Riverhounds Notebook: Fascinating storylines and things to know ahead of USL Championship Final

The Riverhounds finally reversed its postseason fortunes with three-straight victories at Highmark Stadium that provided Pittsburgh soccer fans and the organization a playoff run to celebrate and cherish.

Now, they look to finish the job but will have to do so on the road against the Western Conference’s top-seeded FC Tulsa.

“It’s going to be a hostile environment. We have to be ready. We haven’t been away from home in a while,” Sean Suber, told me on Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast this week.

“The boys will be ready. We’ve learned a lot about what we need to do to be better prepared for road games. What we need to do to settle into games.  We’ve learned a lot of lessons so far, and we need to take those lessons into the final and start off the game on the right foot and go from there.”

The team departed Pittsburgh on Thursday after a training session at AHN Montour.  After training, the team was treated to a send-off as fans came down to the facility.

While Pittsburgh traveled, Tulsa trained on home turf and Head Coach Luke Spencer, Sporting Director Caleb Sewell and a few players met with the media.  We have some of their quotes included with this Notebook, that includes some of the fascinating things about this first-ever League Final for the Hounds.

Additionally, Pittsburgh Soccer Now has been on top of things, providing daily coverage and updates ahead of the match.  Here’s some of our content in the past few days and what we have in store moving forward:

• Daily Episodes of Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast
  • We kicked things off with PSN contributors Matt Popchock and Mark Goodman sharing their experience and reaction from last Saturday’s Eastern Conference Final at Highmark Stadium, what the atmosphere was like and providing their unique points of view and perspectives.
  • Interview with Sean Suber, Hounds’ All-USL Championship First Team defender from midweek:
  • Still to come:
    • USL Championship Lead Broadcast Analyst, Devon Kerr, will be on to preview the match
    • Last minute pre-match thoughts with PSN’s crew and Pittsburgh media

• Mark Goodman will provide his Scouting Report and Preview of FC Tulsa — to come on Friday
• Live On-Site Coverage from Tulsa!
  • Tulsa-based sportswriter, John Trachina will be at ONEOK Stadium for the match on Saturday
  • Follow along with our Live Match Day Thread and updates on Social Media Platforms
• Post-Match Reaction
  • Reaction and analysis will follow from PSN contributors and more!

Here’s 10 Fascinating Storylines and Things to Know ahead of the USL Championship Final

1. The USL Championship Will Crown a First-Time Champion in match between two clubs in cities with unique soccer histories

The Hounds are one of two original clubs remaining in the USL that go back to the late 1990s — along with Charleston Battery.

Tulsa has a history that goes back nearly 50 years, when the Tulsa Roughnecks were in the NASL.

Winning a championship is always special for any team.

In this case, both cities involved have unique relationship with the sport, as a Championship would provide a meaningful accomplishment for each community.

“Significant for Tulsa.  People have been working very hard for many years. Lot to help us get to this point,” Luke Spencer, Tulsa’s Head Coach, explained.

“There’s a lot of things set in place to get us where we are at — from people in the organizations to folks in and around the City. Sports are what connects people.  It brings joy. For our city and community, it connects us and that’s what it’s all about.”

After scoring a goal to put his hometown team in this position to play for a league title, Riverhounds SC midfielder Robbie Mertz may have said it best what a Championship would mean to him and the organization which he started attending Academy training sessions when he was still a youth player.

“It means a lot. We’ve been through a lot in this organization, not just this year but the last six or seven years,” Mertz said.

“To still be a part of it at this stage of my career and to have this moment is so special.”

In hindsight, you’ll have to look long and hard when going through all of Pittsburgh’s professional franchises, with each having varying levels of postseason success in the 21st Century — to find another Pittsburgh-area born player who came up with a bigger moment in the postseason when he scored that goal on Saturday.

Pittsburgh also has a very interesting relationship with the beautiful game.  In the modern era, soccer has been mostly an afterthought, but the Steel City, with its rich, industrial legacy, also was a prime location for some of the best soccer clubs in the United States in the early part of the 20th Century and into the 1950s, when two different clubs won United States Open Cup championships.  The only revival of the sport for the remainder of the Century came during a short-lived period when Pittsburgh Spirit brought an exciting indoor version of the game, sparking larger crowds than the Penguins for a minute or two.

The closest the Riverhounds have come to winning a Championship was in 2004, when after posting an impressive 17-1-1 record, including an aggregate 7-1 quarterfinal round home-and-home victory vs Harrisburg, they lost in the USL Pro Soccer League Semifinal at Utah Blitzz.

