Match Previews

Match info

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
#7 Riverhounds vs. #2 Charleston Battery
Date: Saturday, Nov. 2
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Patriots Point Soccer Complex, Mount Pleasant, S.C.
Odds: Hounds +320 / Draw +240 / Charleston -130 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on X/Twitter
Match hashtags: #CHSvPIT and #HOUNDTAHN

(Oct. 31, 2024) — From three wins in their first 18 matches to a spot in the USL Championship Playoffs, the Hounds’ turnaround in the second half of the season puts momentum on their side, but they face a difficult task in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals when they face the Charleston Battery at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the Palmetto State.

The Battery are the No. 2 seed in the East but boast the league’s second-best record (64 points) and goal difference (+33), and they have experience in the playoffs as the reigning conference champion. Throw in that the Battery have one of the league’s widest home/road splits in terms of results — 13-1-3 at home vs. 5-5-7 away from Patriots Point — and the seventh-seeded Hounds will need to be on their game to advance.

The matchup pits the USL Championship Golden Boot winner, 28-goal scorer Nick Markanich, against the Hounds’ league-best defense and Golden Glove winner Eric Dick, but the other end of the field will be just as important. The Battery finished as the fourth-best defensive team in the league, but the Hounds’ turnaround in results coincides with their scoring springing to life. In their final 16 games, the Hounds scored 30 goals, including 14 in the past seven matches since the arrival of Bertin Jacquesson on loan.

Edward Kizza would love nothing more than to score his third postseason goal for the Hounds, a feat that would make the October USL Player of the Month candidate the first player in club history to score in six consecutive matches. The game will also be a milestone for Hounds’ midfield ironman Danny Griffin, who will become the fifth player to appear in 150 matches for the Hounds, joining Kenardo Forbes, David Flavius, Kevin Kerr and Gary DePalma.

This will be the 44th all-time meeting between the Hounds and Battery — the Hounds have only played the Rochester Rhinos (47) and Harrisburg City Islanders (45) more often — but it is only the second time the teams have been paired in the playoffs. The previous postseason encounter was a two-legged playoff in the 2001 A-League First Round, and the Hounds swept both matches, winning 2-1 at home and 3-1 on the road.

More relevant to this year’s matchup is the teams’ first meeting of 2024, a scoreless draw on June 8 at Patriots Point. In that match, the Hounds started strong but had to withstand heavy second-half pressure from the Battery before splitting the points. The Hounds won 2-0 in the return match on Oct. 12 in Pittsburgh, and while that match saw the Hounds execute to get an early lead and remain stout defensively, the Battery rested three or four likely starters in this week’s match, including Markanich.

The 6:30 p.m. kickoff will be the first of four Eastern Conference Quarterfinals to begin, and the winner will advance to face the winner between Detroit City FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who kick off at 7 p.m.

Saturday’s match will be shown live on KDKA+, and fans wishing to stream the action can do so on the KDKA website in the Pittsburgh market, as well as anywhere else in the U.S. via ESPN+.

Downloadable Game Notes

Match info

Riverhounds (11-10-12) vs. El Paso Locomotive FC (8-17-8)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 26
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Odds: Hounds -280 / Draw +340 / El Paso +650 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: CBS Sports Golazo Network
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on X/Twitter
Match hashtags: #PITvELP and #HOUNDTAHN

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 24, 2024) — It all comes down to one final match at Highmark Stadium for the Hounds, who can extend their postseason streak to seven consecutive seasons with a win over El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday night.

It is the first time since 2015, when the Hounds got a 2-1 victory at the Harrisburg City Islanders to clinch on the final day, that so much has been riding on the last game of the season. A win puts the Hounds in somewhere between the No. 5 and No. 7 seed out of the Eastern Conference, while a draw or a loss will require at least one of North Carolina or Hartford to slip up and give the Hounds either the No. 7 or No. 8 seed. (See a full playoff breakdown here.)

On paper, the Hounds — with one loss in their last 15 matches and three wins on the hop — should have the edge over an El Paso team that has been eliminated in the Western Conference for multiple weeks. However, the Locomotive have played much better since the midseason hiring of veteran boss Wilmer Cabrera, and they enter the match 3-1-1 in their past five matches, which includes a 2-1 home win last week over Sacramento, a top-four Western side.

Only lowly Miami (25) has scored fewer goals than El Paso’s 27, and that duo are the only two teams to not score three in a match all season, but Saturday’s visitors have been challenging to break down. Their 44 goals allowed puts them in the middle of the league at 14th, and former Hounds goalkeeper Jahmali Waite has posted a career-best save percentage facing significantly more fire than he did his two seasons in Pittsburgh.

