USL Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Cicerone's Goals Lift 10-Man Hounds in Indy

Published on August 6, 2022 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release


Russell Cicerone scored twice, and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC held on playing down a man for a 2-0 win over Indy Eleven tonight at Carroll Stadium in Indianapolis.

Cicerone got a goal on each side of halftime for the Hounds (13-6-4), who are 6-0-1 since the start of July. The strikes give Cicerone 11 goals on the season, which make him just the third Hounds player to have consecutive 10-goal seasons, joining Corey Hertzog and Neco Brett.

Indy (6-12-4) had a man advantage for most of the second half after Marc Ybarra was sent off for a second yellow card in the 54th minute, but the Hounds defense and goalkeeper Jahmali Waite closed the match out for a second consecutive shutout.

First half

The Hounds controlled territory from the start of the match, winning a corner kick and recording the game's first shot in less than a minute.

In the 13th minute, the Hounds took the lead when Dani Rovira had room to carry the ball inside the box from the left side. The left back picked out Cicerone's run toward the middle of the goal and placed his pass in a perfect spot for the headed finish. It was the fourth assist of the season for Rovira, a career best for the fourth-year defender/midfielder.

Indy nearly tied things up just four minutes later, but Manuel Arteaga put his side's best chance of the half over the bar after being set up in front of goal by Juan Tejada.

Second half

Cicerone doubled the lead in the 52nd minute after Ybarra slotted a pass behind the defense for Albert Dikwa, who carried the ball down the right side and hit Cicerone in stride for a tap-in finish.

But things got dicier just two minutes later, when Ybarra reflexively held back Indy's Solomon Asante after a turnover. While situationally a good foul, it was an ill-advised decision by the first-year pro after being booked in the first half. Ybarra received his marching orders, and for the second season in a row, the Hounds were reduced to 10 men in Indianapolis.

Possession naturally moved in Indy's favor; the hosts finished with 62 percent of the ball. The Eleven thought they had pulled a goal back when Stéfano Pinho's header struck the underside of the crossbar in the 87th minute, and while replays showed the ball might have been fully across the line, the call on the field was no goal.

The Hounds finished defending resolutely and allowed only one shot on goal over the 90 minutes - a free kick by Asante in stoppage time that was caught by Waite for the final play of the game.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 6, 2022


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