USL Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

3 Things: #PITvLDN

Published on July 15, 2021 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release


After the bang-bang succession of the games the Hounds went through to end June and start July, it seems as though the club has been off much longer than just the 10 days between matches ahead of Saturday's meeting with Loudoun United FC.

The game, a 7 p.m. kickoff at Highmark Stadium that will be seen on 22 The Point and ESPN+, is the first meeting between the teams since Loudoun surprised the Hounds and took a 2-1 win June 30 in Virginia.

That match is still relatively fresh in the minds of both players and coaches for the Hounds, and this week's 3 Things draws focuses largely on the places things went wrong in the last matchup.

1.) Make space scarce

Loudoun, despite its 2-7-0 record, is a team that regularly outpossesses and often outshoots their opponents. The club holds the ball 58 percent of matches on average, and with 11 shots per game, they rank among the top five in the league in that regard, as well.

In the team's previous meeting, Loudoun got goals from Ted Ku-DiPietro and Jovanny Bolívar, both on efforts from distance where the Hounds' defense afforded the shooter far too much space. While those were the glaring moments, the Hounds were generally too passive up and down the field, prompting coach Bob Lilley to highlight a need to "make it harder on them" when they have the ball.

Especially with the added rest, look for the Hounds ball pressure to be dialed up a notch.

2.) Play through the contact

With a roster full of largely inexperienced players, Loudoun certainly didn't shy away from contact on the way to recording seven yellow cards against players (plus an eighth issued to coach Ryan Martin) in the win for the DC United affiliate.

After getting the result, there's no reason to think Loudoun will adjust the tactics that worked so well for them, so it falls to the Hounds to deal with the physicality. Doing so is a threefold proposition.

First, the Hounds need to not shy away from the battles in the run of play. But when contact comes, they need to, secondly, not retaliate, and thirdly, make Loudoun pay from the set pieces that come from the fouls. If the Hounds can't make their visitors regret going too hard into tackles, there's no reason for Loudoun to change course.

3.) Find the right balance

The Hounds have struggled at times finding the line between playing too cautiously and committing forward to create chances.

In the last match against Charleston, which ended as a 1-1 draw, the Hounds held the ball well but didn't take enough risks going forward, just as they did early in the year in home losses to Charlotte and Austin.

Conversely, the Hounds can't get caught in an up-and-down track meet where they leave the back line vulnerable, which happened in the first meeting with Loudoun, a game the Hounds were fortunate to escape with a 3-2 win.

It is still the first half of the season, so the team is still cementing its identity for the year. A big part of that is finding a way to maintain the possession from the Charleston game while, at the same time, becoming a more attack-minded team.

Check out the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 15, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central