Riverhounds Notebook: Shagadelic Saturday at FNB also marks Luke Biasi return with Phoenix Rising FC

The Return of Luke Biasi: The Reality of the USL Landscape

Luke Biasi’s return marks the first time he’ll step onto the South Shore turf since hoisting the USL Championship trophy last November.

Biasi was a vital tactical piece for the Hounds for four seasons from 2022 to 2025, tallying 120 appearances and playing every minute of the 2025 postseason. The former Syracuse standout stands to be only the second player ever to have 100 appearances for the club and later suit up against them after Dani Rovira did the same a year ago in a substitute role for Rhode Island FC.

Biasi’s departure for Phoenix in the offseason underscores the reality of the USL Championship.

In a league where roster turnover is high, even championship-winning players often move on as they find better contracts or new professional opportunities. Biasi’s transition to the Western Conference is a testament to his rising stock; Phoenix identified his reliability as a primary target for their own title ambitions.

Recently, Phoenix coach Pa-Modou Kah recently praised Biasi’s transition, noting:

“You’ve got to be creative with where players can go,” Kah said. “A player like Luke, you can use him in three different spots comfortably without a drop in quality.”

For Biasi, the move west was about raising the level of his own career, though he admitted in February that leaving the unbeatable locker room culture in Pittsburgh was an emotional transition.

In this first season with the Rising, Biasi’s put forth very similar contributions as a steady presence as left sided fullback.  This includes: 535 minutes in seven matches, with two yellow cards, 209 total passes with an 85.0% accuracy rate, 31 defensive contributions, while also adding a pair of chances created.

Across all competitions this year, Biasi has already made 10 appearances.

Most recently, Biasi logged a full 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to the Colorado Springs Switchbacks on April 25 and a 120-minute shift during a US Open Cup victory over Orange County SC on April 1.

This Saturday, he’ll find out just how much his former team’s culture has evolved in his absence.

A closer look at the numbers and his on-the-pitch presence shows that what the Hounds ost with Biasi was enforcer energy. Biasi wasn’t a passive defender; he was a high-volume tackler who often lived on the edge, frequently leading the team in fouls and yellow cards—a reflection of the toughness required to anchor a championship backline.

That grit was perhaps best personified during the 2023 Open Cup run. PSN contributors recently recalled a pivotal moment against Columbus Crew when Biasi, stationed in the box for a late corner kick, frantically waved his arms to egg on the Steel Army for extra support. It was a moment emblematic of his connection to the fans and his win at all costs mentality.

You could make the argument that the Hounds have traded some of that defensive steel for attacking flair in their new-look rotation.

Max Viera was brought into the winger/fullback rotation this season, joining a rotation that includes two of Biasi’s counterparts from last season: Perrin Barnes and Junior Etou.

While Barnes and Etou mirror Biasi’s toughness more closely, the emergence of the rookie, Viera, has provided a shift in the team’s dynamic when he’s on the pitch.

Viera has started twice in League play and was on the field and scored last week in the Hounds’ USL Cup first round win over USL League Two’s Greenville.  The former Georgetown product provides an elite attacking ceiling—ranking in the top 10th percentile for fullbacks in goals and chances.

The Rising Challenge

Phoenix Rising FC enters the Monongahela as one of the West’s more eccentric tactical experiments.

Under Pa-Modou Kah, they have ditched the traditional rigidity of a tactical board as they’re a bit more fluid in their approach from match-to-match.

It is a side that is incredibly comfortable on the ball but have shown to be rattled by a disciplined press. Watching Phoenix in a few highlights and match video, they’ll switch in formations between 3-4-3 and a 4-2-3-1.

Much like the Hounds, they’ve been a bit up and down.  They have looked like world-beaters in 3-0 wins over Miami and New Mexico, only to disappear in a 2-0 loss to Sacramento when the game turned into a grind.

Ihsan Sacko is currently a player to watch who, much like Hounds’ target man, Albert Dikwa, is in solid form, having notched back-to-back braces to move into the Golden Boot conversation. Sacko is the focal point of an attack fueled by the creative engine of Hope Avayevu, who specializes in finding those annoying pockets of space between the lines. The last line for Phoenix includes Patrick Rakovsky —a keeper who fancies himself a sweeper and has three clean sheets to prove it.

Injury Update

Any concerns regarding Lasse Kelp were put to rest last Saturday. After a scary clash of heads in the Open Cup, Kelp returned to the starting XI against Greenville and put in a dominant 90-minute performance, anchoring the defense in a 3-0 shutout. The staff continues to monitor Beto Ydrach and Guillaume Vacter, both of whom remain sidelined with their respective injuries.

Match Details / Links

Riverhounds (3-3-1) vs. Phoenix Rising FC (2-2-3)
Date: Saturday, May 2
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: F.N.B. Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Odds: Hounds +105 / Draw +220 / Phoenix +240 (FanDuel)
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center