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Three Hounds named to All-League teams

*Arturo Ordóñez – First Team All-League*

*Kenardo Forbes – Second Team All-League*

PITTSBURGH (Nov. 7, 2023) — Three Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC players — Arturo Ordóñez, Albert Dikwa and Kenardo Forbes — were selected to the 2023 USL Championship All-League teams announced this afternoon by the league.

Ordóñez and Dikwa were both chosen as First Team selections for the first All-League honor in each of their careers. Forbes was named to the Second Team for a third consecutive season, which is a Championship-record seventh All-League honor overall in his decorated career.

Ordóñez, 26, a second-year pro from Spain by way of the University of Pittsburgh, was once again the keystone of the Riverhounds’ defense, which led the USL Championships with 15 shutouts in 2023. He led the team in minutes played with 2,868, and he exceeded the 100-clearance mark for the second year in a row, finishing with a team-leading 120. He also ranked in the league’s top three for both aerial duels won (106) and interceptions (63). His all-around game took another leap forward in 2023 by scoring five goals, the most ever by a center back in Hounds history.

Dikwa took his career to new heights in 2023 by scoring 20 goals in the regular season to win the USL Championship Golden Boot. The scoring continued the upward trajectory for the 25-year-old striker from Cameroon, who had 12 league goals in his first five pro seasons before scoring 11 in 2022 and blowing past that total this season. Adding his game-winning goal against the Columbus Crew in the U.S. Open Cup, Dikwa has moved to second in Riverhounds’ history with 37 goals in his four years with the club.

Forbes, the Hounds’ captain and pivot man in the midfield, showed he can still play with the best by becoming the first player in Championship history to log consecutive 10-assist seasons. The former Jamaican international remains the all-time assists leader for both the league (65) and the Hounds (54), and at 35 years old, he is one of just three players over the age of 30 picked this year for All-League recognition. Forbes has been an All-League player all six seasons with Pittsburgh, including First Team honors in 2019 and 2020.

With three players selected, the Hounds were second behind only Sacramento Republic FC’s four for the most players on the two teams. It is just the third time in the modern Championship era (since 2011) that the Hounds have had three or more All-League honorees.

The USL Championship All-League teams are selected each year through a voting process that includes votes by every teams’ technical staff and the league’s national media panel of voters. To see the complete All-League teams, visit uslchampionship.com.

New heights reached in Hounds’ 2023 season

The 2023 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC season is one that will stand out in the club’s history as the team turns the corner into its 25th season next year, as achievements both on and off the field exceeded previous highs in the team’s existence.

In a year that saw the team claim its first league trophy and garner increased attention both locally and from around the soccer world, the Riverhounds continued their upward trajectory with a series of collective and individual feats worth reflecting upon.

Looking back on the season that was, we begin with the opening of the trophy case.

Players’ Shield comes to the Steel City

With a 34-game schedule, the USL Championship schedule is longer than it has ever been, and no Hounds season in the Championship or precursor leagues featured more matches. But at the end of the six-month marathon that began in March, it was the Hounds who fared best out of the 24-team league when all was said and done.

The Hounds finished the regular season with a 19-5-10 record, and they clinched the Players’ Shield with a week to spare, coming up big in a 2-0 win on the road at their top Shield rivals out of the East, the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The team’s 67 points was the second-highest total in history, trailing only the 68 of the 2019 team that topped the Eastern Conference, and the Hounds matched the USL Championship record for home wins in a single season with 13.

The team’s consistency was its strength. After working its way into form through March and April, the team only failed to win in consecutive matches twice after the start of May, and only once all season did it lose consecutive matches. From April 29 through July 15, the Hounds did not lose a league match — a span of 13 matches — a streak made more impressive by having the team’s U.S. Open run happening concurrently.

By winning the Shield, it was the first time the Hounds have finished atop the second division in U.S. Soccer. (The 2004 team that went 17-2-1 had the best record in the USL Pro Soccer League, which was then the third tier.) Most importantly, it was the team’s first league-wide trophy, attaching a tangible prize to the club’s run of success with six straight winning seasons under coach Bob Lilley.