For the Hounds, Bertin Jacquesson has been a spark plug with seven goal contributions (five goals, two assists) in six matches, and Edward Kizza has been lethal with a goal in each of the past four games. It is the first time a Hounds player has scored in four consecutive matches since Corey Hertzog did it from July 30-Aug. 13, 2016, and if Kizza can add a fifth, it will equal the longest scoring streak in team history, a mark held jointly by Romeo Parkes (2016) and José Angulo (2013) and Thiago Martins (twice in 2003).

Eric Dick also has team history in his sights, having matched the club record for shutouts by equaling the 13 posted by Kyle Morton in 2019. A 14th clean sheet would give Dick sole possession of the record, while anything short of a six-goal meltdown will secure the USL Championship Golden Glove for the Hounds’ goalkeeper.

As the final regular-season home game, it is Fan Appreciation Night at Highmark Stadium, complete with $1 IC Lights before kickoff, starting at 5 p.m. in the Tailgate Zone and in-stadium after gates open at 6 p.m. There will also be assorted giveaways throughout the night, with chances to win 2025 season tickets, a Gateway Clipper cruise, a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel stay and much, much more.

With a mostly sunny day in the Saturday forecast and game time temperatures expected to be cool but pleasant in the 50s, things are gearing up for a big home finale with everything on the line. Tickets are limited but still available for Saturday’s contest; fans can purchase online via Ticketmaster or through the Highmark Stadium Box Office.

Fans catching the game at home can tune in live to KDKA+, while streaming will be available locally on the KDKA website and anywhere via the CBS Sports Golazo Network. KDKA+ also will air a replay Sunday at 1 p.m.

Downloadable Game Notes

Match info

Riverhounds (10-10-12) vs. Loudoun United FC (11-12-9)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 19
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Segra Field, Leesburg, Va.
Odds: Hounds +145 / Draw +220 / Loudoun +160 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on X/Twitter
Match hashtags: #LDNvPIT and #HOUNDTAHN

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 17, 2024) — The Hounds’ second-half turnaround has the team in position to reach the USL Championship Playoffs for a seventh consecutive season, but those chances hinge largely on the result Saturday evening in Leesburg, Va., where the Hounds will face Loudoun United FC, one of three other teams currently tied with the Hounds in the Eastern Conference.

With the Hounds, Loudoun, North Carolina and Birmingham all tied with 42 points and Hartford lurking with 40 points and a game in hand, the playoff picture will be much clearer after all five play Saturday. But the Hounds’ match with Loudoun is the only one pitting two of those teams against each other, meaning a win makes either one a favorite to clinch, while a draw could put both teams at risk.

Though it will almost certainly come down to the season’s final day to be official, the Hounds can be mathematically assured of a playoff spot Saturday in one scenario: a win, coupled with losses by all three of Birmingham, North Carolina and Hartford.

The first step in that process will require the Hounds maintaining their strong form, going 7-1-6 over the past 14 matches to leap from 11th place to their current tie for seventh. The team’s scoring continues to trend upward, with Bertin Jacquesson having four goals and two assists in five matches since joining the Hounds on loan, while Edward Kizza has goals in three straight matches to reach a team-high 10 on the season, his first double-digit goal campaign as a pro.

The defensive performance has been just as good, with current Golden Glove leader Eric Dick recording his 12th clean sheet (and the team’s 14th) in the 2-0 win over high-flying Charleston last Saturday. In 11 matches since the start of August, the Hounds have conceded just six goals, and their 28 allowed over the full season is best in the league.

Loudoun comes into the match in decent form, going 2-2-2 over its past six matches, though the two wins were vital ones over playoff-contending rivals Birmingham and Hartford. The Virginia side last week gutted out a 0-0 draw at Rhode Island on Sunday to create the current four-way tie, but they aren’t a low-scoring team by any stretch. Ten-goal scorer Zach Ryan still leads the line, and Wesley Leggett, who scored the tying goal in the team’s 1-1 draw in Pittsburgh on July 27, is up to eight tallies on the season.

Though the Hounds have an excellent record at Loudoun, going 6-1-0 in seven trips, that is less-than-instructive given Loudoun’s marked improvement since becoming an independent club and not a DC United reserve side. And with the team holding an 8-5-3 record at Segra this season, the Hounds’ final road trip of the 2024 regular season will not be an easy one.

