Edward Kizza and Bertin Jacquesson goals lift Riverhounds to crucial shutout win at Loudoun

USL Championship

FINAL: Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 2, Loudoun United FC 0

Match Stats 

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds FC made the most of their chances while shutting down Loudoun United FC, 2-0, to earn a massive win that will keep them in position to earn a postseason berth in the USL Cup Playoffs, on Saturday evening at Segra Field, in Leesberg, VA.

The forward duo of Edward Kizza and Bertin Jacquesson continue to produce in the attack, as Kizza scored his team leading 10th goal of the season.  Jacquesson added his fifth since joining the Hounds on loan in late September.  USL Championship’s Gold Glove leading Goalkeeper Eric Dick made three saves to earn his 13th clean sheet of the season.

With the win, the Riverhounds (11w-10L-12D, 45 points) jump ahead of the pack of four teams they’ve battling for the last playoff spot.  (see standings below).

“I’m proud of the guys. They kept their wits about them.

Found the goals at the right moments, and I think that’s who we want to be,” Bob Lilley, Riverhounds Head Coach, said after the match.

“We could’ve played better in possession, and we could have executed better when we had the ball. But we want to be difficult to score against, we want to make it hard on other teams, and as well as I thought Loudoun played tonight, we were equally as committed and stubborn, and we did everything that was required to give us a chance.”

The Hounds withstood early pressure and conceded a fair share of possession, but kept Loudoun at distance from any significant scoring chances, limiting the home side to just one shot in the first half.

“Although we were pinned back a lot, we didn’t give them a lot of clean looks. I thought we defended very well in our box,” Lilley added.

In the 32nd minute, Pittsburgh took advantage of a set piece opportunity, as Robbie Mertz served a ball to the near post that connected with Kizza for the match’s opening tally.

FOUR GAMES IN A ROW 🤯@edwardk_19 delivers another HUGE goal for @RiverhoundsSC! pic.twitter.com/VujflyGOtK

— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) October 19, 2024

Dick made a pair of saves early in the half, cleanly taking a short-hopper by former Pitt defender Yanis Leerman and also catching a Kwame Awuah attempt.

As the second half progressed with the Hounds holding a precarious 1-0 lead while Loudoun were dominating possession and starting to get some chances, Langston Blackstock got forward on the left side, making a run to the end line, then cut a pass across to the middle of the box for Jacquesson, who took it from there with a clinical finish that gave the Hounds a 2-0 lead.

What a loan signing Bertin Jacquesson has been 🤩

That's four goals in three matches for the @RiverhoundsSC forward! pic.twitter.com/0XDOOfpghZ

— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) October 19, 2024

The Hounds put the ball in the net a third time off the foot of Luke Biasi, but Kizza was correctly flagged offside in the build-up.

From that point, defense and clock management were the priority, but Loudoun managed to create a 90th-minute chance in traffic. Riley Bidois fired a shot through bodies that was headed for the right side of the net, but Dick made his best stop of the night to palm the ball wide for a corner.

Junior Etou had a late breakaway with Loudoun throwing numbers forward, but he was denied by goalkeeper Hugo Faroux. The miss wouldn’t matter, as the Hounds warded off two late corner kicks to complete the shutout.

“It was a gutsy performance. They’re not an easy team to play against,” Lilley explained.

“It’s hard to come in here any year we’ve played them, and we have a really good record against Loudoun, but Loudoun is no longer the old Loudoun. They’re a very good team in the Eastern Conference, and for us to get win here this time of year is important for us as a club to get us in position to earn our way into the playoffs.

Pittsburgh’s win catapulted them to 7th place in the standings as the teams battling with them for the last two spots (7th and 8th place) had mixed results, with North Carolina defeating Tampa Bay, 2-0, Hartford rallying for a 2-1 win win vs Tulsa, while Birmingham joined Loudoun in the loss column, as both teams now trail Pittsburgh and North Carolina by three points.  With its win, Hartford moved up to 43 points, just two points behind both Pittsburgh and North Carolina, but have a match at hand, as they’ll face Tampa Bay on Wednesday at IMG Academy in Bradenton.

The Hounds will wrap-up their 2024 regular season, looking to clinch a berth in the playoffs with a win, as they’ll take on El Paso, on Saturday, October 26, at Highmark Stadium (7 pm kickoff).

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