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FINAL: Riverhounds SC 1, Rhode Island FC 0

Photo courtesy Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
USL Championship – Week 10

Riverhounds 1, Rhode Island FC 0

Match Stats: USL Championship Match Center

Instant Match Summary

The Riverhounds SC picked up a much needed full three points, earning the club’s first road victory in USL Championship play this season, beating Rhode Island FC, 1-0, at Centreville Bank Stadium, on Saturday afternoon in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Hounds captain and New England native, Danny Griffin scored the match’s lone goal — taking advantage after a Robbie Mertz corner kick was cleared away by driving a low, bouncing shot into the back of the net for his team leading third goal of the season.

It was a classic Lilleyball victory for the Hounds (3-5-2, 11 points), who struggled a bit at the start to gain control of the match as Rhode Island started off strong, with three shots on frame in the first 30 minutes.

Riverhounds goalkeeper Eric Dick made five saves for the clean sheet, including a close range chance which kept the shutout in the 86th minute.

The hosts led the way in key statistical categories including shots (13-10, 5-4 on frame) and possession (60/40).

First half

Dick was tested early, making his first stop on a long-range attempt by Clay Holstad barely two minutes into the match. Holstad would try his luck again on a volley in the 17th minute, and while it was struck well, Dick was in good position to make the save and control the ball.

The Hounds threatened early, as well, as Robbie Mertz struck a good shot of his own from 20 yards out on the left side, and it forced a diving stop by Rhode Island goalie Koke Vegas to push the ball around the post.

Another chance from just inside the box fell from a free kick to Rhode Island’s Maxi Rodriguez, but the former Detroit star pulled his open volley attempt wide right of the goal.

Griffin’s decisive strike came in the 37th minute from a corner kick that Rhode Island was only able to clear to near the top corner of the box. That was where Griffin struck the ball with his first touch, and his bouncing shot found its way through traffic and inside the near post.

Second half

Chances kept coming immediately after the teams returned. Rhode Island’s Frank Nodarse was barely off target with a volley less than four minutes after play resumed.

A minute later, Bertin Jacquesson nearly doubled the Hounds lead. His off-balance shot from inside the box struck the base of the left post but caromed away from danger.

As the half progressed, the Hounds moved into a more defensive posture, but Dick needed to make one more critical save in the 86th minute. A long cross from the right side cleared everyone in the middle of the field and fell to Rhode Island’s Jojea Kwizera alone on the left side. Kwizera took a touch toward goal and fired from a sharp angle, but Dick was able to smother the chance and leave no rebound.

The Hounds nearly added an insurance goal in the 90th minute when Charles Ahl found space on the left side of the box and beat Vegas with his shot, but Grant Stoneman cleared Ahl’s shot off the goal line to keep it a one-goal game.

The teams will meet again next week at Highmark Stadium, on Saturday, May 31, but the match will be a group stage match in USL’s Jagermeister Cup.

Look for a more detailed recap to follow here along with reaction from Head Coach Bob Lilley.  

Match Day Updates

Look for match updates and commentary to be posted here.

FINAL — PITTSBURGH 1, RHODE ISLAND 0

90′ ++ — Augi Williams with a great chance in transition but it’s saved by Vegas!!

90′ — Charles Ahl chance is saved off the line!!

87′ — Yellow Card.  Danny Griffin booked for some time wasting.

86′ — SAVE!  Eric Dick denies close range chance for RIFC!

76′ – Hounds Subs

  • IN — Bradley Sample and Charles Ahl
  • OUT — Jacquesson and Mertz

66′ – Another good spell of possession, but it ends with the offside flag raised against Jacquesson.

59′ – Zach Herivaux shown RI’s second yellow card after a foul on Griffin after he released a pass. No advantage, free kick

49′ – OFF THE POST! Falling attempt by Jacquesson in the box, and it hits the base of the left stick squarely before ricocheting away.

HALF — PITTSBURGH 1, RHODE ISLAND 0

Good finish to the first half for the Hounds, who brought more quality build up and pressure in the last 15-20 minutes.  Rhode Island started off the match on the front foot, but Pittsburgh remained solid defensively and brought an effective high press at times to stall and frustrate the hosts.

Hounds held shots edge (7-5) thought RIFC had three on frame while the Hounds had two between the posts.   RIFC with 55/45 possession edge.

44′ – Walti creates a turnover and unleashes a shot that goes just high of the bar from 25! Nearly a second right before half

Good continued pressure from Hounds.

38′ – GOAL – Riverhounds

Danny Griffin

Started with Mertz corner — cleared out but right to Griffin’s foot.  The Rhode Island native buries it.

36′ – another good build up but Biasi settles for shot from distance which goes over bar!

33′ – Excellent sequence starts with Jacquesson cross, Mertz lays it back for Walti who has shot blocked

29′ – Yellow Card — Overzealous challenge by Walti

27′ – free kick chance from Sanchez finds Rodruigez who hits one-time volley too high

25′ – Mertz free kick connects with Suber but header goes over bar

21′ – cross for RIFC ends up to cenert of box for Dikwa who has shot blocked.  Maybe should have let thru for Rodrigez open on back post

15′ — Mertz chance!! From 25 yards a solid DIRECT hit but great diving save by Koke Vegas.

7′ – RIFC build-up leads to Maxi Rodriguez low chance that is deflected out for corner.  Corner is cleared away.

6′ – Yellow Card — issued to Beto Ydrach for a late slide attempt knocked RIFC player into advertising board by technical area.

3′ — Off side negates RIFC chance from outside box from Holstad

4:05 p.m. — Match has kicked off.  Hounds are once again wearing their road all White with gold and black trim kit.

