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Riverhounds Notebook: Danny Griffin’s eager to ‘take care of business’ on new home pitch following April road struggles

Photo courtesy Ed Thompson

For the first time in nearly a month, the Riverhounds are completing a full week of training and will not have to worry about heading to the airport or getting on a bus to travel.

That’s a welcome relief for a club that completed the month of April — all matches on the road — with a 1W-3L-0D mark, scoring just three goals in a four match span.

“There’s stuff that we can definitely take from it and build from it,” Danny Griffin, Riverhounds captain told Pittsburgh Soccer Now on Friday.

“And then, obviously being here at home, you know, we got to defend our defend our fortress. It’ll be a good test against a good group. So yeah, definitely looking forward to being home for the next two.”

The Hounds (2W-3L-1D in league play) will turn the page and their attention to what will be a busy and eventful week ahead with two matches on their brand new home turf — starting vs North Carolina FC on Saturday ( 7 p.m.).

After Saturday’s league match, the Hounds then host MLS New York City FC on Wednesday in US Open Cup Round of 32 contest, before heading out for a short trip to face Louisville City FC in league play next Saturday in the Derby City.

For Griffin and the Hounds, their primary focus this week in training has been on its first return match of the season in league play, when they host North Carolina FC, at Highmark Stadium on Saturday night.

If you recall, the teams played to a 1-1 draw in the season opener, in Cary, NC, in early March.

Considering how they have struggled with scoring goals and netting results during their recent road trip, coming back home and playing at Highmark vs a club that’s been in a fairly similar run of form — will be something that the Hounds will gladly welcome.

North Carolina enters the match in very similar form to the Hounds.

Both teams are 1-3 in their last four in all competitions, with the win for each coming in the U.S. Open Cup. However, to break their league skid, NCFC would have to do something neither team has done in the seven matches between the teams: win on the road.

“This game will be a different game,” Griffin added.

“Both teams are different from the way they started. It’s one that we’re excited for and up for and we’re aware of where we both are in the standings and know that it’s simple. We win — and we jump ahead of them. Anytime you’re playing a team, you want to get the three points, and you want to provide that separation as the season goes on. So, we know what we have to do to go out there and and take care of business.”

The Hounds already have two wins in two matches at home in the last two weeks of March — in the form of a pair of Eric Dick clean sheets against Hartford and Birmingham.

Now, they’ll be looking to start the season with three straight wins at home for the first time since 2022.

Danny Griffin One-on-One Interview

To listen to the full interview with Griffin, check out the newest episode of Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast with John Krysinsky

Injury / Inactives Report

Lets get to the good news for Hounds fans — for the first time this season, Bertin Jacquesson is not on the injury report.  More on Bertin’s return below.

In the meantime, Charles Ahl (ankle) and Luke Biasi (suspension) have been ruled out, while Junior Etou (hamstring) and Brigham Larsen (knee) are questionable for Saturday’s match vs North Carolina.

Having a healthy Bertin Jacquesson and Augustine Williams should help fortify the Hounds’ front line which has clearly been short handed through the early part of the season, with Williams logging a lot of minutes and covering a lot of space.

Bertin is Back

Looking for a spark off the bench, the Hounds utilized Bertin Jacquesson for the first time this season off the bench at Detroit. One of the club’s key offseason signings, the former Pitt standout has been unable to get into a competitive match since his hamstring injury in the preseason.

Hounds fans had to be excited to see Jacquesson — who scored five goals and had two assists in a short stint at the end of last season on loan from Real Salt Lake — finally get on the field.

However, Jacquesson may need some more time to get into that top form.

He wasn’t bad — had some quality time on the ball (two successful dribbles), made three passes into the final third but was also dispossessed a few times and ultimately didn’t have a huge impact in 19 minutes of action.

Getting Jacquesson back and fully healthy — where he can play more minutes will be an important boost for the Hounds.

Lack of chance creation haunts Hounds

The area where Pittsburgh fans may be getting concerned about is the Hounds’ lack of chance creation.