Hounds players celebrate in the visiting locker room after clinching the Players’ Shield with a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Oct. 7. (Photos: Matt May/Tampa Bay Rowdies)
Hounds players celebrate in the visiting locker room after clinching the Players’ Shield with a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Oct. 7. (Photos: Matt May/Tampa Bay Rowdies)
Hounds players celebrate in the visiting locker room after clinching the Players’ Shield with a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Oct. 7. (Photos: Matt May/Tampa Bay Rowdies)
Hounds players celebrate in the visiting locker room after clinching the Players’ Shield with a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Oct. 7. (Photos: Matt May/Tampa Bay Rowdies)
Hounds players celebrate in the visiting locker room after clinching the Players’ Shield with a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Oct. 7. (Photos: Matt May/Tampa Bay Rowdies)
Hounds players celebrate in the visiting locker room after clinching the Players’ Shield with a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Oct. 7. (Photos: Matt May/Tampa Bay Rowdies)
Hounds players celebrate in the visiting locker room after clinching the Players’ Shield with a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Oct. 7. (Photos: Matt May/Tampa Bay Rowdies)

Open Cup run to remember

Amidst all the regular-season winning, the Hounds also put together the longest run in the U.S. Open Cup in team history, coming just two rounds away from the final and a chance to be this year’s champions of U.S. Soccer.

Strangely enough, the march to the quarterfinals began with a win that didn’t require a single kick of the ball. MLS Next Pro side Rochester New York FC ceased operations after the second round draw, advancing the Hounds to the third round, where they dispatched NISA side Maryland Bobcats FC, 2-0.

The fourth round delivered the Hounds the MLS opponent they wanted but not the venue. Still, a road game against the New England Revolution provided plenty of storylines, not the least of which was Lilley squaring off with then-Revolution coach Bruce Arena — a matchup of No. 1 and No. 2 on the list of pro club wins by an active coach in the U.S. The match produced a storybook ending, as well, with New England native Danny Griffin scoring the only goal for a 1-0 win over the Revolution.

It had been 22 years from the Hounds’ first win over an MLS team — in 2001 over the Colorado Rapids — to the second. It only took two weeks for the third such win.

A Highmark Stadium-record crowd of 6,107 clad all in white descended upon Station Square on May 24 for a Round of 16 match against the Columbus Crew, and the Hounds’ performance matched the crowd’s energy. Albert Dikwa scored after 22 minutes from a beautiful ball passed through the defense by Robbie Mertz, and the Hounds ceded just three shots on goal to knock off yet another MLS team, 1-0.

*Hounds players celebrate in front of the supporters’ section after defeating the Columbus Crew, 1-0, on May 24.*

The set up a quarterfinal sending the eventual Players’ Shield winners on the road to face the would-be MLS Supporters’ Shield winners, FC Cincinnati. It was only the Hounds’ second Open Cup quarterfinal (2001), and the first time the team played five rounds in the tournament.

The Hounds again were up for the challenge at Cincinnati, battling through a scoreless first half. But Cincinnati benefitted from a goal later shown to have been offside by Brandon Vazquez, and they further opened up the margin with a Puskás Award nominee volleyed home by Álvaro Barreal — almost certainly the goal of 2023 domestically in any competition. The Hounds’ splendid run ended with a 3-1 loss in the quarterfinal, one round short of a semifinal date hosting Inter Miami and Lionel Messi, but still earned the team tons of new fans and the prize as the farthest-advancing lower division team.

Dikwa’s golden year

For his hard work over three seasons, always with his trademark smile on display, Dikwa already had become a favorite with Hounds fans before the 2023 season. But even the most optimistic predictions before the year might not have seen what the 25-year-old striker had in store.

Starting with a Week 2 hat trick at Memphis, Dikwa put together one of the best scoring seasons in Riverhounds history and won the USL Championship Golden Boot. The striker bagged 20 goals in league play and added his Columbus game-winner to make it a lucky 21 for the year, tying the mark for the second-most goals in a single season for the Hounds despite missing a month in early summer with a broken collarbone.

The historic flurry of goals elevated Dikwa to rare territory; his 37 goals for the Hounds are second only to all-time leader David Flavius, who scored 62 in the first eight seasons of the team’s existence. The honors likely aren’t done for the native of Cameroon, who will find out next month if he will be named a USL Championship MVP finalist or has landed his first USL All-League honor.

*Albert Dikwa celebrates after scoring against Rio Grande Valley in a 2-0 win on April 15 at Highmark Stadium.*

Plenty more individual accolades

While Dikwa’s Golden Boot grabbed headlines, Hounds players produced many more achievements throughout the 2023 season.

