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Things keep rolling for the Hounds after a third consecutive win last Friday over New York, and next up is the second and final trip this season to Segra Field in Leesburg, Va., where the Hounds will face Loudoun United FC at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

With so many things clicking for the Hounds over the last two weeks, a midweek road trip against a struggling team looks like the blueprint for the proverbial “trap game.”

Here are the things to watch for as the Hounds try to maintain their perfect all-time record against Loudoun:

1.) Next men up

As per usual with a midweek match, expect Bob Lilley and Dan Visser to elect for some lineup changes in an effort to keep players fresh with another match looming Saturday.

Another wrinkle to the selection puzzle involves who is available, as the back line is depleted with Jelani Peters on international duty and Jordan Dover still listed as questionable with a lower-body injury.

The Hounds might get creative again as they did two weeks ago in Indy, where Josh Gatt, a forward by trade, was rather effective playing as a right-side wing back. Other lineup shuffling could involve a third start for goalkeeper Jake Leeker, while Anthony Velarde, who scored in the earlier meeting with Loudoun, could be tabbed for a repeat performance in the midfield, where Danny Griffin and Kenardo Forbes have been logging heavy minutes.

2.) Keep the foot on the gas

Leading 2-0 at halftime in the teams’ previous meeting on June 2, the Hounds got a bit too defensive and sloppy with the ball in the second half, which allowed Loudoun to make it a 3-2 game with a tense finish.

Especially given the relative youth of the Loudoun side, the Hounds would be well-served to put the home side to the sword early, if given the chance.

That might be easier said than done, however, as Loudoun, despite its 1-7-0 record, has played the best in the division tightly. It took a stoppage-time goal for Hartford to put the side away, and Loudoun has also played one-goal games with Tampa Bay, Miami and the Hounds in the aforementioned meeting.

3.) Heat check

The next 48 hours are important for the Hounds, not just for tactical preparation, but in physically gearing up their bodies for what could be the hottest match of the year for them.

The predicted high temperature each of the next two days in Leesburg is 93, which was also Monday’s high to go with a heat index of 104. Add in the lack of cover around the Segra Field surface, and the turf could easily reach temperatures closer to 120 — an uncomfortable number for even the biggest summer lovers.

Lilley ended Monday’s practice by reiterating a message for his players to get hydrated now and stay out of the sun as much as possible before boarding the bus to Virginia tomorrow. Once there, the players are expected to go through an abridged training session at Segra before retreating to the comfort of air conditioning and some carefully curated pre-match meals Tuesday night and Wednesday.

It’s no secret that Kenardo Forbes has long been one of the USL Championship’s best distributors.

Last season, Forbes passed Maikel Chang for the most assists in USL Championship history, and he ended the season increasing his total to 39.

Now, the man nicknamed “King Kenny” has his sights on another record. He is just two assists away from surpassing Kevin Kerr’s total of 27 for the most in club history.

Kerr, who played alongside Forbes for two years, is happy to see the record broken.

“When Kenny came here, I figured it wouldn’t be long until he broke the record,” Kerr said. “Of course, I was happy when I broke the record, but I’ll be happy when Kenny breaks it too. And I have no doubt he will. I think he’ll go far beyond 27 assists.”

Just like his record last season, Forbes wasn’t aware that he was close to cementing his name in Riverhounds history.

“I didn’t know that I was close to breaking Kevin’s record, but it’s a big accomplishment for me as a player,” he said. “I’ve become a lot more confident in the final third since leaving Rochester, and I’m going to work hard to get the record.”

Before coming to Pittsburgh in 2018, Forbes spent three years playing for Bob Lilley with the Rochester Rhinos. While he was a very good player for Rochester, earning Second Team All-USL honors in 2016, he’s become a great player for the Hounds.

Since the start of the 2018 season, Forbes has racked up 26 assists, the second-most of anyone in the league that span.

“When we first got him (in Rochester), he was a winger,” Lilley said.  “He was very good out there, always with an attacking mindset.  The more time I had with him, the more I learned what he can do and began to use him in different ways. He’s done a lot of work to become the player he is now.  I thought he was an excellent player for us (in 2015), but he’s a more complete player now. He’s been a massive player for us. He’s been a massive player for this league.”

