Game Day: Hounds vs. Charleston Battery
June 9, 2023 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
PITTSBURGH - First place in the USL Championship's Eastern Conference is up for grabs Saturday night when the Hounds renew acquaintances with their oldest opponent, the Charleston Battery, at Highmark Stadium.
The two clubs who began play at opposite ends of the Clinton administration - Charleston in 1993 and Pittsburgh in 1999 - will be meeting for the 40th time overall and the 20th in Pittsburgh. The Battery hold a 14-9-16 edge in the all-time series, and even with the Hounds' improvement in the Bob Lilley era, draws have been the most common outcome with the Hounds holding a 3-2-5 record under their current coach against Charleston.
Both teams both come into the current matchup on short rest, as well. The Hounds had their best-ever U.S. Open Cup run ended Tuesday with a 3-1 defeat at MLS-leading FC Cincinnati, while Charleston wrapped up a homestand in the early hours of Thursday morning as a lightning-delayed 0-0 draw with Detroit came to an end.
The biggest setback from the loss to Cincinnati wasn't the result, but the injury picked up by Hounds leading scorer Albert Dikwa early in the match. The Hounds' top scorer suffered a collarbone injury that will sideline him for at least the rest of the month, which will put more on the shoulders of fellow strikers Edward Kizza and Tola Showunmi - a first-time goal scorer in Cincy - amongst others. Even without Dikwa, the group will look to remain undefeated at home this season, as the Hounds have won seven straight at Highmark since a draw with Miami to open the 2023 home slate.
But the Hounds' strength remains on the back end of the team, where goalkeeper Jahmali Waite has two straight clean sheets in USL Championship play. The most recent of those, last Saturday against Phoenix, included a diving stop that earned him his second fan-voted Save of the Week recognition of the season.
The Battery, meanwhile, come to Pittsburgh looking to get top scorer Augustine Williams on track after he and the team were held scoreless in their past two matches. That scoring drought does come with the caveat that Charleston played shorthanded for the duration of their June 2 match against Indy after a first-minute red card to defender Leland Archer.
Fans arriving to the match will want to arrive early, as the first 500 fans will receive a limited edition Highmark Stadium/Riverhounds blanket. Gates open at 6 p.m., but entertainment begins outside in the Tailgate Zone at 5 p.m., where $5 IC Light and IC Light Mango are the day's drink specials. Music and food from the VAYA food truck will also be part of the pregame festivities, all leading up to our Community Heroes Night celebrating the first responders and safety professionals in the Pittsburgh region.
The match will again be shown live on the local airwaves by Pittsburgh's CW, and ESPN+ will air the national stream. Tickets for the match are available through Ticketmaster and at the Highmark Stadium Box Office.
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