Of course — you can scan the archives of Pittsburgh Soccer Now and Hounds website to find much more about the Hounds history.   And (shameless plug coming…), if you’re looking for something even more in-depth — there’s always my book ‘Miracle on the Mon’ which not only chronicles a remarkable soccer match but also shares the backstory of the struggles and challenges of the Riverhounds as they were fighting for survival and relevance.

In the club’s 26-year history, this is the first-ever appearance in any League Final.

Prior to the arrival of Head Coach Bob Lilley in 2018 to Pittsburgh, the Riverhounds were a club that had occasional winning season or two, but mostly were mediocre at best.

Since 2018, the Hounds have been in contention every year — making postseason and always finishing with a winning record.  In 2019, Pittsburgh finished first in the Eastern Conference, then in 2023, they were the USL Championship’s Players Shield winners. Mertz also pointed out in his post-match press conference after Saturday’s win, winning the Shiled should be considered a significant accomplishment.  Unfortunately, winning a domestic league regular season in US leagues doesn’t carry as much weight as in most of the other top-flight domestic leagues (Premier League, La Liga, Bundasliga, etc.)

FC Tulsa’s historical lineage has connections to the original Tulsa Roughnecks of the North American Soccer League, which were founded in 1978.  Matches were played at Skelly Stadium on the campus of the University of Tulsa, and huge crowds as big as 30,000 saw the Roughnecks win multiple championships over the club’s early history. The largest soccer crowd in Tulsa history occurred on April 26, 1980 when Tulsa hosted and defeated the New York Cosmos 2-1.

While the Roughnecks won the NASL title in 1983, pro soccer has forged ahead in various iterations after that league folded in the 1980s.  First in the 1990s in both indoor and outdoor leagues, but not again until 2015, when they entered the USL ring as the revived Roughnecks.  In 2019, with new ownership on board, brought about a name change (switch to FC Tulsa) and a new crest.

While meddling in the middle of the standings for much of the past four or five years, it’s all come-together for FC Tulsa in 2025, as it has been a truly special campaign for the team and the City.

Earlier this season, they brought back alumni from 1983 team, which Sporting Director Caleb Sewall was sure to acknowledge when meeting with the media this week.

But Spencer summed up the best way to honor that club and city’s sporting legacy.

“We want to make our own history.”

Pittsburgh also has its chance to make history.

“You don’t get this opportunity a lot. In any sport. There are people who go 10, 15 years in a sport, in a career, who never have a chance to play for Championship,” Eric Dick, Riverhounds goalkeeper said.

“This week, we can all appreciate to honor Pittsburgh, but it’s something that we have earned.”

2. Series History: Tulsa has been in and out Eastern Conference a few times — otherwise meetings have been sporadic between the two clubs

The Hounds have this going for them…   in league play matches vs FC Tulsa, they are undefeated in five previous matches, going 3-0-2 with a +3-goal differential, but this will be the first meeting this campaign between the sides as they were not matched up in interconference play during the regular season.  The added matches came as Tulsa — one of the most geographically centered spots in the mainland United States, became the poor franchise that the USL Championship has moved various times between the Eastern and Western Conferences.

One factoid that the USL Championship web article failed to point out is that these two clubs also faced off in the US Open Cup in 2024.

That was FCT’s only win ever vs Pittsburgh, a 1-0 decision at Highmark Stadium with a late Phillip Goodrum goal coming in the 89th minute, with both squads going heavily with bench players that season.

ONEOK Field was also the same location that Hounds wing back Junior Etou may not have fond memories.  In his first season with the club, in 2023, Etou came down hard, fracturing his arm in an early season nil-nil draw that proved to be very chippy and ended with some controversy as then Hound Albert Dikwa’s goal was waved off.

FINAL: Riverhounds SC 0, FC Tulsa 0

3. You might be surprised to know that this current Hound played for Tulsa

Only one player on the current Hounds roster has any direct connection to having played for Tulsa, and it was a very, very brief stint.

Before coming to Pittsburgh, goalkeeper Eric Dick bounced around between MLS and USL Championship squads.

In his status as journeyman keeper, Dick was between the posts for one match with Tulsa, on June 29, 2019, when on loan from Sporting KC/Swope Park Rangers — making three saves in a 3-1 loss during the 2019 campaign.

Prior to coming to Pittsburgh, Dick played for the following clubs:  Portland Timbers (U23), Oklahoma City Energy (U23), Sporting KC, Swope Park Rangers, FC Tulsa, Phoenix Rising, Columbus Crew, Indy Eleven, Minnesota United and Minnesota United 2.

