Takeaways and Player Grades: Mertz, Barnes combo plus hard dose of Lilleyball help Hounds rock Detroit to sleep

Photo courtesy Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC / Chris Cowger

For the first time since March 29 and for only the second time in all competitions this season, the Riverhounds SC scored more than one goal, coming away with an impressive 2-0 victory against Detroit City FC, on Saturday night at Highmark Stadium.

Veteran midfielder and Pittsburgh area native Robbie Mertz and first-year Hound Perrin Barnes connected twice, each scoring a goal and an assist, while the Hounds organized unit in front of goalkeeper Eric Dick held the visitors to one shot — which came rather late in the contest when the Hounds had already suffocated Detroit’s attack.

Pittsburgh Soccer Now‘s Mark Goodman has the match report and reaction from the match heroes, Mertz and Barnes.

It proved to be a special night that capped a very special week for Mertz, who became a father this week, getting a chance to bring out the ‘rock the baby’ goal celebration.

Lockdown defense powers the Hounds past Detroit, 2-0

“We wanted to be efficient when we scored the second goal and keep the shutout, and when we get a lead, the hope is to build on it,” Riverhounds Head Coach Bob Lilley said after the match.

“It was a critical game that we needed.”

With the win, the Hounds (4W-5L-2D, 14 points), picked up the full three points and earned a clean sheet for the second straight league match.  The Hounds also creeped up a bit in the standings — up to sixth place, now just three points behind struggling Detroit.  The next two matches will be against teams below them in the standings, so they have a chance to make a move upward before they hit the halfway mark of the season.

Most importantly, this team erased any doubts from close observers and fans who have been quick to criticize its approach and tactics during the past couple of months.

It appears that Lilleyball is alive and well in these parts.

Hounds Personnel: Starting XI and Subs

One big adjustment that Head Coach Bob Lilley made with the lineup this week, saw Luke Biasi — for the first time this season — shift to the center back trio.   With Beto Ydrach out on international duty with Puerto Rico’s National Team, Lilley opted to move Biasi back, while still utilizing both Junior Etou and Perrin Barnes on the wings.

The Hounds used all five alloted subs, bringing on Bertin Jacquesson, Illal Osumanu and Charles Ahl in the 69th minute (for Robbie Mertz, Junior Etou and Bradley Sample).  Max Broughton and Aiden O’Toole also came on in the 87th minute.

Takeaways

Robbie Mertz — Hounds’ chance creator this season, has a big night to cap a magical week 

To say Robbie Mertz was playing as a man on fire on Saturday would be an understatement.

Less than 48 hours after the Pittsburgh-area native became a father for the first time, Mertz delivered a memorable performance that he — and Riverhounds fans will cherish.

Even before getting on the scoresheet, Mertz, who’s among the league leaders in chances created, was having an impact in generating moments and chances.

In the 19th minute, Mertz took a touch in the box and did something constructive with it, which hasn’t been the case much for the Hounds this season — extending possessions in dangerous positions.  In this case, Mertz pivoted in the box, laid off a clever ball for Jackson Walti to ring a shot from the edge that was saved.

A few sequences later, with a free kick from the left side of the attack, nearly 35 yards from goal, Mertz nearly tricked up Detroit’s goalkeeper Carlos Herrera with a perfectly delivered ball that forced an extended hand to deny an improbable goal.

In the 37th minute, Mertz made one of his signature runs down the river-side towards the Paul Child Stand — and made it count.

Thirty-five yards from goal, he bent a diagonal cross to the far post, finding Perrin Barnes waiting at the back post.

Barnes headed it home to take the 1-0 lead.

Pittsburgh G⚽️AL Alert! https://t.co/ac6jveQg5e

— Pittsburgh Soccer Now (@pghsoccernow) June 7, 2025

This is the kind intensity of play coupled with deft technical service Mertz has been serving up a lot this year, but hasn’t had much success in always connecting with runners.

In fact, a few weeks ago, when it appeared that the Hounds bottomed out in a 2-0 loss on the road at Colorado Springs, Lilley demanded that the rest of the team take a page out of Mertz’ book.

“Robbie (Mertz) was great tonight, he looked like the only one who knew what his job was, and he pressed with intensity,” Lilley stated after that match.

“We need to get that from whoever the target is.”

With the way he’s been pushing and carving out chances (has been team’s leader with 19 chances created. Next closest is Griffin with eight) — it felt like something special was coming.

This time, in converting on the goal, it was Barnes who made the perfectly timed run to the back post, and became the target that Lilley has been echoing about every day in training and before and after each match.

Moments later, they nearly doubled the lead before the half, after a transition moment forward, the ball found its way back to Mertz, who slid it left to an onrushing Barnes, but Herrera got to the ball first.

Likely knowing that he was likely to come off the field soon to give way to someone with fresher legs — Mertz also became one of the runners into the box.

Barnes carved out some room on the far right side to get into the corner, then send a cross that may have skimmed off leaping Danny Griffin who still got credit for the assist.  (I am not a big fan of crediting soccer players for ‘hockey/second assists’ but in this case — Barnes would’ve been more than worthy).

Mertz stayed in his lane, then broke at just the right time to cut in front of the defender marking him, to get his left foot out — and redirect the ball into the goal on the back post.

The goal was Mertz’ second of the season and 20th all-time — putting him into rare Hounds 20-20 club (for goals and assists).

Barnes 🤝 Mertz@robbiemertz14 grabs @RiverhoundsSC's second of the match! pic.twitter.com/OulYjGULjn

— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) June 8, 2025

Mertz spoke about a real connection between him and Barnes after the match — both on and off the field.   After Mertz was at the hospital Thursday, he spoke about need for someone to grab his belongings and game gear and bring them over to Highmark.

