Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast: After 10 years, what’s the legacy of Riverhounds’ ‘Miracle on the Mon’ with Matt Gajtka

In a special episode of Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast, one of our old friends and longtime PSN contributor, Matt Gajtka joins John Krysinsky to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the ‘Miracle on the Mon’ — a remarkable match and come-from-behind victory like none other for Pittsburgh Riverhounds against Keystone Derby rivals Harrisburg City Islanders

John and Matt, who were both there on that memorable night (John was reporting and Matt was on the play-by-play with Pittsburgh soccer icons Paul Child and Gene Klein) discuss what stands out now — 10 years later from that match and how Pittsburgh soccer’s landscape has been shaped since that time.

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More on the ‘Miracle on the Mon’

Those who have been following the Riverhounds, Pittsburgh soccer and our site closely over the years — you probably know and have read all about it — but for those who are new to our site, the Riverhounds and Pittsburgh soccer in general — this was Pittsburgh soccer’s equivalent of the ‘Immaculate Reception’.

On May 29, 2015, Pittsburgh Riverhounds battled back to defeat in-state rival, Harrisburg City Islanders, in dramatic fashion, overcoming 3-0, 4-2 and 5-3 (at start of stoppage time) deficits to pull off remarkable and unprecedented 6-5 victory.

It was such a stunning finish.

We’ll probably never see something like it again.

And 10 years later, it’s safe to say, we haven’t seen anything close to a match or a comeback like that.

The Riverhounds’ incredible comeback victory and the series that season the club had with its in-state rival, Harrisburg City Islanders, became the inspiration for my book, aptly named Miracle on the Mon, which was published and released five years ago this week.

This book not only chronicles the events leading up to and from this remarkable soccer match, but also shares the backstory of the struggles and challenges of a lower division soccer club during a time when the professional soccer landscape in the United States was experiencing unprecedented transition and expansion.  The match took place only a few years after the opening of Highmark Stadium, as the Riverhounds were fighting for survival and relevance.