Game Day: Hounds at Louisville City FC
July 11, 2023 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
For the second time in 12 days, the Hounds will clash with Louisville City FC in another critical battle for positioning atop the Eastern Conference on Wednesday night at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Ky.
Six points currently separate first-place Tampa Bay and fifth-place Memphis, and the Hounds and Louisville occupy two of the spaces in between entering a busy midweek night that will see 9 of the 12 teams in the East in action. After a 0-0 draw when the two teams met on July 1 at Highmark Stadium, a win for either side would go a long way toward solidifying a top-four position and making a move toward the top - a position the Hounds would take over should they come away with three points.
The Hounds' unbeaten streak in USL Championship play has reached to 11 matches - six wins and five draws - and the team is getting healthier entering the second half of the season, after Robbie Mertz and Albert Dikwa both returned to the field with appearances off the bench Saturday against Sacramento. That added attacking firepower will come in handy against another defensively stingy opponent in Louisville, which has allowed only 18 goals in 17 matches - fourth-best in the Championship despite being skewed by a 5-0 defeat in their meeting with Sacramento early in the season.
On the other side, the Hounds have conceded just one goal in league play since May 20, a span of seven matches. Louisville's offense has been sporadic at best, but one of their old reliable options, Cameron Lancaster, got the starting nod over top scorer Wilson Harris and found the back of the net Saturday in a 1-0 win over Loudoun.
The match will almost certainly be a milestone night for Danny Griffin, who is set to become the 15th player to appear in 100 competitive matches for the Hounds. The midfielder has not missed a match since being re-acquired by the club May 3, and the team is 8-1-4 in all competitions this season with Griffin in the lineup - the lone loss coming on the road to MLS leaders FC Cincinnati in the U.S. Open Cup.
The 8 p.m. kickoff will be aired live on Pittsburgh's CW and streamed for the local audience through their website, while ESPN+ will carry a national stream of the match.
Fans in Pittsburgh who want to catch the action with their fellow Hounds supporters are encouraged to come down to the official watch party at Mike's Beer Bar on the North Shore. Mike's will be airing the Hounds game, as well as the two Concacaf Gold Cup semifinals being played Wednesday night - the United States vs. Panama at 7:30 p.m. and Hounds goalkeeper Jahmali Waite and Jamaica facing Mexico at 10 p.m.
Match info
Riverhounds (8-2-8) vs. Louisville City FC (8-4-5)
Date: Wednesday, July 12
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: Lynn Family Stadium, Louisville, Ky.
Odds: Hounds +250 / Draw +230 / Louisville +100 (FanDuel)
TV: Pittsburgh's CW
Streaming: ESPN+ (national), Pittsburgh's CW (local)
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #LOUvPIT and #HOUNDTAHN
• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board...
United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 11, 2023
- Motivated Miami FC Looks to Extend Form in Tulsa - Miami FC
- Know Your Opponent: Memphis 901 FC - Sacramento Republic FC
- Steven Echevarria Named to Team of the Week for Week 18 - Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
- Game Information and Match Notes - at El Paso Locomotive FC - San Antonio FC
- A Look Back at Monterey Bay Football Club's Second Annual Military Appreciation Night - Monterey Bay FC
- Homeless World Cup Advances to Second Round - 5 More Days of Matches - Sacramento Republic FC
- Game Day: Hounds at Louisville City FC - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
- Rowdies Jennings, Dalgaard Named to Team of the Week - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- San Antonio FC Forward Tani Oluwaseyi Named USL Championship Player of the Week - San Antonio FC
- San Antonio FC's Tani Oluwaseyi claims Player of the Week after first-half hat trick against Memphis - USL
- Ackwei, Ricketts Land Weekly Honors - Rio Grande Valley FC Toros
- Siaha, Doner Earn TOTW Honors - Monterey Bay FC
- Nevada Donor Network & Lights FC Announce Unique Promotion to Raise Awareness for Organ Donations - Las Vegas Lights FC
- Memphis 901 FC Looks for Return to Winning Ways on West Coast Trip - Memphis 901 FC
- Preview: FC Tulsa vs. Miami FC - Wednesday, July 12 - Oneok Field, 8 p.m. CT - FC Tulsa
- Battery Travel to Indy for Midweek Match - Charleston Battery
- What to Watch for with LouCity vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC - Louisville City FC
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.