Having been around the US Pro Soccer landscape with various stops as a true journeyman, Dick had his chance to shine in a regular role since signing with the Riverhounds in 2024, when he earned the league’s Gold Glove honors as the top keeper and was All-USL Championship First Team selection last year too.  Pretty much picking up where he left off, Dick remains a stabilizing presence in the back who’s come up with massive saves in key moments for the club, including penalty kick save at the start of the Shootout playoff win vs Hartford in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Round.

This season, Dick established a new single-season mark with 15 shutouts in all competitions this season, including three straight in the postseason, which is also a team record.

Tulsa has an interesting situation when it comes to goalkeepers.  In its previous two matches in the playoffs — they’ve gone with two different keepers.  One-time keeper at Pitt (an college teammate of Hounds midfielder Jackson Walti) — Johan Peñaranda made the majority of starts (26) for FCT this season, but after the Conference Quarterfinal win, he was replaced by Tyler Deric (who’s made five starts all season) in the last two wins.

4. No goals, no problem?

From a historical standpoint, there’s never been a team that has advanced this far scoring one goal.

That’s what the Hounds have done to this point in the postseason, as Mertz’s game-winner vs Rhode Island was the magical breakthrough goal that put Pittsburgh in the final after winning a pair of penalty kick shootouts.

Tulsa has scored five times, advancing with a pair of 1-0 wins vs Colorado Springs and Phoenix before last week’s 3-o dominant scoreline to eliminate New Mexico.

Should either team win the title by clean sheet, they would be the first team to win the USL Championship without allowing a goal in their entire playoff run.

It may also be shocking (I hope you can sense my hint of sarcasm in here) that one of two teams which scored the least number of goals on route to a USL Championship Final were none other than Bob Lilley’s Rochester Rhinos squad in 2015.

The other Cup winner scoring five goals in its Cup winning run was Orange County SC (in 2021 — and that team also had a Hounds connection — as for what it’s worth — Hounds current president, Jeff Garner, was the OCSC SC president at the time)

Here’s a look at the last 10 USL Cup winners and how many goals they scored in their respective postseason runs along with regular season output (goals scored, goals per game and goal differential):

• 2024 – Colorado Springs – 8
• 2023 – Phoenix – 9
• 2022 – San Antonio FC – 8
• 2021 – Orange County – 5
• 2019 — Real Monarchs – 13
• 2018 — Louisville City FC – 12
• 2017 — Louisville City FC – 7
• 2016 — NY Red Bulls II – 13
• 2015 — Rochester Rhinos – 5

In modern U.S. pro soccer history, there have been some improbable winners, but one scoring just one or two goals would be right up there.  Thus, if the Hounds win by scoring one or two goals or if they go to penalty kicks — they would lower the bar (you could say in a good way) and hold a very unique distinction as the team who won a championship with the least goals scored (or allowed!).

5. What Riverhounds players have experience in USL Championship Final Matches?

On the Riverhounds’ roster, the only player who have been in a USL Championship Final is Augustine Williams, who started and played the full 120 minutes for Charleston Battery in its loss to Phoenix Rising, in a match that ended 1-1, with the Rising taking a penalty kick shootout victory.

Williams had one shot in the run of play in that match, along with two other shots blocked, while also contributing to one of the Battery’s two made penalty kicks.

Additionally, Williams is the current Riverhound who has experienced making the deepest run in the US Open Cup — having been with and starting for Indy Eleven squad that made it all the way to the USOC Semifinal Round in 2024, where they lost to Sporting KC, 2-0.

In this first season in Pittsburgh, Williams, who has scored 83 goals in the Championship, has scored nine goals and has — if anything — been durable target forward playing nearly 2,500 minutes and sometimes doesn’t get enough credit for doing a lot of the dirty work in drawing defenders and for his defensive attributes.

6. Pittsburgh Pro Sports Teams & Success on the Road in Championship Matches

Pittsburgh has a strong history of pro sports teams winning championships. Even with the success of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Pittsburgh Pirates winning a combine 16 championships in their respective sports, since 1960, 12 of those championships have been won and none of those current, major pro sports teams won a league championship on home soil.

This is somewhat understandable that with the Steelers playing the Super Bowl on neutral sites, however, the Pirates World Series wins in 1971 and 1979 came at Baltimore and each one of the Penguins five Stanley Cup clinching wins came on the road.

There are a few professional teams who have won pro sports titles on home turf since the Pirates won at Forbes Field in 1960, but some may argue that they don’t consider them major pro sports teams (a notion that the Hounds have been battling against for 26 years in the Steel City).  Those teams include the Pittsburgh Pipers (in 1968) winning the first-ever ABA Championship and the Pittsburgh Triangles (World Team Tennis) in 1975.  The Pittsburgh Passion (women’s pro football team) won league championships in 2007, 2014 and 2015, with the last two coming on home turf.

