out of a possible 18 points.

The primary storyline of this match will be while that has pulled the team back to within three points of the playoff positions in the Eastern Conference, the Hounds will likely need to keep up that points pace to finish the job, as Detroit, Loudoun and North Carolina — the teams immediately ahead of them in the standings — all having games in hand. The playoff picture was spelled out in more detail in this week’s Riverhounds Notebook, as the Hounds, currently sitting on 27 points, are projected by PSN to need to finish somewhere between 46-50 points to secure eighth place and a seventh consecutive playoff berth. 

Defending has not been the issue for the Hounds, as they’re now one of just three teams in the Championship allowing less than a goal per game, and they have not allowed a goal in the past 347 minutes, their longest such stretch of the season. Goalkeeper Eric Dick is one big reason for this current streak, posting three straight clean sheets to his name, earning him back-to-back bench spots on the league’s Team of the Week along with an eight-save performance in the Hounds’ last win vs Sacramento.  Center back Pat Hogan made the Team of the Week this week after recording 13 clearances against Detroit and San Antonio, his first two starts since returning from injury.

The team’s deficiency and area of extreme inconsistency is in being more efficient in the final third and scoring goals.  Having been shutout in the past two matches, and only scoring once in the previous two matches (two goals in past four matches), the Hounds are back at the bottom of the league in goal scoring conversation rate (10%), while now third to last in goals scored (21).

Head Coach Bob Lilley said his squad needs to find another gear and settling for draws at home is just not going to cut it, especially seeing his team come out in most recent matches on the front foot, but still unable to score goals.

“We’ll play with intensity and urgency in a good way,” Lilley explained about his team’s effort early in last week’s 0-0 draw vs San Antonio.

“We had a lot of chances, but we didn’t score. Then, we didn’t wait until 10-15 minutes left in the match to pick it up again.  We have to maintain that.”

The Hounds are heading into this match-up with a full roster for Lilley to select from, as they don’t have any players listed on the team’s weekly injury report.

A Closer Look: Colorado Springs Switchbacks

One of the teams that’s been part of the league for nearly a decade, Colorado Springs will make their first ever trip ever to Highmark Stadium, however Pittsburgh’s soccer mecca is a familiar place for both head coach James Chambers and veteran midfielder Devon ‘Speedy’ Williams.

Riverhounds Notebook: Past playoffs nemesis James Chambers returns to Highmark Stadium as Head Coach of Colorado Springs

Colorado brings plenty of attacking firepower, as they will test the Hounds’ shape and organization with Ronaldo Damus leading the line with nine goals on the season.

The Haitian striker is one of a handful of dangerous Caribbean players in the Colorado Springs side, along with Maalique Foster (four goals, four assists) and a longtime USL stalwart in midfield, former Robert Morris University star Speedy Williams.

The Switchbacks like to bring waves of pressure and typically like to take their chances, sending a high rate of shots (7th in USLC with 299) with a middle of the road conversion rate (13% good for 15th in the league).

Foster is a dangerous creator on the wing who Williams will look to find often to push the attack. When Foster’s decision-making is on, and he takes on defenders in 1v1 situations, then find forwards and other midfielders in transition, he is a player that the Hounds will have to mark.

The most familiar face on COS roster is the former Robert Morris University standout and Jamaican International, Williams.

The crafty midfielder started his professional soccer career after a solid four-years at RMU, with the USL Championship playing for New York Red Bulls II, Louisville City FC, and Miami FC earning 14 goals and 10 assists.

At one point, Williams became the Robert Horry of the USLC, being part of Championship clubs where ever he went.  While he was with the New York Bulls II, he helped the team win the USL Champion Cup and Regular Season Champion Cup in 2016. Then the next two years, won the USL Cup Champion with Louisville City FC.

This Kingston, Jamaica native has made 36 appearances for the National Senior Jamaica team in his career, having appeared at two editions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup with the squad while recording one goal and one assist.

“Speedy was a huge part of our good form at the end of the season. He shows fantastic leadership and professionalism on a daily basis,” Chambers at the start of the season.

“He is highly thought of and respected within the league and we are delighted to have him within our core. His experience is invaluable and he will use that to help us push the group on in 2024.”

This year, Williams has proven to be the centerpiece of the COS midfield, starting in 19 of 20 matches he’s appeared in tabulating more than 1,618 minutes played.  Though he has just one assist and hasn’t scored a goal, Williams is still extremely effective playing deeper in the central midfield, controlling tempo, with top-notch passing accuracy (86%) and generating chances (remains one of team’s best with 25 chances created).

Getting ready for Pitt#forthesprings #switchbacksfc pic.twitter.com/IIkdTBnJW0

— Switchbacks FC (@SwitchbacksFC) August 15, 2024

In goal, the Switchback have gone with the ironman, Christian Herrera, who has started every match this season, posting seven clean sheets.

Here’s how Colorado Springs lined up last week vs North Carolina… 

Match-Ups to Watch & John K’s Projected Hounds XI

While there will be match-ups to watch and tactical tweaks needed to take on this opponent, the bottom line here is that the Hounds have to execute better in the final third.

Last week, in the target forward spot, Kazaiah Sterling got the nod in the last match of a three-match in eight days stretch, while Emmanuel Johnson started alongside him in a rare match where Edward Kizza began the match on the bench.  That was clearly part of squad rotation, so I would expect the Hounds would go back with Johnson-Kizza combo, with Robbie Mertz also pushing up higher too, looking to get behind the COSFC last line.

An early goal will be huge for Pittsburgh, as we’ve seen during the stretch of play at home when they picked up back-to-back wins, as that really ignited the crowd and gave them more confidence when getting into the box.  The longer this match goes without a goal, the more of an advantage it tilts to Chambers’ squad.  If anyone knows how to turn the tables in a match at Highmark Stadium against a Bob Lilley high pressing squad, it’s Chambers, who has his own playoff heroics against the Hounds in 2018.

COSFC’s wingers are going to be handful, but the Hounds have tamed other teams that love to use the width this season, as Langston Blackstock and Junior Etou have been solid in their defensive responsibilities on the wing, while central midfielders, primarily Danny Griffin along with either Jackson Walti or Bradley Sample have also been exceptional in sniffing out advances through the middle.  With Speedy Williams’ experience, vision and accurate passing both in tight spots and on long passes, the Hounds will have to make things difficult for COSFC to operate and get into the final third.

Projected Starting XI 

• GK – Eric Dick
• Winger/OB (L) – Junior Etou
• CB – Luke Biasi
• CB – Sean Suber
• CB – Pat Hogan
• 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
• D – Illal Osumanu, Jake Kent-Loop, Pierre Cayet, Dani Rovira
• MF – Kenardo Forbes, Aiden O’Toole, Bradley Sample, Nate Dragasich
• F – Babacar Diene, Enoch Mushagalusa, Kazaiah Sterling

Riverhounds (6-9-9) vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks (9-9-4)
Date: Saturday, Aug. 17
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Odds: Hounds -125 / Draw +250 / Colorado Springs +280 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #PITvCOS and #HOUNDTAHN