Takeaways and Player Grades: Still a work in progress, Riverhounds falter in second half at San Antonio

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC showed they’re still figuring things out early in the season, coming up short in its second match of the season, falling 2-0, to San Antonio FC on Saturday night at Toyota Park.

FINAL: San Antonio FC 2, Riverhounds SC 0

Post Match Reaction Show: Riverhounds can’t generate many scoring chances in road loss at San Antonio

San Antonio’s Jorge Hernandez came up with the big play that broke a deadlocked match in the 54th minute by eluding Hounds keeper Eric Dick, who came way off his line, then burying a clinical finish.

San Antonio would also add a late goal in the 88th minute, when Luke Haakenson made a run to the middle of the goal box, getting on the end of a Alex Grieve cut back pass that dashed Pittsburgh’s hopes, giving the hosts a two-goal lead.

The Riverhounds come away with one point in two road contests to open the season, with just one big, opportunistic scoring chance coming in 180 minutes-plus of action.

It’s very clear that this squad is still very much a work in progress.

Hounds’ Personnel / Formation / Tactics

As speculated on PSN’s post match reaction show (with Colton Coreschi), the Riverhounds shuffled the deck from week one despite having 10 of the same starters from the season opener.

Making his first start into the lineup was defender Illal Osumanu.  While this time around, midfielder Jorge Garcia was available off the bench.

The Hounds opted to line up in what appeared to fluctuate between a 5-4-1 when in defensive shape — to a 4-1-4-1 when getting forward, with central defensive midfielder Jackson Walti roaming deep in the park often times between the center backs, Beto Ydrach and Sean Suber.   Osumanu, who’s played a lot at center back in his first two seasons in Pittsburgh, was moved to right outside back.

On this night, the Hounds also moved winger Junior Etou further up to the midfield line, while Luke Biasi played on the same side as the outside back.  Last week, they played on opposite sides as outside backs in a 4-2-3-1.

Danny Griffin and Robbie Mertz worked together in the central midfield, both higher up than Walti for most of the match, while Jason Bouregy remained in the lineup as the right sided midfielder, opposite Etou.

Coming off the bench,  Bob Lilley used four substitutions to keep legs fresh in the wide positions.  Garcia and Aiden O’Toole came on in the 7oth minute (for the wingers, Etou and Bouregy), while Max Broughton and Brigham Larsen were added in the 80th minute (for Osumanu and Biasi).

The only unused players included two keepers (Ben Martino and Jacob Randolph) and Pablo Linzoain (USL Academy player), while four additional players were out due to injuries (Bertin Jacquesson, Charles Ahl, Perrin Barnes and Bradley Sample).

Match Takeaways

With Winds to Its Back At Start, Hounds Couldn’t Get on Front Foot

On this St. Patrick’s Day weekend, the Hounds didn’t have the luck of the Irish, nor could they reap the benefits of the old Irish Blessing when having the wind at their backs.

With a 30-plus MPH wind whipping behind them, Hounds came out looking to hit a home run — bypassing the midfield — for long, direct chances trying to hit the target forward Augustine Williams to get behind the San Antonio backline.

Even attempts forward to the corners and open space often were hit too high, with balls skipping quickly past spaces intended for the wingers looking to make runs away from defenders.

San Antonio was much more deliberate in the first half, thus owned most of the possession (62/38 edge in first half), but also didn’t have many chances beyond a Juan Agudelo effort from 10 yards in the box later in the first half, which saw Hounds keeper Eric Dick hold his ground for the lone save of the first half for either side.

The best the Hounds could do in the first half, when they actually did have attacking moments on the ball in the final third, was earn three free kicks.  But each dead ball opportunity fizzled — culminating with an attempt at a designed play where Mertz and Griffin served as decoys for Sean Suber to fire a shot — but San Antonio weren’t fooled, staying home with its wall blocking the attempt.

Meanwhile, San Antonio wasn’t having much luck either, with most of its possession in its own half, but did generate three shot attempts in the box (while the Hounds only chances came from behind the box on those free kicks).

In the first half, the Hounds did too much chasing, struggling to get any kind of rhythm going in generating attacking chances.

Match Turns on Jorge Hernandez’s Brilliant Play 

The Riverhounds began the second half with more purposeful possession and determined to generate quality chances.

Early on, Ydrach got a look at goal from the top of the box that took a deflection straight to the feet of Williams, who had a clear look at goal, but the offside flag negated a second-chance opportunity.

Against the run of play, San Antonio’s Jorge Hernandez came up with the big play that broke a deadlock match in the 56th minute by eluding Hounds keeper Eric Dick, who came way off his line, then burying a clinical finish.

𝗥𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 🔄@jorgey_100 gives @SanAntonioFC the lead! #USLKickoff | @Terminix pic.twitter.com/UFY9OjuU6S

— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) March 16, 2025

Throughout the first half and early in the second frame, Dick was in command when coming off his line.