With the Hounds playing a true road match in the League Final, can they keep Pittsburgh’s impressive road winning Championship streak going?

7. Battle of First-Time Coaches is ‘full-circle moment’ for two men who became breakout players in league in 2010s

For those familiar with USL Championship soccer, Luke Spencer was a staple from 2016-2020, having excelled as a player as part of Louisville City FC organization that played in Four USL Cup Finals and won two.

In his first year at the helm as a Head Coach, Spencer helped turn Tulsa into a top-seed in the Western Conference.

After his retirement in 2020, Spencer took on coaching role and served as Director of Louisville City’s Academy.  In 2024, Spencer followed long-time Louisville Academy director Mario Sanchez to FC Tulsa.

Spencer knows what playing in a USL Championship match is like.

“Having been through it, some things are different,” Spencer said on Thursday.

“The pre-match. The walk-up, the ceremony. It can be a process. It’s exciting. But, it can be a distraction. I can draw on my experience in preparing the team.”

Vincent was there with the Riverhounds franchise at the very beginning of the Highmark Stadium era, earning a roster spot after taking part in an Open Tryout, following his career at NCAA Division II University of Charleston (WV).  In 2015, Vincent had a career season, scoring 21 goals in all competitions for the Riverhounds.  With his success, he caught the attention of MLS DC United, who bought out his contract from the Hounds.  Despite some flashes of quality and making contributions in DCU’s 2016 playoff and CONCACAF Champions League squad, Vincent’s career would be cut short due to a knee injury.

Much like Spencer, once his playing days were over, Vincent became a valuable coach with the Riverhounds Academy.  It wasn’t until 2024, when he was elevated and brought back to the first team as an assistant coach for Bob Lilley.

When asked about his impression of Vincent and the Hounds, the former target forward Spencer turned the attention to how the Hounds have been playing since he took over with three weeks left in the regular season and added kudos to Pittsburgh’s striker, Augi Williams.

“They remain extremely committed to the defensive side, but what they don’t get credit for is how good they are on the ball. And Augi can do it all at target forward.  They have more freedom, more fluidity — and when add that to how they’re playing defensively, they’re a more dangerous team.”

In such a short period of time, it may be hard for many to believe that both Spencer and Vincent, two legends in this league for their on-the-field heroics, are head coaches for the two clubs who’ve made it to the Championship game.

Talk about coming full circle.

8. Don’t be shocked if first half ends nil-nil

Don’t be shocked if it goes the distance still nil-nil

But something may give in run of play if each side commits to high press

FC Tulsa has scored 32 second-half goals across the regular season and playoffs, the most of any club in the USL Championship this season, with Taylor Calheira bagging nine goals after the halftime break.  But they’re also not allowing goals.

In fact, it’s been over 500 minutes since either side has surrendered a goal. For the Hounds, it’s 512 minutes.  That is the fourth time the club has gone more than 500 minutes without conceding, with all four instances happening since the start of the 2018 season, when Bob Lilley took over as Head Coach.

The Riverhounds conceded 10 goals in the first half of games this season – the fewest of any team in the USL Championship this season – and has recorded a league-high 15 shutouts across the regular season and playoffs.

When the dreaded words were asked of the coaches in recent weeks about going to penalty kicks — they both shared similar sentiments.

Vincent stated before last week’s match, that’s not how they want to win.

“It’s not ideal to keep going 120, but credit to the guys. They kept going. They kept attacking. Playing on the front foot,” Vincent said.

Spencer’s aware that the Hounds have put in the miles in the postseason, with two matches that needed to go the full distance.

“We’ve prepared for that scenario over time, ever since we prepared for the playoffs,” Spencer said.

“I know it’s different than Pittsburgh, they have been in penalties twice.”

But both teams also like to bring a high press and punish its opponents.  It will be quite a chess match to see how they adjust and how the field will be tilted at different times, with each side test each team’s defensive shape and discipline.

“There’s a belief, that we thrive in these situations,” Spencer added.

While the Hounds have played more minutes in the postseason, they haven’t been chasing games, and that has been instrumental in the team’s success, as they’ve owned the possession edge throughout each playoff match, something with Spencer was sure to point out.

In a match where the teams haven’t played each other this season, there could be a feeling out process as well.

“Challenge for both teams.  We’re less familiar with each other. They have to deal with as well. Some things we haven’t seen before.  That’s fun.  We look forward to it,” Spencer added.