Sure enough, Barnes was happy to provide that assist too.

 

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The new father, welcomed his new son Callahan Lewis Smith into the world Thursday.

Goodman sent me a text after seeing Mertz in the post match presser stating ‘Robbie was so happy, he was floating’.

“First night was definitely not a lot of sleep. Last night, my wife was trying,” Mertz said postgame.

“It’s been something I will never forget and two of the best days of my life.”

Lilleyball is alive and well 

Following the Hounds’ disappointing USL Jagermeister Cup loss to Rhode Island FC last week, there was some sentiment from some fans on message boards and fan platforms that the Hounds’ veteran coach and players efforts were being questioned.

Yet, two weeks ago, following the Hounds’ impressive 1-0 league win at Rhode Island, after the first half hour of that match, the team’s confidence picked up and they really started to dictate terms and force their will on the match.

While the Hounds lost the following week in the Jager Cup match, they were on the front foot, dominating both possession, shots and overall pressure.   This left the group pretty confident — as noted in this week’s PSN analysis piece — heading back into league play.

The Hounds didn’t just control this match, they suffocated Detroit City FC on Saturday night.  The high press was working well as the Hounds limited the overwhelming majority of Detroit City’s passes (318 of them to be exact) in its own half of the field.

Lilley characterized the match as a tough battle in the first half, and it was true that possession was evenly matched between the two teams.

But a fierce Hounds defense high pressed DCFC into several early turnovers that were converted into Hounds possessions deep in Detroit’s end. Furthermore, when Detroit got on the ball, they struggled to generate threatening chances. As a result, Detroit would not record their first shot until the 81st minute.

Below you’ll find Detroit’s ‘heat map’ per USL Championship’s Match Center, that Goodman posted on PSN’s match thread — with very few chances coming anywhere near the box and nowhere near goal (on the left side).

This kept Hounds goalkeeper Eric Dick’s activity to gobble up a few long balls and come out on a few crosses, but that was about it.

The three center backs were unfazed and solid in almost all defensive actions, but even more importantly, they generated 35 passes into the final third.

Among the players who have taken the brunt of criticism for the Hounds’ early season goal scoring struggles is Augustine Williams.  On the attacking end, there’s some merit to his struggles, but time after time this season and again on Saturday, Williams is covering his ground well in playing nearly another full match (came off in 87′), back-tracking on every Detroit possession that moved into the attacking half (earning six recoveries and four defensive actions) and keeping possessions alive with his hold-up play.

In addition, the first-year Hounds who are playing a lot, Barnes and Guillherme Vactor, have really been valuable contributors and they’re starting to really have more of an impact.  With Ydrach being out of the lineup the past two games, there’s been zero drop in quality along the back line, and Vactor is a big reason why that’s the case.  Same with the rotation of wingers.  If Lilley needs Biasi as a center back for a match or in certain situations within a contest, the Hounds can rely on Barnes on the wing along with the veteran Etou.

There’s another road trip in store next week, to Indy, but after that’s the Hounds will have a lot of home cooking with a run of four straight matches at Highmark, giving Mertz a chance to spend plenty of time to rock the baby, generate more chances and the squad ample opportunity to bag more points as the season starts to heat up.

Player Grades

1	Eric Dick	GK   – 6 – not that busy but it was another clean sheet for the reigning USL Championship Gold Glove holder
23	Guilherme Vacter	DF –  7.5 – the key number here was 11 — both in defensive actions and passes into final third.
5	Sean Suber	DF – 7 – the man in the middle won 5/6 duels and
13	Luke Biasi	DF – 7 – shift to center back for this match won 6/8 duels and delivered some accurate long passing (7/12)
3	Perrin Barnes  ‎	MF – 8 – first pro goal and a few big assists on and off the field this week. Created a pair of chances and won 7/10 duels.
8	Junior Etou ‎	MF – 6.5 – one of Etou’s better performances this season — both ways
15	Bradley Sample ‎	MF – 6.5 –  was the match’s most accurate passer (96%) to play 45 minutes or more.
42	Jackson Walti	MF – 7.5 – at one point, Walti was dispossessed, did a 180 slide-around to recover the ball back in the same sequence.  It was classic Walti tenacity and clever ball winning at its finest. Another solid all-around performance and paired well with Sample in the middle.
9	Augustine Williams  ‎	FW – 6 – This was a very active and good defensive performance by Williams — as the Hounds’ high press was causing Detroit’s back group and midfield all kinds of problems.  Had two shots but just one touch in the opponents box  — that’s something we still need to see at least double or triple most matches.
2	Danny Griffin (C)  ‎	FW – 6.5 – Griffin continues this season to have impact in final third, despite having less time on ball.  According to stats box, Griffin is credited with the assist on Mertz’ goal.
14	Robbie Mertz ‎	FW – 9.5 – Highest marks of the season in this column.  Well done Robbie.
Substitutes
31	Randolph	DNP
6	Broughton 87‎‘‎	Sub – N/R
28	Osumanu 69‎‘‎	Sub – 6 – with two-goal lead, provided further stability along the back — allowing for Biasi to move out wide.
12	Ahl 69‎‘‎	Sub – 6 – created a chance and had two touches in opposition box
18	Garcia	DNP
70	Linzoain	DNP
4	O’Toole 87‎‘‎	Sub – N/R
10	Jacquesson 69‎‘‎	Sub – 5 – looked a little out of sorts losing all duels (0/6), with seven touches, two fouls committed but did have a shot.