Kenardo’s favorite assist as a Hound came in a 3-0 victory against New York Red Bulls II on June 16, 2018. 

After almost allowing a goal on one end, the Hounds were on the counter-attack in the attacking third. Forbes had possession near the center of the penalty box when he sent a pass to Neco Brett, who then chipped the ball over the keeper to give the Hounds a two-goal lead. The assist was his first ever at Highmark Stadium, and it came after a rough stretch at home for the club.

Forbes earned his first helper of the 2021 season in the Hounds’ last match — a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium — which brought his career total to 40. He set up Russell Cicerone with a perfect ball in the 55th minute to give the Hounds a 2-0 lead and what would be the deciding goal.

Although he only has one assist this season, the positive impact Forbes brings is immeasurable.

“His feel for the game is unique.  He has a sense of where his teammates are at all times,” Lilley said. “He obviously brings a lot of experience. He works tirelessly to get in the right spots. He makes players around him better.”

The coach continued: “He’s been off to a slow start this year, but the last few performances, he’s shown he’s rounding into top form. It’s nice to have a player who is as creative as he is, but reliable too.”

With June being the busiest month of the Hounds’ schedule, chances for Bob Lilley to look back on his team’s performance and reflect have been few and far between with the next match often just three or four days away.

But after going 3-1-1 in June with two matches remaining — the next one at 7 p.m. Friday at home against the New York Red Bulls II — the Hounds have had the closest thing all month to a normal match week.

Earlier this week after practice, Lilley talked about his team’s upswing in performance, highlighted by the consecutive road wins at Indy Eleven and the Tampa Bay Rowdies that came just 96 hours apart from each other.

“We took a chance on some guys in Indy, and they delivered, and I think that just boosted the group’s confidence some more. Tampa was our best game so far this year, and hopefully now, we have some momentum and continue to put good performances out there and start to get consistent results,” Lilley said.

As always, there are technical and tactical aspects of the game where the Hounds can stand to improve, and the coaching staff will continue to push the players throughout the season. But after taking far too passive an approach against Austin Bold on June 6 — the team’s only loss of the month — Lilley has liked the change in demeanor he has seen from his team in taking seven of the next nine points available.

“We’re competing better.” Lilley said. “There’s going to be moments in a game where you have to dig in, and you have to be tough mentally, physically and you have to be prepared to suffer, and our guys were. Even being dealt a tough situation, going down to 10 men in Indy and having to close out the last 30, 35 minutes with stoppage time, that counts a lot over the course of the season if you have that in your back pocket. I think we were a little short in those areas (earlier in the season), but I think that’s coming.”

One of the stars of the first two months has been Russell Cicerone, who leads the Hounds in scoring with five goals and an assist through nine games.

Lilley first saw Cicerone up close when the striker was a collegian at the University at Buffalo, which would often face Lilley’s Rochester Rhinos in preseason. Now that Cicerone is scoring goals for him, Lilley spoke about what makes him so successful.

“He’s got a nose for goal, but he’s aggressive. He takes risks. He’s brave in the box, he makes hard runs, and he’ll take chances,” Lilley said. “We’re just executing better right now, and that helps out. It helps out a lot, but I think he come in and worked hard for the team, does it on both sides (of the field), and most games, he’s carved out two or three really good chances. He’s taken them well. He generally hits them on frame or thereabouts, and I think if you do that consistently and get in dangerous spots, you’re going to score goals.”

Last, but not least, Lilley turned his attention again toward the future, and getting three points in front of the home crowd is his next priority.

“I look at all three home games, and I don’t think we deserved to lose any of them. I don’t know if we did enough to win any of them, so we need to put a good performance out there. Nothing’s guaranteed, and certainly, we hope to win our first home game sooner, rather than later,” he said.

See the full footage of Coach Lilley’s thoughts after training above. To check out the team in action, pick up tickets for Friday’s match HERE.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is continuing into its second straight road match Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, but the match also falls before an important holiday for many, Father’s Day.

While looking ahead to the weekend, some of the Hounds reminisced about the role models who led them to where they are today.

Defender Preston Kilwien emphasized the constant support system he has had from his father. His athletic background stems from his father’s career as an athletics administrator and heavy involvement in sports.