Saturday’s match does kick off an hour earlier than usual — 6 p.m. — but it can still be seen live on KDKA+ with streaming on both the KDKA website locally and anywhere around the country on ESPN+.

Downloadable Game Notes

Match info

Riverhounds (9-10-12) vs. Charleston Battery (17-5-9)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 12
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Odds: Hounds +170 / Draw +240 / Charleston +135 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on X/Twitter
Match hashtags: #PITvCHS and #HOUNDTAHN

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 10, 2024) — The latest edition of the oldest rivalry in the USL Championship comes with extra meaning for the Hounds, as the team tries to stay in the playoff hunt by getting a result at home Saturday night against the Charleston Battery.

As the teams in front of the Hounds burned through their games in hand midweek, the task they face became clearer. The Hounds sit in 10th place, trailing Birmingham and North Carolina by three points for the final postseason spots in the Eastern Conference. Ninth-place Loudoun remains in the mix, a point behind eighth, and all four of those teams now have three matches remaining.

For the Hounds, that means getting something from Saturday’s match is vital with next week’s match at Loudoun setting up to be a potential elimination game for both teams. And though the Battery have been the league’s toughest team to beat with only five losses in 2024, the Hounds were up to the challenge in June when they took a 0-0 draw in South Carolina in the teams’ first meeting of the year — and 43rd overall.

The Hounds’ biggest challenge will be slowing high flying Nick Markanich, whose 28 goals are already a USL Championship record. Far from a one-man show, MD Myers has 13 goals for the Battery, and their defense is among the league’s best with exactly 31 goals allowed in 31 matches, tying them for second in the Championship behind only the Hounds. The Battery have little to play for in the standings, however, as they are already locked into the No. 2 seed out of the East behind Players’ Shield winners Louisville.

On the other side, the Hounds will be trying to maintain the scoring momentum they built last weekend in a 4-0 win at Miami, where Bertin Jacquesson netted a hat trick and Edward Kizza popped his team-leading ninth goal of the season in off the inside of the post. The Hounds have averaged two goals per game and have not been shut out since Jacquesson’s arrival on loan a month ago, and with everything to play for in the postseason chase, the team will be pushing for goals and a win with the Highmark Stadium crowd behind them.

Coach Bob Lilley will have a full compliment of players to choose from, as goalkeeper Eric Dick (concussion) and midfielder Kenardo Forbes (illness) returned to training in full this week after missing the Miami match.

At the stadium, it will be a celebration of the spooky season with a celebrity appearance by Judith O’Dea, star of the Pittsburgh-produced zombie classic “Night of the Living Dead,” highlighting a horror-themed night.

There’s nothing scary about the new food specials for the season’s final month, however, with special bratwurst nachos at the Nacho Junction stand and a beer cheese and bacon burger on a pretzel bun for sale at the Train Grill by the East Gate. Gates open at 6 p.m., and the fun starts in the Tailgate Zone at 5 p.m., where the food trucks from Las Palmas and Foxy Fran’s will be serving up food until kickoff.

Tickets for the match are still available through Ticketmaster and at the Highmark Stadium Box Office. The match will be shown live on KDKA+ and streamed live on the KDKA website in Pittsburgh and on ESPN+ nationally. Fans can catch the game the next day with a re-airing on KDKA+ at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Downloadable Game Notes

Match Info

Riverhounds (8-10-12) vs. Miami FC (3-26-2)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 5
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Pitbull Stadium, Miami, Fla.
Odds: Hounds -280 / Draw +390 / Miami +550 (FanDuel)
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on X/Twitter
Match hashtags: #MIAvPIT and #HOUNDTAHN

(Oct. 3, 2024) — The final month of the regular season gets under way with the Hounds facing an uphill climb to the postseason, but the team will get a nice boost to its chances by taking care of business Saturday night at Miami FC.

The Hounds are coming off a disappointing 1-1 draw against Birmingham last weekend, the second straight game in which the team led but didn’t claim all three points. As a result, the team is two points back of Loudoun (38 points) for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, with Hartford (37) and North Carolina (36) also in the mix in a tight race.

On paper, the Hounds are heavily favored against a Miami side that was long ago eliminated from contention and has just one win in its last 23 matches. But coach Bob Lilley has warned his side about the danger Miami presents, specifically citing their impressive performance that came up just short in a recent 1-0 loss at West-leading New Mexico.

Miami also hasn’t been an easy place for the Hounds to visit. Though they do have a 2-1-1 record at Miami, the two wins required a 90th-minute Robbie Mertz goal a year ago and, in 2021, a second trip to Florida to complete a league-ordered replay of the match.