“It’s about communication of staying focused.  Training and execution in the match will be critical. Those are the things that come along with making it to a final.”

9. You will be ‘Looking Live’ at High Noon Pittsburgh time on CBS

A lot of folks have been wondering why this match is kicking off at Noon (Eastern Time) and at 11 a.m. Tulsa (Central) time.

One simple answer.  Television.

The USL Championship has negotiated a deal to have the League Final broadcast for the second consecutive year on Network Television — as it will air on CBS.   This, of course, is the great equalizer that helps provide the league with national exposure, maximizes its audience and revenue, avoids conflicts (think about all those Saturday late afternoon and evening College Football and other major sports broadcasts).  Also, depending on how you look at it — this start time may also be convenient for fans in the late Fall playing in the middle of the day from weather and travel perspectives.

For the Hounds, they typically train between 10 a.m. and Noon, so it will part of a routine in a way.

“Hopefully it’s not too much of a different routine for the boys,” Sean Suber, Riverhounds defender, said.

“We can get in. Smash and grab a trophy, and have a good day.”

Here’s all of the broadcast/streaming/radio information you’ll need for Sunday

TV: CBS (national); KDKA (local)
Streaming: Paramount+
Radio: Sirius 137, XM 202 and Radio Las Palmas, 92.9 FM HD2
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center

10. Tale of the Tape

Just like any big, heavyweight bout, it’s always good to see how the two teams measure up, pound-for-pound, against each other by looking at the team leaders.

TEAM STATS

GOALS

• TUL — 55 (3rd in USLC)
• PIT – 33 (19th in USLC)

SHOTS

• TUL — 461 (1st in USLC)
• PIT — 368 (11th in USLC)

BIG CHANCES

• TUL — 91 (1st in USLC)
• PIT — 51 (19th in USLC)

BIG CHANCES MISSED

• TUL — 52 (2nd in USLC)
• PIT — 33 (16th in USLC)

ACCURATE CROSSES PER MATCH

• TUL — 5.5 (2nd in USLC)
• PIT — 4.9 (4th in USLC)

CLEARANCES PER MATCH

• TUL — 29.9 (2nd in USLC)
• PIT — 27.0 (5th in USLC)

CORNERS

• PIT — 171 (3rd in USLC)
• TUL — 170 (4th in USLC)

PENALTIES AWARDED

• TUL — 7 (2nd in USLC) — conceded 3
• PIT — 3 (4th in USLC) — conceded 1

TOUCHES IN OPPOSITION BOX

• PIT — 690 (5th in USLC)
• TUL — 779 (1st in USLC)

BALLS WON IN THE FINAL THIRD

• PIT — 4.0 (3rd in USLC)
• TUL — 4.3 (1st in USLC)

GOAL CONCEDED

• TUL — 30 (fifth least in USLC) – (0.9 goals per match)
• PIT — 28 (third least in USLC) – (0.8 goals per match)

CLEAN SHEETS

• PIT — 15 (1st in USLC)
• TUL — 13 (3rd in USLC)

PASSING ACCURACY

• TUL – 69% (24th and Last in USLC)
• PIT — 76% (20th in USLC)

FOULS

• TUL — 571 (1st in USLC)
• PIT – 430 (12th in USLC)

YELLOW CARDS

• TUL — 101 (1st in USLC)
• PIT — 56 (23rd in USLC)

CONVERSION RATE

• TUL — 17% (7th in USLC)
• PIT — 13% (T-18th in USLC)

 

TEAM LEADERS

GOALS

• PIT –Augi Williams, 9
• TUL — Taylor Calheira, 17

ASSISTS

• Danny Griffin, 4
• Jamie Webber, 5

GOAL CONTRIBUTIONS (G+A)

• Augi Williams, 10
•  Taylor Calheira, 19

SHOTS

• Augi Williams, 55
• Taylor Calheira, 62

CHANCES CREATED

• Robbie Mertz, 63 (2nd in USLC)
• Taylor Calheira 37 (T-22nd in USLC)

MINUTES

• Sean Suber, 3,030
• Taylor Calheira, 2,622

TACKLES

• Luke Biasi, 61
• Owen Damm, 43

CLEARANCES

• Sean Suber, 232
• Lamar Batista, 191

YELLOW CARDS

• Luke Biasi, 10
• Abdoulaye Cissoko, 11

RED CARDS

• Luke Biasi, 1
• Owen Damm, 1

GOAL AGAINST AVERAGE

• Eric Dick, 0.79
• Johan Penaranda, 1.00

SAVE PERCENTAGE

• Eric Dick, .747
• Johan Penaranda, .675

 

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