This time, there may have been some miscommunication as the back line was left a bit exposed with Hernandez finding a chance to exploit the gap that left the veteran keeper no choice but to come way out to the edge of the box to attempt to deny the SAFC playmaker from getting to the ball.

Unfortunately for the Hounds, Hernandez got a good beat on the long service from Jimmy Medranda — taking the ball off chest (partly off shoulder), then maneuvered his way into the box, uncontested, for a clinical right footed finish into open net.

Coming Up Empty

Despite dominating the ball for most of the second half, Pittsburgh could not find real, quality chances.

The Hounds’ best chance came in the 68th minute when SAFC keeper Richard Sanchez turned away one dangerous strike that came off the foot of Bourgey.

San Antonio tacked on a late goal in the 88th minute, when Luke Haakenson made a run to the middle of the goal box, getting on the end of a Alex Grieve cut back pass that dashed Pittsburgh’s hopes, giving the hosts a two-goal lead.

Alex Greive serves it up 🍛

Luke Haakenson finishes 🍽️ #SAvPIT | #Defend210 | 2-0 pic.twitter.com/o407JBpYr4

— San Antonio FC (@SanAntonioFC) March 16, 2025

The second goal also came on a transition moment, with the stretched Hounds defenders getting caught a bit flat footed, and behind the run made by Haakenson.

Having wasted much of the first half chasing the match and squandering a chance to dictate terms from the start of the match, the Hounds were working uphill most of the second half, despite flipping the possession battle (64/36 edge).

Williams played the full 90 minutes and it looked like the Hounds were struggling all night to connect with their prized off season acquisition.  The target forward has registered just one shot in two matches and nearly 180 minutes of play.

From the width, the Hounds generated a — good enough — flurry of 22 crosses (to SAFC’s 10) but only connected on nine percent on those attempts.

Despite being a very strong possession team for three of the four halves they played thus far this season — the Hounds are not doing enough when they have the ball.

This week it felt like the team took a step back.  It was like watching this team early last season when they could not generate much quality in the final third.

Hounds fans better be hopeful that getting back to Highmark Stadium for the next two matches will help jump start this club’s scoring mojo.

Player Grades

Riverhounds Starting XI

Danny Griffin (Captain) MF — 4.5 – playing a bit higher up in the pitch, the Hounds’ captain had just 24 touches (86 percent passing accuracy), winning two of eight duels and committed four fouls.  Needs to have ball at his feet more.

Robbie Mertz MF – 7 – created a pair of chances. Six passes into final third, but equally active on both sides of ball with five defensive recoveries and won 7/10 duels.

Augustine ‘Augi’ Williams F – 4.5 – just one shot attempt in two games.  Good for Hounds it resulted in a goal last week.  Bad news — Williams needs more touches in the box (22 touches but just four in opponents box).

Eric Dick GK – 5.5 — deducting points for the first goal.  Was in command much of time though.

Jackson Walti  MF – 6 – was stabilizing presence out of the back but a lot less touches than last week as they opted to play less through the middle

Luke Biasi MF / D – 6.5 – solid two-way performance, winning 9/11 duels and registering 78 percent passing accuracy

Sean Suber D – 6 – not as many touches (60) as last week’s league leading total but 40/50 passing — with 12 attempted long balls (mostly in the first half) with six connecting.  Was active defensively with six defensive actions, three clearances and four recoveries.

Junior Etou MF – 4.5 — put in place higher up in the midfield line — was ineffective in play making role on the width (0/2 accurate crosses and 0/2 in successful dribbles)

Beto Ydrach D – 6 – connected on 44 of 55 passes (80 percent), including 16 of 20 in the attacking third. He also won all six of his aerial duels, 9 of 12 duels overall and had a team-leading seven clearances.

Jason Bouregy MF – 5 – that shot chance showed the Villanova product can create his own scoring chances but also won just one of six duels, committed three fouls while working hard to generate five recoveries.

Illal Osumanu D – 4 – in right outside back position generated seven passes into final third, but seemed to be scrambling at times too (10 defensive actions/ 2 recoveries / 3 fouls committed).

Reserves Used

Jorge Garcia MF (70′) – 4 –  just one of four crosses connected, committed three fouls and won 1/4 duels

Max Broughton D (80′)– 4.5 – three clearances in limited action while on backline

Brigham Larsen F (80′) – 65 – not too shabby 6/6 in passes, won 3/3 duels.  Like to see what the big kid can do with more time.

Aiden O’Toole – (70′) – 5 – was 12/15 passes with two into the final third

Did Not Play

Jacob Randolph GK unused sub

Pablo Linzoain  M, F unused sub

Ben Martino GK

Bertin Jacquesson F (Injury)

Charles Ahl (Injury)

Perrin Barnes D (injury)

Bradley Sample (injury)