Game Day: Hounds vs. Memphis 901 FC
August 13, 2022 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
PITTSBURGH - The Hounds put their longest unbeaten run of the season on the line in a matchup loaded with postseason implications when they host Memphis 901 FC at 7 p.m. tonight at Highmark Stadium.
The Hounds sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, six behind leaders Louisville and two behind third-place Memphis. A win would send the Hounds into third place and give the team a tiebreaker edge over Memphis with a season sweep, while both teams are pressing to secure a home playoff game - for the Hounds, it would be the third time in four years, while for Memphis, a home postseason match would be their first.
Just as he did a year ago when he was a Player of the Month runner-up in August, Russell Cicerone is starting the last full month of summer on a scoring tear. Cicerone's brace last Saturday gave the Hounds their third consecutive win, 2-0 at Indy Eleven, and pushed him into the top 10 in the USL Championship this season with a team-leading 11 goals.
One of the seven players with more goals in the league this season will be leading the Memphis line, Phillip Goodrum. The Tennessee native and former Atlanta United 2 forward is having a career year with 13 goals back in his home state, though he would have a 14th if not for a Chase Vosvick penalty save in the first meeting of the year between the teams, a 3-0 Hounds win on opening day in Memphis.
That first game should have little bearing on tonight's play, as the unusual season opener had the penalty save, followed by a first-half red card to Graham Smith that left Memphis down a man for the final hour. Dane Kelly, Cicerone and Albert Dikwa handled the scoring, with Kelly notching his 100th USL Championship goal in the victory.
The one thing the Hounds will want to continue is their defensive performance over the past three matches. In wins over Hartford, Tulsa and Indy, the Hounds have allowed just six shots on goal, and only one - a highlight-worthy strike by Conor McGlynn in Hartford - has beaten goalkeeper Jahmali Waite, who now has five shutouts on the season.
History is on the Hounds' side with three shutout wins in their previous three meetings with Memphis. But as their record shows, this is by far the best 901 squad in the club's four-year history, which should make it a choice matchup for another large home crowd and the viewers on 22 The Point and ESPN+.
Fan Advisory
Because of the Pittsburgh Steelers' preseason NFL game tonight on the North Shore, fans who wish to park in the West Lot at Highmark Stadium will be required to show their tickets for the Hounds match before entering. Parking in the West Lot remains $15, and payment is cash only.
As always, the Tailgate Zone will be open at 5 p.m. with music from DJ TJ Harris, food trucks from Benvenuti's Pizza Factory and The Sandwich Guy. Fans will also be able to have fun and test themselves in the Allegheny Health Network Sports Medicine Combine, where they can test their vertical leap, try the soccer accuracy kick or take on the basketball challenge.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 13, 2022
- SD Loyal Falls 1-0 On the Road to Birmingham Legion FC - San Diego Loyal
- Rowdies' Unbeaten Streak Snapped in Louisville - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- Unbeaten Run Ends with Loss to Memphis - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
- Hounds' Unbeaten Run Ends with Loss to Memphis - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
- LouCity Tops Tampa Bay in Front of Club-Record Crowd - Louisville City FC
- Ayoze's Penalty Kick Goal in Club Record 116th Appearance Not Enough in Comeback Bid on the Road - Indy Eleven
- Lights FC Falls 2-0 Against the Best Team in USL - Las Vegas Lights FC
- Miami Football Club defeats Atlanta United 2 - Miami FC
- Atlanta United 2 Falls 2-0 to Miami FC - Atlanta United 2
- Birmingham Wins Its Third Shutout in a Row in Solid Team Performance against San Diego - Birmingham Legion FC
- Rooted Against the Roots: Le Rouge Rescue 1-1 Draw Against the Oakland Roots - Detroit City FC
- Victory Hartford Take Down Indy Eleven 2-1 - Hartford Athletic
- Oakland Roots Concede Late in Detroit and Settle for Another Draw - Oakland Roots
- Oakland Roots Concede Late in Detroit and Settle for Another Draw - Oakland Roots
- Memphis 901 FC Defeats Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC for Third Consecutive Victory - Memphis 901 FC
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- San Antonio FC Injury Report - San Antonio FC
- NYRB II Falls to the Charleston Battery, 3-1, at MSU Soccer Park - New York Red Bulls II
- Miami FC Travels North to Take on Atlanta United 2 - Miami FC
- Orange County SC Bash Phoenix, 2-1, Behind Another Milan Iloski Brace - Orange County SC
- Switchbacks FC Draw a Thriller with El Paso Friday Night - Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
- Rising Falls, 2-1, in Orange County - Phoenix Rising FC
- Game Day: Hounds vs. Memphis 901 FC - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
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