Takeaways and Player Grades: Lilleyball shifting into high gear at best possible time for ‘more collective’ Riverhounds

Photo courtesy Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC clicked on all cylinders en route to an important 2-0 victory against the newest Eastern Conference challengers, Rhode Island FC, on Saturday night at Highmark Stadium.

Debutant Jacquesson scores, leads Hounds back to playoff position

It was an important win for the Hounds, as they jumped over the playoff line for the first time this season, as the three points earned means that they’re now tied for seventh place with Birmingham Legion FC, as both clubs sit at 35 points.

Bob Lilley’s squad had to make a few adjustments ahead of the match, with two regulars (Junior Etou and Pat Hogan) unavailable, the Hounds didn’t skip a beat, as they stayed in control of a match they absolutely needed to win before yet another sellout crowd.

The Hounds struggled much of the early and middle portions of this season to play consistency and executing the cornerstones of what we’ve come to know here in Pittsburgh as ‘Lilleyball’ — which brings together three primary elements:

1. “Don’t give anything away”
2. “Dictate the game”
3. “Be Dynamic”

Lilley has said, “We can try to do things differently. Change things up, but these have to be consistent.”

This performance on Saturday night was a culmination what Lilley has been demanding from his team of late — being consistent in carrying out these principles.  This 10 match unbeaten streak has pushed Pittsburgh back into position to return to the postseason for the seventh straight season — all under the direction of Lilley.

After the match on Saturday, Lilley acknowledged that his team is finally starting to click the way he wanted all season long.

“We demonstrated early in situations how good we could be, but we’d been inconsistent,” Riverhounds HC Bob Lilley said of his team’s early season struggles.

“We didn’t manage games well, gave up goals at wrong times and wasted chances. When we’ve been good, we’re a tough out for anybody. The reality is we’re more collective now. There’s less individual play.”

Lilleyball always finds its way.

Lineup Changes Don’t Faze Defensive Rotation

When a team is playing well collectively, lineup adjustments and personnel rotations can go more seamlessly.

The Hounds’ suffocating defensive rotation and shape on Saturday night limited Rhode Island’s attack, led by former Hound and league’s 2023 Most Outstanding Player, Albert Dikwa, to two shots, both coming very late in the match and from outside the box — when the match was well in Pittsburgh’s hand.

Meanwhile, with the team’s most consistent playmaker on the wing this season, Junior Etou, absent due to international duty (with his home nation, Congo), Lilley reshuffled his lineup, playing to strengths. The Hounds would make the most of their chances in an otherwise tightly contested affair, converting two of their five shots.

With a 5-2-3 formation (or 3-4-3), the Hounds stuck with what’s been working for much of this unbeaten run but having midfielder Robbie Mertz pushed higher in the central part of the attacking group, flanked by two forwards, in this case a pair of former Pitt standouts, Edward Kizza and Bertin Jacquesson.

But it was Pitt’s one-time captain, Jackson Walti, who made the most drastic change in the positional rotation for this match, moving back from his holding midfield spot, to deeper in the middle of the backline, between two center backs (Illal Osumanu and Sean Suber).  Meanwhile, Luke Biasi, who’s been solid all season in the center back group, showed his versatility, moving to the outside left winger spot, which has been occupied so efficiently this season by Etou.  Veteran Dani Rovira was out wide right.

The Hounds experimenting and utilizing a natural midfielder in the back of the center back line is nothing new.  Lilley did it with Thomas Vancaeyezeele from 2018-20, he used Nate Dossantos in that spot too, and most glaringly, Griffin a few times in 2021, 2022, and early this season.

When Griffin was thrust into that spot earlier in the season, the Hounds were struggling to still come together as a unit, and they were missing his presence in the midfield.  Even Walti admitted that it took him some time to adjust to Lilley’s principles and what he demands in terms of rotations and two-way responsibilities.  Having watched Walti at Pitt for four-plus years, it seemed as if that spot between the center backs would be a more natural fit for him than Griffin. But early in the season, Lilley banked on Griffin’s deeper understanding of the system to have him in that spot.

On this night — in a crucial match — it was Walti who sat deep between the center back.

Walti did his part, with 29 passes, 69 percent passing accuracy (nearly one third of those — 10 — being long passes) and four clearances.  Walti along with captain, Griffin alongside rookie, Bradley Sample, in the middle of the park, have worked well together and growing more and more comfortable in their roles and working together.

Although Rhode Island held more than 60 percent possession, they were limited to working in and around the width, and could not put a dent on the Hounds and get anything going inside the box.

In Pittsburgh’s current unbeaten streak, they have given up five goals in nine matches, with goalkeeper Eric Dick posting five clean sheets to bring his total to 11 for the season, which is now tied for the league lead.  Pittsburgh has allowed the second least goals in the league this season (25 — tied with Phoenix).

While Dick had to come up with some big-time performances during this run, he was not tested with any shots on Saturday, but was in control as Rhode Island did attempt more crosses (16-14 edge) and corners (4-1 advantage) in the match.

Jacquesson Doesn’t Disappoint

Looking back at some of his big moments at Pitt, Bertin Jacquesson always seemed to shine when the stakes were high.

Some of the memorable performances that come to mind include, one goal, three assists in NCAA tournament win in 2021 against Northern Illinois, a big performance, with a goal and an assist against No. 2 Georgetown to open the 2022 campaign and his brilliant late goal to lift 10-man Pitt squad to win at No. 1 Kentucky, to help Pitt advance to the Elite Eight later that season.  

