3 Things: #PITvLDN
September 9, 2021 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
On paper, it's the last "easy" game for the Riverhounds.
In reality - and as past results prove - there's no such thing as an easy game in the Atlantic Division.
The Hounds host Loudoun United FC for the fourth and final time this Saturday at 7 p.m. at Highmark Stadium, and on the line are three points that are vital if the Hounds are to keep up with the surging Tampa Bay Rowdies atop the division.
Loudoun is one of just two opponents in the Hounds eight remaining games with a losing record, the other being Hartford, which might be playing for its playoff lives in the season finale on Oct. 30.
But even with its 3-16-2 record, Loudoun at times has gone toe-to-toe with top teams, including a 3-2 win over the Hounds on June 30 in Virginia. The team also has some impressive road results, including a win at New Mexico and a draw at Rio Grande Valley, both playoff contenders in the Mountain Division.
With that in mind, here are the 3 Things to watch for as the Hounds try to keep their momentum going into the home stretch of the season:
1.) Ignore the last game
No, not the Hounds' last game, and the regular starters who came off the bench in the 1-1 draw at San Antonio should be ready for a longer shift Saturday.
What the Hounds need to avoid is taking Loudoun too lightly after watching them get routed by Charlotte on Wednesday, 5-0. In that match, Loudoun was reduced to 10 men after Houssou Landry was sent off for a second yellow card in the 37th minute, and the floodgates opened for Charlotte scoring shortly afterward.
The occasional let-down game is to be expected with a young team like Loudoun, but young players also tend to bounce back quickly. Loudoun's win over the Hounds came just days after a 3-0 loss to Charleston, in case you needed any proof of that.
The Hounds need to take control early and put doubt back into the heads of the Loudoun XI, but the longer the visitors hang in the match, the more trouble they are liable to cause.
2.) Pepper the net
Just as Hartford goalie Jeff Caldwell has done, Loudoun goalkeeper Jermaine Fordah has kept his team in more than a handful of games. Fordah's 70 saves are fourth in the league, but on a per-game basis, the Loudoun goalie trails only Caldwell, and only then by hundredths of a point.
When the Hounds last played Loudoun, they had a 1-0 lead on a Russell Cicerone goal after just six minutes, but in the remaining 84 minutes, the Hounds managed just three more shots on goal. Yes, one of those shots was an Alex Dixon attempt that forced a Save of the Week candidate from Fordah, but the goalkeeper was largely not pressured.
The Hounds kept the pressure on Caldwell's net when they last met Hartford, and that allowed Cicerone to find a late, winning goal. It would behoove the Hounds to keep the shot volume high on Saturday, as eventually, things will find their way past even the best of netminders.
3.) Dominate the midfield
Sure, it's good advice to control the middle of the park in any game, but it could be particularly important Saturday.
First, the aforementioned red card issued to Landry means the Loudoun midfield will be short a regular physical presence through suspension. That should help open chances for Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes or anyone else operating in the middle third to direct play.
The Hounds were particularly poor at that in the last meeting against Loudoun. Even more so than the possession numbers, the telling stat was the season-high 24 fouls conceded by the Hounds, as the team lost the ball and then was consistently in bad positions to defend as Loudoun tried to counter.
The Hounds need to clearly be the better side in the middle, something they haven't done against Loudoun since the first half of the first meeting. That game was 2-0 at halftime before the Hounds hung on for a 3-2 win, but its first half is the best example of how things could go, should the Hounds come out and execute.
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