Pulse of Pittsburgh Soccer: Exciting year for Women’s soccer culminates with Friday’s high-stakes Riveters SC-Steel City FC rematch

Photo courtesy Randy Warner / Steel City FC

Most of the Pittsburgh Soccer Now team members often take part in a text chain group — with lots of good banter and exchanges that go back and forth.

One of these days, we might just publish one of those exchanges.

There’s one thing that we all agree on in the past few months, that this has been an exciting year for women’s soccer in Pittsburgh, with the emergence of having two teams in the USL W League, the Pittsburgh Riveters and Steel City FC.

Additionally, during another exchange with Ed Rosensteel, who’s been at the forefront of girls/women’s soccer in the region for some time and President of Kaitlyn ‘Moe’ Rosensteel Foundation, may have said it best.

“The era of women’s soccer in the area has entered in the last four to five years in this region at the High School level and then watching players flourish at club and college, it is amazing.”

There’s been no better showcase for growth of the game than by watching Pittsburgh’s two clubs compete in the USL W League this season — especially in the first match betweeen the clubs, played on June 11, at Founders Field.

In that match, the upstart Riveters won, 3-1, in a contest that wasn’t decided until the final moments.

Match Reaction and Photo Gallery: Riveters outlast Steel City FC in match brimming with Pittsburgh women’s soccer talent

Now, on Friday, the Riveters will host Steel City in the rematch on Pittsburgh’s biggest soccer stage: Highmark Stadium.

The Riveters have put themselves in the drivers seat in the Great Forest Division race for first place with a strong run of form to close out the season, but on Saturday, they were not able to clinch the Division, settling for a 1-1 draw, which could have easily ended in a loss, if not for Minah Syam’s (Avonworth / Bowling Green) equalizing scored on a goal-mouth scramble in stoppage time.

Earlier on Saturday, Steel City also needed a stoppage time equalizer to share points against Flower City 1872.

Steel City FC and Riveters each score equalizers in stoppage time, set up meaningful showdown at Highmark Stadium

Now, it’s come down to the last weekend of the regular season to see who captures the Great Forest Division crown.

Bottom line, the Riveters (5W-1L-3D, 18 points) win on Friday, and they clinch the division.

If they play to a draw, Steel City FC will be eliminated, while FC Buffalo (4W-2L-2D, 14 points) could still play for a chance to win the division on Sunday, when they face Steel City FC.  But FC Buffalo would have to win its last two matches, beating Cleveland on Thursday, then Steel City FC on Sunday.

If Steel City (3W-1L-4D, 14 points) defeat the Riveters, then they would also have to turn around two days later and defeat FC Buffalo, to win the Division.   If the Riveters lose the finale against its crosstown foe and FC Buffalo wins on Thursday, they would hold one point advantage on FCB and a two point advantage over Steel City.  They would need for that match to end in a draw to advance.

Look for more coverage leading up to the match, and of course, we’ll have our team at Highmark Stadium reporting and providing images of the action.

In addition to the Riveters – Steel City FC showdown on Friday, Steel City FC’s men’s squad will be facing a big challenge on the road on Wednesday, at FC Buffalo and the Riverhounds take a break from USL Championship league play, for a Jagermeister Cup group stage match against a first-time opponent, Westchester, a USL League One squad on Saturday night, at Highmark Stadium.

 

Wednesday, June 25

7 p.m.  — Steel City FC (men) at FC Buffalo (USL League Two)

Friday, June 27

7 p.m. — Riveters SC vs Steel City FC (USL W League)

Saturday, June 28

7 p.m. — Riverhounds SC vs Westchester (USL Jagermeister Cup)

Sunday, June 29

4 p.m. — Beadling SC vs Toledo (WPSL)

4 p.m.  — Steel City FC (women) at FC Buffalo (USL W League)