Arturo Ordóñez became the first Hounds’ center back — and only the second defender at any position — to score five goals in a season. The team’s minutes leader with 2,868 in the regular season is also an All-League candidate after his 120 clearances led the team for a second straight year.
Kenardo Forbes, the ever-steady captain of the team, became the first player to have back-to-back 10-assist seasons in the Championship to run his league record to 65 career assists. Already with a club record 54 assists for the Hounds, the Jamaican midfielder has played 192 matches in Pittsburgh, which is just three behind Flavius for the most in Riverhounds history.
While Danny Griffin continued his personal Iron Man streak of 117 consecutive league matches since turning pro, he only rejoined the Hounds in May after a transfer from Huntsville in MLS Next Pro. That means the Hounds’ Iron Man title in 2023 goes to Marc Ybarra, the only player to appear in all 39 competitive matches for the team this season. A second-year pro, Ybarra also assisted Griffin’s goal in the Open Cup win at New England and scored his first pro goal in a breakout season.
During the season, Griffin appeared in his 100th match for the Hounds, as did his longtime teammate Dani Rovira. In addition to becoming the 16th Hounds player to hit the century mark (Griffin was No. 15), Rovira also upped his career total to 13 assists with the Hounds, the most by a defender in club history.
Junior Etou made his mark all season as a tough-tackling holding midfielder and wing back, but he was also the author of one of the team’s most surprising highlights. His goal in the team’s 2-0 win over Charleston on June 10 came just 21 seconds into the match, making it the fastest goal in both Hounds and Highmark Stadium history.
In another piece of team history, center back Joe Farrell scored the club’s 1,000th goal all-time in a 4-2 win over Memphis on July 29.
The Hounds again led the league in clean sheets with 15 this season, 10 of them coming with Jahmali Waite in goal. Waite firmly established himself as Jamaica’s No. 2 this year and made five starts for his country in 2023, and his second year with the club ended with him already third on the all-time shutouts list with 20.
In total, 15 players scored goals for the Hounds this season and 19 players had goal contributions (goal or assist), while three different goalkeepers recorded clean sheets.
Dikwa was named Championship Player of the Week once and was twice a finalist for Player of the Month (May & Sept.). Overall, a Hounds player was honored in the Team of the Week — starter or bench — in 21 of a possible 31 weeks of the Championship season. (The Hounds did not have a match during one game week.)

*Jahmali Waite walks toward the fans after the Hounds defeated FC Tulsa, 3-2, in their regular-season home finale on Sept. 30.*

All eyes on the Hounds

As much excitement as there was on the field, nowhere was it reflected more than in the grandstand, where the Hounds received the sort of support that was lacking through much of the team’s barnstorming years and at times in Highmark Stadium’s nascent seasons.

The top-line number — an average of 5,012 fans for the 17 regular-season matches — eclipsed the team’s previous attendance record that had stood since the 1999 inaugural season, a year with both the novelty of a new club and the benefit of the higher capacity at Bethel Park High School. Thirteen of those 17 regular-season contests were officially sellouts, the most in a season at Highmark Stadium.

Those numbers come before factoring in the Hounds’ Open Cup and USL Championship Playoff matches, through which the previous Highmark Stadium attendance record was eclipsed twice.

Date	Opponent	Attendance	Notes
October 23, 2023	Detroit City FC	6,123	USL Championship Playoffs, Stadium record
May 24, 2023	Columbus Crew	6,107	U.S. Open Cup
November 2, 2019	Louisville City FC	6,073	USL Championship Playoffs
September 30, 2023	FC Tulsa	6,045	Regular-season record
October 19, 2019	Birmingham Legion FC	5,627	USL Championship Playoffs

Three of the Hounds’ four matches with attendance of more than 6,000 at Highmark Stadium occurred in 2023. (Note: Stadium capacity expanded in 2018.)

In addition to the fans in the seats, fans at home were tuning into the Hounds more than ever.

According to the USL’s most recent data (numbers for the final month of the season were not yet available), the Hounds’s matches were the second-most-watched of the 24 Championship clubs across local and national streaming on ESPN+. Local viewership was at an all-time high for the team in the first year of the Hounds’ partnership with KDKA+, and, through the team’s U.S. Open Cup run, Hounds matches were also carried this year on CBS Sports Network, Bleacher Report’s B/R Football and the U.S. Soccer Federation’s YouTube channel.

Features on Hounds players were seen throughout the season by Pittsburgh audiences on both KDKA and WTAE, and listeners were treated to a regular Hounds’ segment on the day before home matches on 105.9 the X’s The Mark Madden Show. A national TV audience also got the chance to meet Danny Griffin on CBS Sports Golazo — he even made the show’s “Best Dressed” segment — while Griffin, Coach Lilley and others were guests on SiriusXM FC soccer shows such as Counter Attack, United States of Soccer and USL All-Access.

All totaled, there was plenty to take note of during the Riverhounds’ 2023 season, and people were taking notice in record numbers. That sets the stage for an encore in 2024, as the club aims to take further leaps forward as it celebrates 25 years of pro soccer in Pittsburgh.

Hounds stopped in conference quarterfinals

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 21, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC had its outstanding 2023 season come to an end, as Detroit City FC scored in the second half for the game’s only goal to topple the Hounds, 1-0, in the USL Championship Eastern Conference Quarterfinals tonight at Highmark Stadium.

