The Full Circle: Homecoming of Aldi Flowers-Gamboa, Warren Agostoni mark Riverhounds’ ambition to invest more in local, young talent

From the Highmark Bleachers to the First Team: The Homecoming of Aldi Flowers-Gamboa and Warren Agostoni show that the Riverhounds are serious about their initiative to double-down having young, homegrown talent to develop and contribute to the first-team.  

 

The air in Pittsburgh hits differently when you’ve been away.

For Aldi Flowers-Gamboa and Warren Agostoni, the humidity of Texas and the pace of Cincinnati were necessary chapters, but they weren’t home.

The two young players have returned to Pittsburgh, not just as fans, but as the vanguard of a new organizational philosophy for the Riverhounds.

This is the first time in club history, the Riverhounds have signed not one, but two young talented players to a USL Academy Contract at the same time. Under USL Academy Contract, the duo train and play with the pro team, in what some may consider a “win-win” arrangement, they provide a direct, low-cost pathway for the club to evaluate high-potential talent while allowing the players to preserve their NCAA college eligibility.

A year ago, both players made a choice most teenagers wouldn’t dream of: they left their families to pursue the game. Agostoni headed to Austin; Flowers-Gamboa moved through FC Cincinnati and Texoma FC.

Standing in the near-freezing cold air after an intense training session on Thursday at AHN Montour Soccer Complex, both players reflected upon their experiences leaving their hometown to pursue their dreams to play soccer at the highest possible level.

“It was really helpful being away from my family, making the sacrifice to try to pursue my dream,” Agostoni reflected.

“I learned a lot being away from home for the year. It helped me just be focused. I’m excited to be back home now… and play for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds where I was my whole life.”

“You learn to push yourself and to motivate yourself. You know, no one is supposed to be there for you to do it, but you learn a lot of hard work,” Flowers-Gamboa added.  

“It helps you mature a lot more than regular teens. You learn a lot about hard work.”

The two players are getting their chances.

Flowers-Gamboa made a significant impact in his first preseason match, recording a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over the Richmond Kickers.

Last week, Agostoni made the trip and was available for selection in Head Coach Rob Vincent’s lineup card for the Hounds’ season opener at Charleston.

While pushing their older teammates every day in training since late January, they’ve also made an impression on each other.

When asked what makes the other special, the chemistry between the two homegrown signings is evident. There is no rivalry here—only mutual admiration for the tools they’ve sharpened while away.

“I’d say he has a good first touch,” Flowers-Gamboa said of Agostoni.

“He’s skillful… crazy skillful. In one-v-ones, he has (explosive) speed… he can do any skill. I believe that’s his best thing,” Agostoni raved about Flowers-Gamboa.

While Agostoni s a Hounds Academy alumnus, Flowers-Gamboa’s path was different, having played for local clubs AAFC and BVB Pittsburgh before leaving the region.

Both players also got a taste of playing some high school soccer too, following in the footsteps of older brothers.  Flowers-Gamboa experienced playing an underclassman at Plum, where his brother Marquis, excelled. (Marquis also played previously with Pittsburgh City United FC and is currently on Bridge City FC, Pittsburgh’s Indoor Pro Soccer team)

A little further East on Route 30, Agostoni played at Latrobe in his freshman and sophomore years, where he teamed up with his older brother Roman to provide a dangerous attacking tandem (his sophomore year in 2024, they combined for 45 goals with the elder leading the way with 31. Roman is now at Mercyhurst)

Plum High School Head Coach Raf Kolankowski, who coached Flowers-Gamboa, told Pittsburgh Soccer Now that the young forward possesses a high IQ, composure, and a certain “flair” in the final third.

“Good for him. He’s worked hard—and pursued some good opportunities and has traveled a lot as a young player,” Kolankowski said.

“It’s great that he can come back home.”

A year ago, the two young players were far from Pittsburgh — playing for clubs in US Soccer Pyramid’s Third Division professional leagues.

For Flowers-Gamboa, it was in USL League One (Texoma FC) and Agostoni was with MLS Next Pro squad (Austin FC II).

Each found that playing against grown men redefined their understanding of the game.

“League One really helped me understand who I was as a player—what my real strengths were against amazing players and what I had to work on,” Flowers-Gamboa explained.

“It’s not going to be as easy as it was when you’re playing your own age group.”

Now, they are taking another step up on the ladder, playing in the USL Championship (US Soccer’s second division) while back home among family and friends.

But being with the Riverhounds means the game is also speeding up and testing their decision-making skills.

 “It’s definitely a lot faster considering that we’re moving up levels,” Agostoni said.

Flowers-Gamboa concurred: “When you’re out of your comfort zone, you’re going to mess up a lot. That’s where you learn the most—when you mess up.”

When promoted to Sporting Director in 2024, after serving as assistant coach from 2016-2023, Dan Visser shared with Pittsburgh Soccer Now in 2024 that he wanted to bridge the gap between youth development and the professional ranks within the organization.

With the two new additions, Visser is putting this vision into motion.

“Warren is among the most promising prospects our academy has produced… Our environment and player development pathway are built to help ambitious young players like Warren maximize their potential,” Visser explained after the announcement that Agostoni was signed with the club after being on trial the year before, but then Head Coach Bob Lilley opted not to add him at that time, leaving Pablo Linzolan as the lone Academy Contract player.