One of the bright spots this season for Miami has been the play of Frank Lopez, who leads the team with seven goals and three assists, making him a factor in exactly 40 percent of the team’s 25 goals this year. The Hounds have had a little more attacking balance on their 31 goals this season, though Edward Kizza continued to build on his career-best year by bagging his eighth goal last weekend against Birmingham.

Fans tuning into the match will be able to catch it live at 7 p.m. on SportsNet Pittsburgh or stream the match on ESPN+. Multiple re-airings of the match will be shown on Sunday, Oct. 6 — SportsNet Pittsburgh will re-air it at 1 a.m. and noon, and their alternate channel, SportsNet Pittsburgh+, has replays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Downloadable Game Notes (updated 6 p.m. Thursday with injury report)

Match info

Riverhounds (8-10-11) vs. Birmingham Legion FC (12-12-5)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 28
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Odds: Hounds -145 / Draw +240 / Birmingham +390 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on X/Twitter
Match hashtags: #PITvBHM and #HOUNDTAHN

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 26, 2024) — After a rare weekend off, the Hounds resume their push for a seventh consecutive playoff berth with a vital home match against Birmingham Legion FC on Saturday night at Highmark Stadium.

With only five games to play, the Hounds find themselves on 35 points, two points adrift of Loudoun for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. But of greater concern is that both Hartford (37 points) and North Carolina (36 points) used the Hounds’ off week to pull back ahead in the standings, creating a logjam near the cut line and forcing the Hounds to seek wins — not draws — to pull back ahead.

Birmingham comes into the match in fifth place, but even the Legion are only six points clear of the Hounds at 41 points. That means the Legion will do everything in their power to avoid a defeat in Pittsburgh that would not only close their lead over the Hounds to three points, but also give the Hounds a season sweep and the first tiebreaker, should the teams end the season level on points.

The Hounds have had time to lick their wounds with 14 days since letting a lead slip away in a 2-1 loss at Tampa Bay. It was the team’s first defeat since July 6, snapping a 10-match unbeaten run, but that did little to ease the sting of Leo Fernandes‘ stoppage-time winner for the Rowdies.

Still, the defense has been more good than bad for the Hounds. The loss at Tampa Bay was only the second time since June 29 the team has given up multiple goals in a game — the other being a 2-2 draw with Colorado Springs — and the Hounds now have the league’s best defensive record on a per-game basis, allowing only 0.93 goals per game. Goalkeeper Eric Dick has moved into the lead for the USL Championship’s Golden Glove with a personal goals-against average of 0.77, and the Hounds’ defense also has allowed the fewest shots by opponents this season.

That bodes well against a Legion team that has struggled to find the net. Despite the Hounds’ well-documented struggles during the midway portion of the season, the Legion have scored just four more goals (34) than the Hounds (30) in 2024. Still Enzo Martinez (four goals, four assists) has a history of causing problems for the Hounds, and players such as Stefano Pinho (seven goals) and ex-Hound Tyler Pasher (four goals) make Birmingham capable of stealing points on the road.

Another boisterous crowd is expected at Highmark Stadium to back the Hounds, who have won all four home meetings with the Legion. The always-popular $1 IC Light special will be running until kickoff, starting in the Tailgate Zone at 5 p.m. and expanding into the stadium when gates open at 6 p.m.

Saturday’s match is also the Hounds’ annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Night, backed by partnerships with La Mega Media and Las Palmas. La Mega will be providing the music and atmosphere with their DJs in the Tailgate Zone, while the vibe will continue inside presented by the newly launched Radio Las Palmas, which will be playing music pregame and during the post-match autograph session. Spanish-language player introductions will also be part of the pregame ceremonies, and at halftime, a celebrity 7v7 soccer match featuring former reality TV stars will be played. Proceeds generated by the 7v7 participants will go to La Promesa Foundation, a locally based charity benefiting the Hispanic community.

The match will air live locally on KDKA+, which will also show a re-airing of the game at 1 p.m. Sunday. Fans in Pittsburgh can also view the match through the KDKA website, and it will be streamed live nationally on ESPN+.

Tickets for the match are still available through Ticketmaster and at the Highmark Stadium Box Office, and for Hispanic Heritage Night, discounted tickets are also available for purchase in-store at Las Palmas.