“We will build on defensively the way we pressed in (last week’s loss at) Detroit (in Jagermeister Cup match),” Griffin added.

“You know we did did enough to make the defenders uncomfortable, because, you know, they like to to play out of the back and have experienced defenders there. So I think we did enough to make them uncomfortable, obviously to not get the goal and then give up the goal and stoppage time, disappointing not to get the win in the Cup match.”

Maybe it’s still to early to sound an alarm, but the Hounds have dropped to last in the league in Expected Goals at 3.82xG over six league games.  The trend stayed consistent in two additional matches in other competitions, in US Open Cup and USL Jagermeister Cup, as Pittsburgh scored one goal in those two matches.

Even last year, for all the club’s struggles at the start of the season, the Hounds were never last in the league in this category.

Big chances have been hard to come by for this team which has had a renewed approach to being a possession side with mixed results (6th in average possession — 53.5%, 11th in USLC in passes and 15th in passing accuracy).

When it comes to execution in the final third, that’s where the problems lie.   The Hounds are 23rd in the 24 team league in creating big chances (4), only ahead of Hartford — and last in missed big chances with just one (out of a paltry four).

At the top of the attack, Augustine Williams is not producing as the Hounds may have hoped and he’s logging a lot of minutes early in the season while covering a lot of ground as expected in Bob Lilley’s system. W

ith rookie target forward Brigham Larsen out, the Hounds are pretty limited at the forward position and this will also affect lineup selections and quite possibly the team’s tactics — as they may hold back on pressing some teams especially on the road.

Being that USL Cup competition was played last week along with the upcoming three match in eight day stretch coming, Lilley opted to try something different at Detroit City, where they essentially played the entire match without a natural target forward, as Williams was a (assumed healthy) scratch from the lineup card and Larsen was out.

Instead, Griffin along with Aiden O’Toole (according to USL Championship match center average positions scale – were the two players who were highest up on the pitch looking to get behind Detroit’s formidable and experienced backline.

Griffin spoke about playing in the Number Nine spot.

“I think maybe one other time I played that here, but it’s definitely something that coach and the guys trusted putting me there. And I knew once I was there — when you know the system, you know, whatever position you’re in, you know what you need to do both defensively and offensively, and what you need to do to provide for the team,” Griffin explained.
“We knew we were a couple guys were injured. So we had a little bit of rotation in that game. But definitely, guys that are capable communication, you know, having Robbie there behind us, organizing Aiden. And I same goes for Jackson and Brad, communicating in the midfield for Robbie and the guys in front of them. And obviously those guys did an excellent job stepping into the midfield. Aiden (O’Toole)’s, not a rookie. Aiden comes in and he does his job, and he knows exactly what he needs to do. And certainly that’s what the what other guys can also do is step into into that role and play in a game. And you trust whoever is out there to get the job done.”
With the Hounds an injury or two away from having to reshuffle the lineups and formations leading up to and within any game — even if we don’t see this group of players at the top of the attack in the starting lineup again — this is still a file this away for now moment when we look back at various points in this season and how this team progresses.

PSN Hounds vs North Carolina FC coverage

PSN’s Colton Coreschi and Ed Thompson will be at Highmark Stadium on Saturday to provide coverage.  Be sure to follow along with our live match thread and also stay with PSN for post match reaction and analysis.

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John Krysinsky has covered soccer and other sports for many years for various publications and media outlets. He is also author of 'Miracle on the Mon' -- a book about the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, which chronicles the club, particularly the early years of Highmark Stadium with the narrative leading up to and centered around a remarkable match that helped provide a spark for the franchise. John has covered sports for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, DK Pittsburgh Sports, Pittsburgh Sports Report, has served as color commentator on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC broadcasts, and worked with OPTA Stats and broadcast teams for US Open Cup and International Champions Cup matches held in the US. Krysinsky also served as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at his alma mater, Point Park University, where he led the Pioneers to the first-ever winning seasons and playoff berths (1996-98); head coach of North Catholic boys (2007-08), associate head coach of Shady Side Academy boys (2009-2014).

Riverhounds MF Kenardo Forbes

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