A few weeks after signing Agostoni, the Hounds made it official shortly after the team’s preseason began, that Flower-Gamboa would be the unprecedented second player signed to an USL Academy Contract in the same season.

“Aldi is a local player who left Pittsburgh to join the FC Cincinnati Academy and later gained professional experience with Texoma FC,” Visser said through the team’s release.

“We’re thrilled to welcome him home and continue showing that there’s a clear professional pathway in Pittsburgh for the region’s top talent.”

Prior to this year, Wyatt Borso, Anders Bodroy, and Pablo Linzolan, each took turns serving as the sole Academy players on the first team roster from 2022-25.

While the Hounds strive to be a primary anchor for talented young local players to play at the highest level of play possible in the Pittsburgh region, they have not cornered this market.

The modern Pittsburgh soccer landscape shows the Riverhounds are not the only lane on the highway to the pros.

The rise of Steel City FC and the success of recent local products who’ve been selected in MLS SuperDraft, which includes Michael Sullivan (Pitt), Koven Johnson, and Donovan Phillip (AAFC / BVB and now Pittsburgh Independence) have created a competitive ecosystem. Additional young talents like Tanner Rosborough (started with Beadling SC , who left Pittsburgh just as he entered his middle school years to pursue a higher pathway with NY Red Bulls Academy (now at age 17, signed to homegrown MLS contract with NYRB) further represent a wave of players finding high-level opportunities through various regional platforms.

For the first time in years, the Hounds are entering the U.S. Open Cup in the first round, which potentially means more matches.

Between the Open Cup, the USL Cup, and the regular season, the “Academy Contract” provides crucial depth—specifically because these players fill an extra roster spot for home matches.

The timing of having two homegrown USL Academy Players on its first-team roster may be even more poetic as for the first time in 69 years, two Pittsburgh teams will clash in the Open Cup as the Hounds face Steel City FC on Tuesday.

“It’s cool to be a part of something that hasn’t been done in a long time,” Agostoni says of the upcoming Derby.

It’s very likely that one or both of the young players will be in the lineup and could step on the pitch for the first time with their hometown club in a local Derby match.

Steel City has found success with a homegrown model that leads many of its own Academy players who started at the same club directly into its pre-professional, First Team. In the past three years, when competing first in NPSL, then in USL League Two, Steel City have used this formula successfully, capturing three straight Division titles.

To provide a higher pathway for some of its own Academy players and provide an opportunity to lure more young talent into its organization, following the success of the women’s pre-professional club, the Riveters, the Riverhounds are also launching its own pre-professional side, Riverhounds 2, this season.  This club will complete against Steel City FC in USL League Two’s Great Forest Division.

For Agostoni and Flowers-Gamboa, this opportunity playing with the Riverhounds isn’t just about personal growth; it’s about being part of a team that’s now taking a more intensive investment in local talent.

Flowers-Gamboa is already soaking up the veteran knowledge, pointing out playing alongside the team’s oldest player, Junior Etou.

“He’s a wise guy. I try to learn and take some of his game and put it into my game to make me a better player.”

A few years ago, Agonstoni noted, he was just a kid in the stands who couldn’t wait to ask Mertz or Danny Griffin for an autograph.

It’s kind of crazy,” Warren says with a grin.

“I used to see (Albert) Dikwa, Robbie (Mertz), and Danny (Griffin)… I’d go on the field and get their autographs after the games. It’s full circle playing alongside them now.”

They are no longer asking for autographs.

They are the ones providing the depth and the future for the city’s professional team.

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Other recent homegrown Pittsburgh area men’s soccer players finding pathways to the pros

• Michael Sullivan: An All-Region standout at Pitt who navigated the elite collegiate route. His path may be closer to the more tradition route taken by Pittsburgh-area players in the past, from Justin Evans (in 1990s) to Robbie Mertz (in 2010s). Sullivan played with one primary club (Steel City which evolved from Pittsburgh Hotspurs and Arsenal clubs he played with through his youth development).  After walking on at Pitt, Sullivan was selected in MLS SuperDraft, playing his first pro season with Toronto FC II in 2025.  Sullivan, who grew up in Tarentum and starred for Deer Lakes High School, is now playing with FC Cincinnati II in his second season.

• Koven Johnson & Donovan Phillip: Young players who came through the Pittsburgh area, developing with local clubs (Johnson with Hotspurs/Steel City and Phillip with AAFC, BVB Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Independence FC and The Kiski School) before finding success through high-level collegiate and semi-pro circuits. In a breakout season at NC State, Phillip led the NCAA Division in goals, winning the MAC Hermann Award as Men’s College Soccer’s Most Outstanding Player. Phillip and Johnson were each selected in the MLS Super draft. Phillip has signed with Colorado Rapids, while Johnson is still eligible for another season at High Point University and will complete this summer with Riverounds 2.

• Tanner Rosborough: Representing the next wave of talent utilizing regional platforms to catch professional eyes, Rosborough played with Beadling FC as a youth, but moved to play with New York Red Bulls Academy and has since signed a contract with NYRB MLS team. Rosborough is now 17 years old. Rosborough has split time between the first team and MLS Next squad in early 2026: He made his first-team MLS debut on February 21, 2026, appearing as a late substitute in a 2-1 victory over Orlando City. On March 1, 2026, he played 90 minutes and scored a goal for the defending champion Red Bulls II in a 4-2 win against Columbus Crew 2.