“Constantly being around sports like baseball, basketball, football and soccer made me want to be an athlete,” Kilwien said. “My dad always said if I worked hard enough, then I could be like the other athletes I saw growing up.”

Danny Griffin, a center midfielder, agreed with that statement. Like Kilwien, Griffin was involved in many sports due to his dad’s love of competition. He spent many long hours in training with no lack of support.

“My father would spend time in the stands from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., if it meant supporting me,” Griffin said.

Along the lines of heavy training came high expectations for defender Ezra Armstrong. His father, Desmond Armstrong, was a professional soccer player who represented the U.S. at the 1990 World Cup and often taught his children to have a strong work ethic.

Ezra emphasized that, while his dad wanted a high-level training atmosphere, he still wanted to support his kids no matter what they chose to do.

“I learned a lot from him through watching film and some of his old games,” Armstrong said. “The conversations we’ve had have helped a lot in my professional career.”

Danny Vitiello described the lessons his father has taught him over the years outside of the soccer realm. The goalkeeper appreciates the emphasis on hard work beating talent and trusting his gut that his father instilled in him.

Not only has Vitiello applied this on the pitch, but in his day-to-day life, as well.

No matter the differences in their upbringing, the players agreed on how much their fathers have impacted them over the years. From countless hours spent at games to little tidbits of advice along the way, the Hounds athletes would not be where they are without their fathers’ love and support.

Happy Father’s Day from Riverhounds SC, and thank you, dads, for all you do!

After picking up where they left off by taking a third consecutive road win Tuesday in Indianapolis, the Riverhounds now will return to the scene of their only road loss and only multi-goal loss of the year when they fly down to St. Petersburg, Fla. to face the division-leading Tampa Bay Rowdies.

The Hounds were unimpressive in that season-opening match, a 3-0 loss on May 8 in which they recorded just one shot on goal, but expectations will be higher as the team begins the second quarter of its 2021 schedule.

As for what to look for, here are three things to keep an eye on in the return trip to Al Lang Stadium:

1.) Forget May

It’s easy to want to go back to the first meeting and dissect the many things that went wrong, but it would behoove the Hounds to take a few general notes and forget it.

In the six weeks that have passed since that first regular-season match, the Hounds have shown significant improvements. Only once since then have they allowed more than one goal in a match, and the intensity over the past two matches has spiked after the disappointing home loss to Austin.

There are certainly plenty of tactical angles to address ahead of facing a 6-1-0 team, but the Hounds have moved up the divisional standings by focusing on self-improvement. If that remains the case for Saturday, the Rowdies will feel like they’re facing a completely different side from the first match.

2.) Eyes on Guenzatti

Tampa Bay’s target man up front, Sebastián Guenzatti, remains one of the USL’s most lethal forward threats, and his five goals put him one off the league lead entering the week.

With former Hounds forward Steevan Dos Santos out the past three matches with an injury, even more of the Rowdies attack relies on Guenzatti to be a playmaker and create space for the other scoring options, such as young striker Jordan Adebayo-Smith.

The Hounds generally have done well the past month against opponents’ top threat, but it will take a team effort to stay compact and tight to their marks at Tampa Bay. Fortunately, the team was able to rest Mekeil Williams until late in the Indy match, and Jordan Dover got the full night off.

But even with some fresher legs reentering the squad, one mental lapse of not staying with a runner can be all a player like Guenzatti needs to make an impact, so the Hounds must stay alert.

3.) Turn them around, Part 2

A regular reader of the 3 Things feature might remember the call for runners to use the wings and get behind the Rowdies’ back three ahead of the season opener. (It was the #1 item, in fact.)

Well, it certainly didn’t happen then.

But in the time since, Alex Dixon has provided a consistent threat to break beyond the defensive line, while Dover, Dani Rovira, and even last game’s unique wing back pairing of Preston Kilwien and Josh Gatt have had moments where they were dangerous getting into the overlap channels out wide.

Tampa Bay’s back three of Forrest Lasso, Aaron Guillén and Jordan Scarlett has been remarkably consistent this year, as the team has allowed just four goals in seven matches. If the Hounds are to score goals and steal a point or three in Florida, they will need to make that trio retreat to its own goal line and not let them operate comfortably facing forward, which they did far too often in the season opener.