Dominic Gasso scored in the 78th minute for Detroit, who will travel to face Louisville City FC next weekend in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

It was only the second time the Hounds lost at Highmark Stadium in 20 home matches in 2023, a year in which they won the USL Championship Players’ Shield with the league’s best record and advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup.

First half

The Hounds were the more adventurous team going forward for much of the match, holding 57 percent of possession and finishing with a 13-3 edge in total shots.

The game’s first golden opportunity fell to leading scorer Albert Dikwa, who nearly pounced on a poor clearance by the Detroit defense inside the goal box, only to have his effort blocked away by a last-ditch sliding tackle in the 17th minute.

Edward Kizza had another good chance in the 24th minute after Kenardo Forbes played a gentle pass through traffic to send him toward goal. Once again, Detroit’s defenders recovered in time to block away the chance. In the end, neither team recorded a shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes, with Detroit logging only one shot overall.

Second half

The second half began in chippy fashion, as players came together when Maxi Rodriguez put a challenge into Hounds goalkeeper Jahmali Waite in possession of the ball. Rodriguez and Dikwa were carded in the ensuing melee, but things quickly settled down.

Kizza again had an opportunity in transition after Dani Rovira — who began the counter with his tackle in the Hounds’ box — played a pass behind the defense. Kizza rounded Detroit goalie Nathan Steinwascher, but the keeper did well to force him too far wide to put his shot on goal.

Detroit broke through in the 78th minute from a play that began with a free kick in a wide position. The Hounds did well all night to clear Detroit crosses from the box, but on this play, Danny Griffin’s header made it only as far as Gasso, standing 25 yards from goal. The Detroit midfielder struck the ball with power back through traffic in the box, and the low shot flew between defenders and into the net.

The Hounds pushed forward late with two golden opportunities in stoppage time.

Steinwascher made the game’s most important play when Joe Farrell chipped a ball into the box and Dikwa rose to head it near the penalty spot. The Detroit goalie made a full-extension save to his left, pushing the ball out for a corner kick.

The Hounds got one final chance on a cross from Tola Showunmi, and JC Obrégon rose in traffic to win the header, but his shot lofted just over the bar.

Heineken Man of the Match

Kenardo Forbes was excellent in the middle of the park as always, and the Hounds captain was second on the team with 66 touches on the ball, delivered a game-high four crosses and connected on 14 of 17 passes in the attacking third of the field. He also won possession a team-leading 12 times in the match.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-3-2) — Jahmali Waite; Junior Etou (Langston Blackstock 83’), Nate Dossantos (Luke Biasi 83’), Joe Farrell, Arturo Ordóñez, Dani Rovira (Tola Showunmi 72’); Kenardo Forbes (JC Obrégon 89’), Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra; Edward Kizza (Robbie Mertz 72’), Albert Dikwa

Detroit City FC lineup (4-2-3-1) — Nathan Steinwascher; Devon Amoo-Mensah, Stephen Carroll, Matt Lewis, Michael Bryant; Dominic Gasso, Maxi Rodriguez (Jalen Robinson 89’); Rhys Williams, Abdoulaye Diop, Connor Rutz; Ben Morris (Yazeed Matthews 75’)

Scoring summary

DET — Dominic Gasso 78’

Discipline summary

DET — Matt Lewis 4’ (caution – tactical foul)
PIT — Nate Dossantos 15’ (caution – tactical foul)
DET — Devon Amoo-Mensah 38’ (caution – reckless foul)
DET — Maxi Rodriguez 52’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT — Albert Dikwa 52’ (caution – unsporting behavior)

Playoff Game Day: Hounds vs. Detroit City FC

Riverhounds defender Joe Farrell dribbles away from Detroit City FC's Yazeed Matthews during the Hounds' 2-0 win July 15, 2023 at Highmark Stadium.

Match info

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
#1 Riverhounds (19-5-10) vs. #8 Detroit City FC (11-15-8)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 21
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Odds (90-minute result): Hounds -240 / Draw +310 / Detroit +600 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+ (national), KDKA+ (local)
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #PITvDET, #HOUNDTAHN and #HuntAsOne

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 20, 2023) — The Hounds have put themselves in the best possible position to win the USL Championship for the first time after clinching home field throughout the postseason, and the march through the USL Playoffs begins Saturday night when the East’s No. 8 seed, Detroit City FC, comes to Highmark Stadium for a 7 p.m. Eastern Conference Quarterfinal.