Playing under pressure and in the spotlight is nothing new for Jacquesson.

So, when the Hounds announced last week that Jacquesson was being acquired on loan from Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake, there was an immediate sense that Lilley would not hesitate to use Jacquesson’s talents, especially with the absence of Etou this week.

In his debut with the Riverhounds, former Pitt standout Jacquesson, struggled at first in the first 40 minutes of the match, as the Hounds were playing direct, not quite suited to the style of getting the Frenchman the ball to his feet in space where he can operate.

Danny Griffin changed that.

After the Hounds reclaimed a ball on the left side of the midfield area, the club’s captain found some room to move into the final third.  With plenty of space on the right side, as things opened up, Griffin set up Jacquesson, who made a run on the right edge, behind the last defender on that side.

Sure enough, with a perfectly played ball to his feet, Jacquesson came through with a blistering finish late in the first half that gave the Hounds a huge lift and sent the crowd into a festive celebration right before the half.

𝗢𝘂𝗶 𝗼𝘂𝗶! 🇫🇷

Bertin Jacquesson with a debut BANGER for @RiverhoundsSC! pic.twitter.com/0kVrNWi1HW

— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) September 8, 2024

Work is Far From Done

For the Riverhounds though, their work is far from done.

They have just six matches remaining, while everyone else around them has a game or two at hand, which makes every result critical.  Next week, it won’t be easy, as they’ll travel to Tampa Bay, to take on third place Rowdies, who are equally stingy and score a lot of goals (3rd in USLC with 45).

After Tampa Bay, they will have a week off, and wait to see how the standings move around them, then they’ll play three of their final five matches at home starting with a crucial showdown with 8th place Birmingham at Highmark Stadium on September 28.

Back in early August, in an edition of Hounds Notebook, when the Hounds were sitting on 25 points with 12 matches left, my calculations of a difficult but not impossible path to the playoffs concluded that the Hounds needed to reach between 46-50 points.   Now sitting on 35 points, they’ve made some significant headway, but still have work to do.

With Detroit City FC sitting in 4th place at 39 points, anything from a top four finish to missing the playoffs are all still within reality for the Riverhounds.

Here’s the remaining schedule:

1. Saturday 9/14 – at Tampa Bay Rowdies (East Conf 3rd pl – 43 pts)
2. Saturday 9/29 – home vs Birmingham Legion FC (East Conf 8th pl – 35 pts)
3. Saturday 10/5 – at The Miami FC (East Conf 12 pl – 11 pts)
4. Saturday 10/12 – home vs Charleston (East Conf 2nd pl – 56 pts)
5. Saturday 10/19 – at Loudoun United FC (East Conf 9th pl – 34 pts)
6. Saturday 10/25 – home vs El Paso (West Conf 12th pl – 21 pts)

Pittsburgh controls its destiny — and judging by the way they’re playing and the competition they’ll be facing, they should have a great chance to firmly secure another playoff bid in the Bob Lilley era.

#PITvRI Player Grades

GK – Eric Dick – 6.5 — though not tested with any shots, now tied for league lead in clean sheets

Defenders 

Illal Osumanu – 7 – won 6/12 duels, had 4 tackles, 4 interceptions and 2 clearances

Jackson Walti – 6.5 — former Pitt captain continuing to show why he’s now a valuable and versatile part of the center midfield and now defensive rotation

Sean Suber – 7 – three clearances, won 4/6 duels and won two fouls

Dani Rovira – 6.5- having a veteran who’s played in Pittsburgh for six seasons — provides immense stability and solid two-way play in big matches like this.  Had assist on Sample’s goal — as one of two successful crosses.

Luke Biasi – 6.5 – moved out to spot where he played a lot more in 2022 and 2023 with the Hounds and didn’t miss a beat.  Still won 9/14 duels, had 4 tackles and 4 clearances, while winning 2 fouls / but called for pair of fouls and picking up a yellow card.

Pierre Cayet (77′) – NR – came on to provide fresh legs/shore up defending

Lansgston Blackstock (61′) – 6 – with two goal lead, Blackstock came on as sub for Rovira, which made a lot of sense in helping keep fresh legs and solid two-way play going (2 clearances, 2 interceptions and one tackle).

Midfielders 

Bradley Sample – 7.5 – First goal of career was highlight, but also had team-best 80 percent passing percentage (24 of 30), four total crosses and winning possession a team-leading eight times.

Danny Griffin – 7 – that assist capped a solid night. Won 7/11 duels, had four tackles and a shot on target.

Robbie Mertz – 6 – Mertz continues to be a key catalyst in helping stretch opponents out once again as the highest central attacker while working with the Pitt tandem to draw defenders, he created one chance, had two successful crosses, over 70 percent passing accuracy.

Kenardo Forbes (77′) – NR –  nice to have his veteran presence on field when closing out matches

Forwards

Bertin Jacquesson – 7.5 –  What a debut with the Riverhounds for Bertin, who was happy to be back in Pittsburgh.   Had two shots, won 5/15 duels and earned a foul call.

Edward Kizza – 5 – Quiet night for Kizza, the Hounds’ leading goal scorer, while creating one chance, won just 1/10 duels and conceded two fouls

Emmanuel Johnson (61′) – 5 – came on for Jacquesson. Didn’t have an impact on attacking end but helped with covering ground with fresh legs and playing two ways while the Hounds were conceding possession late.