PITTSBURGH (June 4, 2022) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and Detroit City FC battled to a 1-1 draw for the second time this season in a battle of top-four teams in the USL Eastern Conference tonight at Highmark Stadium.
Albert Dikwa put the Hounds (7-3-3) ahead at the half-hour mark, but Maxi Rodriguez tied the match for Detroit (7-2-4) in the 70th minute, as the same two players who scored in the March 26 meeting in Detroit found the scoresheet again.
The result ends the Hounds perfect record at home this season but extends their run to 15 matches without a loss at home, dating back to last season.
First half
Befitting a match between teams with high playoff aspirations, the contest started very defensively with neither team recording a shot on goal in the first 23 minutes.
Dikwa, who earlier had a goal disallowed for offside, put the Hounds on the board in the 30th minute after being played in behind the defense on a through ball by Luis Argudo. Replays showed he timed his run just right to stay onside with the left back keeping him on, and Dikwa tapped the ball around the goalkeeper for his career-best fifth goal of the season.
The Hounds thought they would go to half leading by two goals, but a headed finish off a corner kick by Jelani Peters was wiped out when referee Luis Arroyo indicated a foul against the Hounds in the 40th minute. The Hounds protested and players from both teams came together in a scuffle at the goal line, but only a yellow card to the Hounds’ Shane Wiedt was issued after the players were separated.
Second half
The Hounds continued to press forward for a second goal, and Dikwa was denied from a sharp angle in the 65th minute after being played down the left side by Danny Griffin.
But in the 70th minute, Detroit tied the match when Deklan Wynne got to the goal line down the left side and played a pass back to the middle for Rodriguez, who finished from just outside the six-yard box.
The Hounds finished the game with a 15-10 edge in shots and 55 percent of possession, but they couldn’t find a winning goal late. Russell Cicerone came close but hit the outside of the net with a late chance, and a good shot from distance by Kenardo Forbes was caught by Nathan Steinwascher, who made five saves in the Detroit goal.
Hounds Man of the Match
Though Dikwa got the goal, Kenardo Forbes was his usual indispensable self moving the ball for the Hounds. The captain led the team with 90 touches and 52 of 66 passes completed, and his four crosses were second only to Alex Dixon. He also nearly got a goal of his own with a powerful volley in the 34th minute that struck the goalkeeper more so than it was saved.
What’s next?
The Hounds will hit the road again for their next match against the Charleston Battery (1-9-2) on Saturday, June 11th, at 7 p.m. at Patriots Point Soccer Complex. It will be the first match of the season against Charleston, the Hounds’ longest-running rival still active in the USL Championship.
Riverhounds SC lineup (5-2-3) — Jahmali Waite; Nate Dossantos, Jelani Peters, Arturo Ordóñez, Shane Wiedt (Toby Sims 78’), Alex Dixon; Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes; Russell Cicerone, Luis Argudo (Dane Kelly 71’), Albert Dikwa
Detroit City FC (3-4-1-2) — Nate Steinwascher; Devon Amoo-Mensah, Stephen Carroll, Karl Ouimette; Abdoulaye Diop, Maxi Rodriguez, Deklan Wynne, Michael Bryant; Connor Rutz; Francis Atuahene (Macky Diop 66’), Pato Botello Faz
Scoring Summary
PIT – Albert Dikwa 30’ (Luis Argudo)
DET – Maxi Rodriguez 70’ (Deklan Wynne)
Discipline Summary
PIT – Shane Wiedt 41’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT – Danny Griffin 90+2’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT – Albert Dikwa 90+4’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