Downloadable Game Notes

Match info

Riverhounds (8-9-11) vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (12-8-7)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 14
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Odds: Hounds +230 / Draw +230 / Tampa Bay +105 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #TBRvPIT and #HOUNDTAHN

(Sept. 12, 2024) — Al Lang Stadium was the site where the Hounds clinched the 2023 Players’ Shield, and this year, they return to St. Petersburg, Fla., facing a match that could help decide whether they reach this year’s postseason.

The Hounds connect with the Tampa Bay Rowdies for the second time this season holding on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and needing points to hold off clubs with games in hand. But for the Rowdies, who are in third place but only eight points clear of the Hounds, the match is critical in their hunt to shake a recent skid and hold on to a top-four position.

Coming into the match on a 10-game unbeaten run (5-0-5) that put them back into playoff contention, the Hounds have a chance to equal the longest undefeated streak in the USL Championship this season with a result in Florida. The Rowdies have been moving in the opposite direction, dropping four of their past five and winning just once in the past seven matches after a 2-0 defeat Wednesday night at Birmingham that has them coming home to play on short rest.

The Hounds will be at full strength for the match and can roll out the full roster with an off weekend next week. Pat Hogan is available after serving a one-match suspension against Rhode Island, and Junior Etou returned to training Thursday after making his international debut for the Republic of Congo in African Cup of Nations qualifying. That gives coach Bob Lilley plenty of decisions to make with two additional bodies in the defensive group that shut out Rhode Island, as well as up front, where Bertin Jacquesson seems poised for a second start after finding the net on his team debut.

Tampa Bay has a couple of long-term absences, most notably veteran center back Forrest Lasso, but they will largely be running with the same squad, led by the two-headed attack of Manuel Arteaga (14 goals) and Cal Jennings (13 goals). The teams played to a 0-0 draw back on April 6, thought the Hounds will bring some confidence from the play of that match, where they outshot the Rowdies, 16-6, but needed to be more clinical in the Tampa Bay box.

The 7:30 p.m. kickoff will be shown live on KDKA+ and streamed via ESPN+, and KDKA+ will re-air the match Sunday at 1 p.m.

Downloadable Game Notes

Match info

Riverhounds (7-9-11) vs. Rhode Island FC (8-5-13)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 7
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Odds: Hounds +110 / Draw +220 / Rhode Island +230 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #PITvRI and #HOUNDTAHN

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 5, 2024) — Another week, another pivotal match in the playoff chase for the Hounds, who host Rhode Island FC for the first time at Highmark Stadium this Saturday night.

The Hounds kept their nine-match unbeaten run going with 10 men last week, but Indy’s late goal in the 1-1 draw prevented the Hounds from moving to the good side of the playoff line entering September. Instead, the Hounds are two points back of eighth-place Loudoun and five back of Rhode Island, which holds down the fifth seed in an incredibly tight Eastern Conference race.

The matchup is highlighted by the return of last year’s Player of the Year and Golden Boot winner, Albert Dikwa, who leads Rhode Island with seven goals this season, the same number as Hounds top scorer Edward Kizza. But the visitors have other options in attack; Frank Nodarse has five goals, Noah Fuson has four, and 11 players have multiple goals for Rhode Island, the league’s fifth-highest scoring team with 39 goals.

Despite their high-scoring ways, Rhode Island has more draws than any other team in the league with 13. On the flip side, the Hounds still hang their hat on defense — they remain tied with Charleston for the second-lowest goals allowed total with 25 — but that has been a different route to the same result with 11 draws, second only behind Rhode Island.

While the Hounds have been clean health-wise for much of the season, they will be missing two key cogs out of their defense. Pat Hogan is suspended after his harsh dismissal against Indy, and Junior Etou is away with the Congo National Team for African Cup of Nations Qualifiers, meaning coach Bob Lilley’s hand will be limited at both center back and left wing back. The Hounds are not alone; Rhode Island is also missing one of their regulars, Jojea Kwizera, who is suiting up for Rwanda this weekend.

At the stadium, Saturday is another Pups Club Night for our younger fans, while all ages will be able to enjoy the halftime antics of Mad Chad Taylor, whose skills juggling everything from balls to bats to chainsaws has led to appearances on America’s Got Talent and in commercials for Progressive and Wonderful Halos. The Tailgate Zone kicks off the action at 5 p.m. with food trucks from Sooo Delicious and Foxy Fran’s on site.

Tickets for Saturday’s match are available through Ticketmaster and at the Highmark Stadium Box Office. Fans also will be able to tune in live on KDKA+ or stream the match via ESPN+, and a replay of the match will air Sunday at 1 p.m. on KDKA+.