It will be the first time since 2019 — also the last time the Hounds finished atop the East — that the Hounds begin the playoffs on home turf. That year’s playoffs began with the Hounds running riot to a record-setting 7-0 win over Birmingham, but a similar result against a stout, defensive Detroit side seems highly improbable.

The Hounds and Detroit battled to a scoreless draw last week on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Michigan, while the Hounds took a 2-0 victory on July 15 in the previous meeting in Pittsburgh. Those scorelines fit the bill for how Detroit has played their entire season; Le Rouge recorded 11 shutouts in the regular season, only four behind the Hounds’ league-leading 15, but they also were shut out 17 times — exactly half of their matches.

The Hounds will have a full-strength squad to pull from for the playoffs. Expect a return to the starting lineup for goalkeeper Jahmali Waite, back from making his seventh appearance for Jamaica, as well as captain Kenardo Forbes and center back Nate Dossantos, who both came off the bench in a partially rotated lineup last week.

Albert Dikwa, now officially the USL Championship Golden Boot winner, will look to add to his haul of 21 goals in all competitions, which has his two away from tying the 20-year-old single-season club record set by Thiago Martins in 2003. Dikwa didn’t find the net this season against Detroit — Edward Kizza and Burke Fahling did that in the 2-0 win — but the Cameroonian striker did score in both matches against Detroit a season ago.

The biggest problems Detroit has caused the Hounds in two seasons’ worth of meetings have come through Maxi Rodriguez. The Texan midfielder scored twice against the Hounds in 2022 — once from the penalty spot — and he authored many of Detroit’s most dangerous chances last weekend serving in free kicks and 10 corner kicks that had to be turned away by the Hounds’ defense.

The venue should work in the Hounds’s favor. They have won six consecutive home matches since their only home loss of the season on July 26 against Indy Eleven, while Detroit, on the other hand, has won just four times away from home this season. Fans will make the match another White Out at Highmark Stadium, and a sellout crowd is expected with parking already sold out in the stadium’s West Lot. Limited tickets are still available as of Friday afternoon through Ticketmaster or at the Highmark Stadium Box Office.

As the first home match in October, Highmark Stadium will feature some new concessions items for the playoffs, including pizza logs at the Nacho Junction stand and the “Playoff Burger” with pulled pork, cheddar and BBQ sauce off the grill at the East End. With cooler weather moving through, hot chocolate will be available at the pub and in the kids’ zone.

The match will be shown live on the local home of the Hounds, KDKA+, and fans can catch the Hounds and the entirety of the USL Championship Playoffs streaming on ESPN+.

Downloadable Game Notes

Game Notes vs. Detroit, EC Quarterfinals, 10/21/23 Download

Albert Dikwa claims Golden Boot

Riverhounds striker and 2023 USL Championship Golden Boot winner Albert Dikwa

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 15, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC striker Albert Dikwa is the winner of the USL Championship Golden Boot as the league’s top goal scorer in 2023, a title that was confirmed just past midnight with the completion of the league’s regular season.

Dikwa captured the Golden Boot with a career-best 20 goals this season, helping to lead the Hounds to win the Players’ Shield for the best record in the regular season. In his fourth season with the Hounds, the 25-year-old from Garoua, Cameroon, propelled himself to second on the club’s all-time scoring list with 37 goals since arriving midway through the 2020 season.

𝐅𝐨𝐱 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐱 🦊@DikwaAlbert of @RiverhoundsSC has won the 2023 USL Championship Golden Boot, presented by @PUMA! pic.twitter.com/YoZnFGzpV7
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) October 15, 2023

Among Dikwa’s season highlights was his first career hat trick in the season’s second match, a 3-1 win on March 18 at Memphis 901 FC. He would earn USL Championship Player of the Week for his hat trick, and he went on to be selected to the league’s Team of the Week four times, with an additional three appearances on the Team of the Week bench.

Perhaps his most memorable goal of the season didn’t count toward his Golden Boot total. Dikwa scored the lone goal in the Hounds’ 1-0 win over the Columbus Crew in the U.S. Open Cup on May 24, which was the Hounds’ second win over an MLS team in the season and sent them to the cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2001.

Adding to Dikwa’s achievement was that he hit the 20-goal plateau despite missing a month of the season — six matches in total — after suffering a broken collarbone on June 6.

It is the third time in Riverhounds history that the club has had the top goal scorer in U.S. Soccer’s second division. Thiago Martins led the A-League with 22 goals in 2003, and José Angulo won the Golden Boot in the Championship — then known as USL Pro — with 15 goals in 2013.

Dikwa and the Hounds begin their journey through the USL Championship Playoffs this Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m., when the team hosts Detroit City FC in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Highmark Stadium.

