4 Hounds Named USL Championship Award Finalists
November 13, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
PITTSBURGH - Four members of Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC have been announced as USL Championship award finalists. The club has the most nominees of any team in the entire league.
The following have been nominated for year-end awards: Kenardo Forbes for Most Valuable Player, Joe Greenspan for Defender of the Year, Kyle Morton for Goalkeeper of the Year and head coach Bob Lilley for Coach of the Year. This is the second straight year Greenspan and Lilley have been announced as finalists for Defender of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively.
Forbes displayed a masterful display of ability in the midfield, leading the team with nine assists. In addition, the team captain and All-League First Team selection recorded four goals en route to a career-high 17 points. Perhaps the defining moment in his Most Valuable Player candidacy came during the team's road win against Loudoun United FC on Oct. 1. With the team down 1-0 in the 53rd minute, the Kingston, Jamaica native was subbed into the match. He led the break on one goal and assisted the other, as Pittsburgh jumped out ahead of Loudoun, 2-1, within nine minutes of the midfielder stepping on the field.
Another Hound to be named All-League First Team earlier this week, Greenspan helped the club to a league-high 17 clean sheets, including a team-record seven straight shutouts. The Westfield, New Jersey native's 151 clearances led the squad and ranked fourth most in the league.
With Greenspan on the backline, Morton pieced together a tremendous season in net. The goalkeeper set a team record with 13 shutouts in the regular season and added another clean sheet in the postseason. In addition, the West Chester, Pennsylvania native finished second in the USL Championship with a 0.83 goals against average.
As a whole, Riverhounds SC had one of its best campaigns in team history under Lilley's leadership. For the first time since 2004 and just the second time in their history, the Hounds won their conference/division regular season title while logging a franchise-record 19 victories. Lilley was named Coach of the Month in September during an all-time great stretch of suffocating defense when the Hounds posted 698 consecutive minutes of shutout soccer - the second longest such streak in USL Championship history.
Goalkeeper of the Year and Defender of the Year awards will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 19, Coach of the Year honors will be announced on Wednesday, Nov. 20 and the Most Valuable Player selection will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 21. For more information on award finalists, visit uslchampionship.com.
• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board...
United Soccer League Championship Stories from November 13, 2019
- Hartford Athletic and COO Part Ways; Andy Smith Named Interim Team President - Hartford Athletic
- Russell Named USL Coach of the Year Finalist for Second Time in Career - Reno 1868 FC
- 2019 USL Championship Awards Finalists Unveiled - USL
- San Antonio FC Midfielder Cristian Parano Named Finalist for USL Championship Young Player of the Year - San Antonio FC
- 4 Hounds Named USL Championship Award Finalists - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
- Hartford Athletic Announces New Head Coach Radhi Jaidi of Premier League's Southampton Football Club - Hartford Athletic
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.
