USL Championship Playoff Race: Riverhounds will have some catching up to do

Photo courtesy Rhode Island FC

Although the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC did not play this past weekend, they didn’t get a lot of help they were hoping for as most of the teams they’re chasing in their quest to finish above the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference playoff line picked up positive results.

At the conclusion of this weekend’s action, Pittsburgh is now sitting in 11th place in the 12 team conference.

However, the Hounds, who went 10 matches without a loss until last Saturday’s setback at Tampa Bay, are still very much in contention, but currently sitting at the bottom of a pack of teams who all have a chance over the next five weeks to claim a playoff berth.

Due to their precarious position, the Hounds’ have very little room for error.

UPDATE: Sunday (9/22/2024) results – mostly bad news for Hounds

• Birmingham — The Legion FC moved up to 5th place, following a stoppage time winner that broke a scoreless match against The Miami FC.

Debut ✅ Stoppage time winner ✅

1-0 | #BHMvMIA | @ATT pic.twitter.com/YvbQg6t1QG

— Birmingham Legion FC (@bhmlegion) September 23, 2024

• Detroit City FC — Playing before a frenzied crowd and a National TV audience, DCFC pulled off an upset of Louisville City FC,

STATEMENT MADE (x2) ⚜️✅#DCTID pic.twitter.com/6McxcGtH3e

— Detroit City FC (@DetroitCityFC) September 22, 2024

• Loudoun United FC loses to New Mexico United to remain in 8th place, two points ahead of the Hounds.

Three Points and a Clean Sheet 🥰

That’s back-to-back home victories with La Familia 🙌 We do it for you, New Mexico! #SomosUnidos pic.twitter.com/6kN2SerJdR

— New Mexico United (@NewMexicoUTD) September 22, 2024

UPDATE: Saturday (9/21/2024) results — Not a good night for Hounds

• Hartford Athletic defeat Oakland Roots, 2-0 — with the win, Hartford passes the Hounds in the standings, jumping into 9th place with 37 points
• North Carolina FC defeated Indy Eleven, 2-0 — withe the win, NCFC also pass the Hounds up in the table, now occupying 9th place, pushing the Hounds down to 10th.
• Rhode Island FC defeated FC Tulsa, 2-1 — a late goal lifted Rhode Island further up the table too — moving up to a tie with Indy Eleven for 5th place, as both teams now sit on 40 points

Chico goes top shelf in stoppage time 🤩 #WickedGoodGoal | @capellisport pic.twitter.com/1A1l9dLIiz

— Rhode Island FC (@RhodeIslandFC) September 22, 2024

What does this all mean to the Riverhounds, and what lies ahead?

While most of the teams ahead of them did win, moving further up the table, with Loudoun United FC losing their match, it now appears that there will be a battle between four teams — Pittsburgh (35 pts – five matches remaining), North Carolina FC (36 pts – six matches remaining), Hartford (37 pts – five matches remaining) and Loudoun (37 pts – six matches remaining) battling for the eighth and last spot playoff spot.

The Hounds will probably have to earn somewhere in the ballpark of 12 to 13 points in their last five matches, with little room for error.

That means a 4w-0L-1D, 4-1-0 or 5-0-0 finish would be ideal.  Going 3-0-2 (11 points) or worse may not cut it.

If there’s one thing Riverhounds Head Coach Bob Lilley and his team has learned this season, is that no opponent can be taken lightly, but it’s also hard not to look at the five remaining matches and see that it can be favorable for the Hounds, for a few good reasons:

• Three of the last five matches are at home, at Highmark Stadium
• Two remaining road matches are at last place (-42 goal differential) The Miami FC and the closest road trip, Loudoun United FC, a team they’re within two points.
• Two of the five matches are against last place teams in both the Eastern Conference (The Miami FC) and Western Conference (El Paso)

Below is the full remaining schedule for the Riverhounds and the teams they’re chasing (in Bold).  It’s very likely that the season and the final playoff berth won’t be decided until the last Saturday (October 26) of the regular season.

Saturday, September 28, 2024 

3 p.m.  — North Carolina FC at El Paso Locomotive FC

7 p.m. — Riverhounds SC vs Birmingham Legion FC (41 points — 5th place — with five matches remaining)

7 p.m. — Indy Eleven (40 points – 7th place — with six matches left) vs The Miami FC

7:30 p.m. — Hartford Athletic at Tampa Bay Rowdies

8 p.m. — Loudoun United FC at Colorado Springs Switchbacks

8:30 p.m. — Rhode Island FC (40 points – 6th place with five matches left) at San Antonio FC

Saturday, October 5, 2024 

7 p.m.  — Hartford Athletic vs Loudoun United FC 

7 p.m. — Indy Eleven at Louisville City FC

7 p.m. — Riverhounds at The Miami FC

7:30 p.m. — Rhode Island FC vs Tampa Bay Rowdies

Sunday, October 6, 2024 

5 p.m. — North Carolina FC at Birmingham Legion FC 

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

7 p.m. — Indy Eleven vs Loudoun United FC 

Wednesday, October 9, 2024 

7 p.m. — North Carolina FC vs FC Tulsa

Saturday, October 12, 2024 

4 p.m. — Indy Eleven at Detroit City FC

7 p.m. — Riverhounds SC vs Charleston Battery

Sunday, October 13, 2024 

4 p.m. — Loudoun United FC at Rhode Island FC

5 p.m. — Las Vegas Lights at Birmingham Legion FC 

Saturday, October 19, 2024 

6 p.m. — FC Tulsa at Hartford Athletic 

6 p.m. — Riverhounds at Loudoun United FC 

7 p.m. — Birmingham Legion FC at Indy Eleven 

7:30 p.m.  — Rhode Island FC at Charleston Battery

7:30 p.m. — North Carolina FC at Tampa Bay Rowdies

Saturday, October 26, 2024 

7 p.m. — Loudoun United FC at Charleston Battery

7 p.m. — Riverhounds SC vs El Paso Locomotive FC

7 p.m. — Las Vegas Lights at North Carolina FC 

7:30 p.m. — Indy Eleven at Tampa Bay Rowdies

7:30 p.m. — The Miami FC at Rhode Island FC 

10 p.m.  — Hartford Athletic at Orange County SC

10 p.m. — Birmingham Legion FC at Oakland Roots SC