No goals to be found in Detroit deadlock

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (Oct. 14, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC closed out its regular season with an eight-match unbeaten streak after finishing deadlocked, 0-0, with Detroit City FC this afternoon at Keyworth Stadium.

The Hounds (19-5-10) came into the match with the best record in the USL Championship locked up, but still fielded a strong lineup in preparation for next week’s playoffs. Detroit (11-15-8), meanwhile, needed to get at least the draw to keep their playoff hopes alive, and they will be the Hounds’ Eastern Conference Quarterfinal opponent if Miami loses later tonight in Sacramento.

Detroit was held without a shot on goal, and while possession was nearly even, the Hounds’ defense successfully defended 10 corner kicks to earn the team’s league-leading 15th shutout and the first as a pro for rookie goalkeeper Christian Garner.

First half

Detroit came out in control of the early moments at home, holding 70 percent of possession in the first 15 minutes. Still, it was the Hounds who had the game’s first excellent scoring chance, as Joe Farrell missed high on his header of a Robbie Mertz corner kick in the 14th minute.

Detroit also came close from a corner kick in the 29th minute when Stephen Carroll pushed a header wide across the goal, and a late scramble in the Hounds’ box seemed like a dangerous moment until Junior Etou made an acrobatic clearance to alleviate the danger.

Second half

After the break was more of the same, though this time the Hounds came out with the upper hand in possession.

The best chance of the game fell to Danny Griffin in the 52nd minute after Marc Ybarra picked him out with a pass chipped from atop the box to the right side. Griffin struck a powerful volley on net, but Detroit goalie Nathan Steinwascher made a reflexive save to keep the ball out.

Ybarra was involved again later in the half when he won a foul just outside the box and slightly to the left of goal. Mertz stepped up and curled the free kick around the wall, but his shot struck the post, and Tola Showunmi was unable to turn the rebound back toward the net.

Shots in the game were even at 7-7, and even the count of total passes was virtually even, 358-351 to Detroit.

Heineken Man of the Match

Marc Ybarra played a big part returning to his home state, as he earned the distinction of being the only Hounds player to appear in all 34 league matches. Ybarra connected on 25 of 38 passes — both most on the team in a very direct match — while he also contested a team-high 16 duels, added two clearances and won three free kicks in addition to setting up Danny Griffin’s big scoring chance.

What’s next?

The Hounds have home field throughout the USL Championship Playoffs, and those will begin with an Eastern Conference Quarterfinal match at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21 at Highmark Stadium. The opponent will be the No. 8 seed, either Detroit or Miami FC.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-3-2) — Christian Garner; Junior Etou, Pat Hogan (Nate Dossantos 46’), Joe Farrell, Arturo Ordóñez, Dani Rovira (Luke Biasi 62’); Robbie Mertz (Kenardo Forbes 80’), Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra (Langston Blackstock 81’); JC Obregón (Tola Showunmi 62’), Albert Dikwa

Detroit City FC lineup (4-1-4-1) — Nathan Steinwascher; Devon Amoo-Mensah, Stephen Carroll, Matt Lewis, Michael Bryant; Dominic Gasso; Rhys Williams, Maxi Rodriguez, Abdoulaye Diop, Connor Rutz (Aaron Bibout 76’); Ben Morris

Scoring summary

None

Discipline summary

PIT — Joe Farrell 27’ (caution – reckless foul)
DET — Dominic Gasso 47’ (caution – reckless foul)
DET — Abdoulaye Dipp 71’ (caution – reckless foul)

Game Day: Hounds at Detroit City FC

*The Riverhounds train on Friday, Oct. 13 at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, Mich. (Photo — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC)*

Match info

Riverhounds (19-5-9) vs. Detroit City FC (11-15-7)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 14
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, Mich.
Odds: Hounds +115 / Draw +220 / Detroit +210 (FanDuel)
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: SiriusXM FC, Channel 157
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #DETvPIT and #HOUNDTAHN

DETROIT (Oct. 13, 2023) — Players’ Shield and home field advantage securely in hand, the Hounds are back on the road for the final time this year to conclude their regular season schedule with a rare afternoon kickoff against Detroit City FC at Keyworth Stadium in the Detroit enclave of Hamtramck, Mich.

A five-game winning streak is on the line for the Hounds, but the stakes are significantly higher for the home team, which must get a better result Saturday than Miami FC to claim the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference — a placing that would book a date at Highmark Stadium to open the postseason in eight days.

Bob Lilley made it clear after last week’s win at Tampa Bay that the Hounds would be out to keep their momentum going, and while some players will get extra rest, many of the team’s regular starters will be in their usual spots from the opening whistle. Among those expected to see action are Championship leading scorer Albert Dikwa, who will aim to leave no doubt in the league’s Golden Boot race, and midfielder Marc Ybarra, who can claim the distinction of being the only player to appear in all 34 league matches for the Hounds this season.

