PITTSBURGH (Jan. 27, 2025) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds signed former USL Championship All-League forward Augustine Williams, bringing the veteran striker to Pittsburgh for the 2025 season.
Williams, 27, is a Sierra Leone international with MLS experience and a track record of scoring in the Championship. His 76 regular-season goals are the fifth-most in the league’s “modern era” (since 2010) and the second-most among active Championship players.
His deal, which is pending USL and U.S. Soccer approval, also includes a team option for 2026.
“I’m very excited to be joining the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and get to meet my new teammates that I will be going to war with,” Williams said. “I’m excited to be part of a team that has a great history and an amazing fan base. I can’t wait to get started and to be able to help the team to achieve our goals this year, which is to win the USL Championship and bring a trophy to Pittsburgh.”
“Bringing a player like Augi to Pittsburgh is a major signing for our organization. It highlights the growth, ambition and investment that (owner) Tuffy (Shallenberger)continues to infuse into our club, the community and Western Pa. soccer,” Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said.
“Augie is a dangerous striker that can score in a variety of ways, and he is a well rounded player who fits our system. His ability to hold the ball and link play will make players around him better, and his willingness to work for the team make him a very valuable addition to the 2025 Pittsburgh Riverhounds roster.”
Williams debuted professionally as a 19-year-old with Portland Timbers 2 in 2016, when the reserve side competed in the USL. The next year, he would make his first appearance with the MLS club, scoring against the Seattle Sounders in the U.S. Open Cup in his debut.
After three years in Portland, Williams signed with Los Angeles Galaxy II ahead of the 2019 season. Williams would earn First Team All-League honors after scoring 13 goals in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, earning him a spot with the Galaxy’s MLS team in 2021. He made seven appearances for the Galaxy that season, while also spending time on loan back with Galaxy II and with San Diego Loyal.
In 2022, Williams signed as a free agent with the Charleston Battery and posted a career-best 16 goals on the way to a Second Team All-League selection. He would match that number in all competitions the following season, fueling the Battery’s run to the 2023 USL Championship Final.
Williams spent 2024 with Indy Eleven, where he posted his third consecutive double-digit goal season — the fourth of his career overall.
Originally from the Sierra Leonean capital of Freetown, Williams has made seven appearances for his country, the first coming in an African Cup of Nations qualifying win over Benin on June 15, 2021. Williams was later named to his country’s squad for AFCON in 2022 after the Leone Stars qualified for the first time in 16 years.