3:30 p.m. — STARTING LINEUPS

HOUNDS

1 Dick GK
3 Barnes DF
13 Biasi DF
23 Vacter DF
5 Suber DF
16 Ydrach DF
42 Walti MF
14 Mertz MF
2 Griffin (C) MF
9 Williams FW
10 Jacquesson FW

RIFC

1 Koke Vegas (C) GK
5 Stoneman DF
3 Sanchez DF
6 Mabika DF
15 Nodarse DF
20 Herivaux MF
17 Kwizera MF
12 Holstad MF
21 Rodríguez MF
11 Fuson MF
10 Albert Dikwa FW

 

Preview / What’s at Stake?

The Riverhounds finish up a crazy April and May stretch of playing eight out of the last 10 matches on the road with a trip to Rhode Island, where they’ll face the defending Eastern Conference champs and USL Cup runner-up, Rhode Island FC at the brand spanking new Centreville Bank Stadium at Tidewater Landing, in yet another matinee kickoff on the road.

The Hounds have not won a league match since late March.

Thus, any result would be a positive, but especially three points.  The Hounds (8 points) are still somehow right on the edge and above the playoff line and Rhode Island — thanks to two straight wins in league play are four points ahead in sixth place.

If the run of form for both clubs through the early part of the season is any indication, this contest could resemble a rock-fight.

Low-scoring matches have been the norm for both teams this season, and they also played to a 0-0 draw in their first-ever meeting in Rhode Island a year ago. Only 19 combined goals — for and against — have been scored in Rhode Island’s matches this year, and only five teams have a lower total than that, one of which is the Hounds with a league-low 16 goals scored in their nine contests.

Still, RIFC is coming off winning two matches on the road against teams at the bottom of the standings (see below) but they’ve yet to win a match in their new stadium.  They might be feeling that this match-up vs the Hounds provides a solid opportunity given how much the Hounds have struggled on the road this season.

The clubs will play again next week in Pittsburgh, but it will be as part of USL’s Jagermeister Cup tournament round-robin play.

Rhode Island FC: A Closer Look

With Head Coach Khano Smith leading the way in the club’s first season, as a six seed out of the Eastern Conference, RIFC made a remarkable playoff run to the USL Championship Final — only to lose at Colorado Springs.

Much like they did a year ago, Rhode Island were meddling, playing in a lot of low scoring contests early in the season, but they enter this match with more momentum, delivering a six-point week on the road — beating two teams (Birmingham and Tampa Bay) at the bottom of the standings was exactly what they needed.   In fact, Rhode Island FC is currently riding an unbeaten streak of four games, which is the third-longest in club history and longest since last season’s historic run to the USL Championship Final.

Former Hounds Golden Boot winner Albert Dikwa is coming back from injury and just getting back into his team’s regular rotation this month, while other former Hounds Marc Ybarra and Dani Rovira also have been unavailable for a large chunk of the season.

Low-scoring matches have been the norm for both teams this season, and they also played to a 0-0 draw in their first-ever meeting in Rhode Island a year ago.

Pittsburgh did put together an impressive shut out of Rhode Island in the return match at Highmark when they were pushing for a postseason spot.

Debutant Jacquesson scores, leads Hounds back to playoff position

Only 19 combined goals — for and against — have been scored in Rhode Island’s matches this year, and only five teams have a lower total than that, one of which is the Hounds with a league-low 16 goals scored in their nine contests.

Still, the wins at Birmingham and Tampa Bay showed that this squad could be just rounding into form at a good time.

Much like Bob Lilley coaches Riverhounds teams when they’re peaking, Smith’s squad does an excellent job of dictating terms of matches, especially in the past two wins.

They have solid defensive group, along with goalkeeper Koke Vegas and this year’s new addition, Aimé Mabika, has been strong at center back.

RIFC’s midfield was dynamic in the win at Tampa controlling possession and having been responsible for — not one or two, but three long-distance strikes that connected — first it was Clay Holstad in the first half, then former Rowdie Zachary Herivaux and Noah Fuson each scored from distance.

Here’s how RI lined up against Birmingham.

Riverhounds SC Personnel / What to Expect

The Riverhounds made the quick trip up from Philadelphia to the Ocean State following its midweek US Open Cup Round of 16 clash with MLS Philadelphia Union — a humbling 4-1 loss.  Now, they have to recover and be ready for an important league match.  The club had a light training session on Friday.

The good news for the Hounds is that they don’t have anyone on the injury report for the first time in a long time.

Despite the team’s struggles on the field through the early part of the season, Head Coach Bob Lilley has been able to dip deeper into the roster depth at times, but whether he’s truly found the best combination for success in producing a 90-minute performance is still yet to really happen.

Rhode Island are a good defensive team so the Hounds have to be more dynamic in the final third or this could be a long season.

There’s no sign that Danny Griffin and Jackson Walti or the center back core (Sean Suber and Beto Ydrach) will sit for any big league matches, even on the tail end of a three-match in eight day stretch.

Otherwise, the Hounds could opt to roll out Jacquesson and Augi Williams at the top of the attack again hoping they can finally break through.  Primarily coming off the bench, Jorge Garcia is tied for the team lead in goals this season in all competitions with two strikes from behind the box.  Maybe it’s time Garcia gets a chance to play extended minutes?

Could the Hounds also give veteran keeper Eric Dick a rest too?

Regardless, Pittsburgh will likely use most of if not all of their alotted subs to help them get to the finish line this week as they push for an all-important result on the road.

John K’s Projected Riverhounds Starting XI 

Related Topics

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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