The one lineup change already known — out of necessity — will be the return of Christian Garner in the Hounds’ goal and Jonathan Gomes on the bench. Jahmali Waite started Thursday night in a 4-1 win for Jamaica at Grenada in the Concacaf Nations League, and he will be away until after the Reggae Boyz match Sunday night against Haiti.

Detroit will pull out all the stops to try and get a result and keep their season alive, and they have been an impressive defensive club all season with just 39 goals allowed in 33 matches and goalkeeper Nathan Steinwascher still among the league’s best.

It is the attacking end of the field that has been the struggle for Detroit in their second season in the Championship, as they rank last in the league with just 30 goals. Ben Morris leads the side with seven, and Maxi Rodriguez has two goals in three matches for Detroit against the Hounds, so Le Rouge still poses a threat despite their shortcomings this season.

The elements could play a factor in the match, as heavy rain is forecast for Michigan overnight and through the afternoon, and temperatures aren’t expected to rise beyond the low 50s.

A national radio audience will be treated to the Hounds’ regular-season finale, as the match was selected to air on SiriusXM FC, Channel 157. Fans hoping to view the match will need to do so through ESPN+, though the Hounds will return to the local airwaves for the entirety of the Eastern Conference Playoffs on KDKA+.

Downloadable Game Notes

Game Notes at Detroit, 10/14/23 Download

Lilley chosen as Coach of the Month

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 11, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC coach Bob Lilley was named USL Championship Coach of the Month for September, the league announced this afternoon, marking the second time this season he has received the honor.

Lilley guided the Hounds to a perfect 4-0-0 record in September, with three of the wins coming over clubs that were or are still in the hunt for a playoff spot. In doing so, the Hounds propelled themselves clear at the top of the Eastern Conference standings and set the stage for the team to clinch the USL Championship Players’ Shield and home field advantage throughout the playoffs with the best record in the league.

The 2-0 win last Saturday over the Tampa Bay Rowdies that clinched the Shield — the first official trophy in Hounds history — came in Lilley’s 200th competitive match in charge of the Hounds. During that time, he has amassed a record of 105-41-54, the most wins and best record by winning percentage in club history.

Lilley previously was honored as Coach of the Month after an unbeaten May that included two wins over MLS teams in the Open Cup. It is the third time overall Lilley has won the honor since he took the reins with the Hounds in 2018.

The Hounds coach also continued to add to his career milestones this season, as he became the first coach to surpass 150 regular-season wins in the “modern” USL Championship era (since 2011). He also eclipsed the 350-win plateau as a professional head coach this season, and he has more career wins than any active pro coach in American soccer.

To see the league’s full press release on Lilley’s Coach of the Month award, including voting results, visit USLChampionship.com.

Etou earns Team of the Week recognition

Riverhounds left back Junior Etou wins the ball from the Tampa Bay Rowdies' Dayonn Harris in the Hounds' 2-0 win on Oct. 7, 2023 at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla.

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 10, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC midfielder/defender Junior Etou was included in the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 31, the penultimate week of the season, the league announced this afternoon.

Etou picked up the weekly honor for the first time this season as a defender after shining at left back in the Hounds’ 2-0 win last Saturday at the Tampa Bay Rowdies. That victory clinched the Players’ Shield and home field throughout the playoffs, and tied the Hounds record of 19 wins in a single regular season.

Etou helped the Hounds begin the match with a flourish by striking a perfect cross to find Albert Dikwa open at the back post for the team’s opening goal after just 29 seconds of play. In addition to the match-opening assist, his third of the season, Etou was a force defensively. He won 8 of 8 duels and regained possession for the Hounds four times, and he was strong while on the ball, winning a match-high four fouls while leading the Hounds in touches.

He was joined the in weekly honors by goalkeeper Jahmali Waite, who took one of the bench spots on the team. Waite made a season-high five saves on the way to his 10th shutout in USL play, making him just the third Hounds goalie to record 10 clean sheets in a season.

To see the full USL Championship Team of the Week, visit USLChampionship.com.

The Hounds will wrap up their regular season this Saturday, Oct. 14, when they travel to face Detroit City FC in a 4 p.m. kickoff at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, Mich. Tickets are on sale now for the Hounds’ playoff matches, beginning with the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Oct. 21, through Ticketmaster and the Highmark Stadium Box Office.