Downloadable Game Notes

Match info

Riverhounds (7-9-10) vs. Indy Eleven (10-9-5)
Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Michael A. Carroll Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.
Odds: Hounds +155 / Draw +210 / Indy +160
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #INDvPIT and #HOUNDTAHN

(Aug. 29, 2024) — The Hounds have a shot to move back into the top eight of the Eastern Conference this weekend, but to do so would require picking up a second straight road win as they travel to face Indy Eleven on Saturday night in Indianapolis.

It is the second meeting of the season between the teams after Indy was able to poach a 2-1 win on June 1 at Highmark Stadium. Crucial defenses lapses cost the Hounds on that day, as the team came up short despite having season-high totals of 24 shots and nine shots on goal to go with 68 percent of possession.

But both teams enter Saturday’s match trending in different directions than they were in the first meeting. The Hounds entered the first match having failed to win in their previous four, while Indy was in the process of rattling off 10 straight wins in all competitions — the eighth of which was topping the Hounds.

This time around, the Hounds come in with a 4-0-4 record across their previous eight contests, bringing them three points shy of the playoff line and just four back of fifth-place Indy. Indy, meanwhile, has dropped three straight and logged plenty of miles in the process, falling last weekend at Las Vegas and then having their outstanding U.S. Open Cup run end in a weather-delayed semifinal at Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday.

Those sorts of factors rarely seem to matter when the Hounds face Indy, however, as the teams seem bound to play tight matches. The Hounds have the 6-5-3 edge all-time, but 11 of the 14 contests have been settled by one goal or fewer.

Edward Kizza‘s two-goal performance against Birmingham earned him a Team of the Week spot, giving him a team-leading and career-best seven tallies on the season. He will hope to keep the scoring momentum going while fellow Team of the Week honoree Luke Biasi and the defense aims to help goalkeeper Eric Dick record a fifth shutout in six August matches.

Indy, meanwhile, still has a dangerous set of attackers who all have had success against the Hounds. Top scorer Jack Blake (eight goals in 2024) scored in the 1-1 draw between the teams when they met in Indiana in 2023; Sebastián Guenzatti (five goals) has four career goals against the Hounds, including in this year’s first meeting; and Augustine Williams (five goals) scored each of the past two seasons against the Hounds while playing for Charleston.

Fans will be able to catch the match live to kick off their Labor Day weekend with the live broadcast on KDKA+ and the streaming broadcast on ESPN+. KDKA+ also will re-air the match at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Downloadable Game Notes

Match info

Riverhounds (6-9-10) vs. Birmingham Legion FC (10-9-5)
Date: Saturday, Aug. 24
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, Ala.
Odds: Hounds +175 / Draw +220 / Birmingham +145
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #BHMvPIT and #HOUNDTAHN

PITTSBURGH (Aug. 22, 2024) — The Hounds are back on the road in their quest to climb back into the playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, and Saturday will take them to the site of their last playoff triumph, Protective Stadium in Birmingham, Ala., where they will face Birmingham Legion FC for the first time this year.

A missed opportunity to close out a win in last Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Colorado Springs left the Hounds five points back of the top eight, but Birmingham — the only team the Hounds play twice in their final nine matches — is only seven points clear of the Hounds in fifth place. That puts additional importance on Saturday’s contest, with the Hounds looking to extend their seven-match unbeaten streak with a win.

The Hounds’ last two trips to Protective Stadium have gone in the books as draws. Robbie Mertz scored the tying goal to end the 2023 season opener 1-1, and Edward Kizza‘s two goals — one in regular time and one in extra time — brought the 2022 Eastern Conference Quarterfinal to a 2-2 finish before the Hounds advanced on penalty kicks.

While the Hounds have not lost since the first week of July, Birmingham had its own four-match unbeaten run going until they suffered a 1-0 loss last Friday at home against Detroit. The Hounds will look to emulate that result at Protective Stadium, where Birmingham has struggled to a 4-6-2 record, a sharp contrast to their 6-3-3 road mark.

The Legion are chock full of attacking threats, many of whom are familiar to the Hounds. Stéfano Pinho leads Birmingham with six goals, while veteran playmaker Enzo Martinez and former Hounds winger Tyler Pasher each have four goals and know how to trouble a defense.

Saturday’s match — a 7:30 start — will be shown live on KDKA+ and streamed on both the KDKA website and ESPN+. KDKA+ also will re-air the match Sunday at 1 p.m.

Downloadable Game Notes