Victory at Tampa Bay clinches Players’ Shield

The Riverhounds celebrate with the USL Championship Players' Shield after winning 2-0 against the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Oct. 7, 2023. — *The Riverhounds celebrate with the USL Championship Players’ Shield after winning 2-0 against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. (Photo — Riverhounds SC)*

(Oct. 7, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC claimed the USL Championship Players’ Shield — awarded to the team with the best regular-season record — by knocking off the Tampa Bay Rowdies, 2-0, tonight at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Albert Dikwa scored his league-leading 20th goal in the opening minute, and center back Arturo Ordóñez added a second-half goal in front of a five-save shutout by Jahmali Waite for the Hounds (19-5-6), who matched the team record for wins in a regular-season by knocking off the second-place Rowdies (18-9-6).

It is the first official trophy won by the Hounds and the first time the team has finished atop the Championship or its direct predecessor, the A-League. It is also only the third division/conference title in team history, joining the 2019 team that topped the Eastern Conference and the 2004 team that won the Atlantic Division of the third-tier USL Pro Soccer League.

Along with the Shield, the Hounds will have home field throughout the USL Championship Playoffs, which begin Saturday, Oct. 21.

First half

The Hounds kicked off and went forward straight from the opening whistle.

Kenardo Forbes received the ball in the middle of the field from the right side, and the captain swung a pass the other way to Junior Etou. The left back struck an early cross to the far post, where Dikwa sprinted in unmarked to touch the ball into the net after only 29 seconds, making it the second-fastest goal in team history.

Dikwa’s 20th goal puts him three goals clear of the field in the race for the Golden Boot with one week to play after tonight’s Western Conference games conclude.

The Hounds continued to be organized and opportunistic on the counter, despite ceding 71 percent of possession to the Rowdies. Dikwa nearly had two other goals — a shot in the 16th minute that dragged just wide of the post, and a clever chip that beat Rowdies goalie Connor Sparrow but was nullified by the offside flag.

The Rowdies came alive late in the half with two very good chances. Cal Jennings, one of the players just behind Dikwa in the Golden Boot race with 17 goals, missed just high with a strong header in the 32nd minute. The Rowdies also couldn’t find the frame in a stoppage-time scramble in the box created from a free kick.

Second half

Waite came up huge in the second half, starting with the best of his five saves to deny a shot through traffic by Charlie Dennis. The Jamaican international saw the shot late but was able to get low and push it wide of the post.

The Hounds got their second goal starting with a corner that was cleared by Tampa Bay. But as the Rowdies tried to counter, Luke Biasi slid in the center circle to turn play the other direction.

The ball came to Forbes, who fed Tola Showunmi down the left side, and with his first touches of the ball off the bench, Showunmi found Ordóñez making a near-post run for the finish. The 62nd-minute goal was the fifth of the year for Ordóñez, the most ever in a single-season by a Hounds center back.

With the two-goal lead, the Hounds were able to absorb pressure and limit chances.

Leo Fernandes, the 2022 Championship MVP, forced a leaping save by Waite with a header in the 84th minute. But the Hounds’ goalkeeper was excellent against shots and crosses to record his 10th clean sheet of the season, the third-best total in club history.

Heineken Man of the Match

Jahmali Waite hit a season high with five saves and blanked the Rowdies, who will finish as the Eastern Conference runner-up, for the second time this year. Most impressive was his work in the air, as he was sure-handed facing seven corners and 19 crosses by the Rowdies on a warm, wet Florida night.

What’s next?

With the Players’ Shield wrapped up, the Hounds still have to hit the road for their final regular-season match against a team they could face in the opening round of the playoffs, Detroit City FC (11-14-7). That match will be a 4 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, Mich., and Detroit will need at least a draw to reach the postseason.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-3-2) — Jahmali Waite; Junior Etou (Langston Blackstock 87’), Nate Dossantos (Tola Showunmi 61’), Arturo Ordóñez, Pat Hogan, Luke Biasi; Kenardo Forbes (Robbie Mertz 75’), Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra; Edward Kizza (Joe Farrell 61’), Albert Dikwa (Dani Rovira 87’)

Tampa Bay Rowdies lineup (3-4-3) — Connor Sparrow; Aarón Guillén, Forrest Lasso, Conner Antley; Jake Areman (Jake LaCava 87’), Lewis Hilton, Yann Ekra (Leo Fernandes 56’), Jordan Doherty; Joshua Peréz (Dayan Harris 45’), Cal Jennings, Charlie Dennis (JJ Williams 56’)

Scoring summary

PIT — Albert Dikwa 1’ (Junior Etou)
PIT — Arturo Ordóñez 62’ (Tola Showunmi)

Discipline summary

PIT — Pat Hogan 41’ (caution – reckless foul)
TBR — Jake Areman 50’ (caution – reckless foul)
TBR — JJ Williams 84’ (caution – reckless foul)

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