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USL Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Hounds Back on Home Soil to Face Kickers

May 15, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release


PITTSBURGH (May 15, 2015) - The Pittsburgh Riverhounds return to Highmark Stadium Saturday for an important USL Eastern Conference clash with the Richmond Kickers. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Two successive road losses at the New York Red Bulls II and Charleston Battery have left the Hounds (2-3-2, eight points) sitting outside of the playoff spots with a quarter of the season gone. Richmond sits in third place with a 4-1-3 record overall.

"Kickers head coach Leigh Cowlishaw always puts a strong team on the field with veteran players that know how to play," said Riverhounds head coach Mark Steffens.

"We'll have to be at the top of our game against them."

The Hounds continue to impress in the opponents' half this season having scored in every game to rack up 16 goals from seven outings. Steffens' problems have arisen at the other end where the defense has one of the poorest records in the league with 13 goals conceded.

Injuries continue to prevent the Hounds from fielding a consistent back four. Anthony Arena missed last week's defeat at Charleston with a strained neck and Fejiro Okiomah left the field early in the first half with a pulled right hamstring.

Okiomah will miss this weekend's action. Arena is rated as probable to return to the line-up.

Fourth-year Hound Seth C'deBaca and rookie Nick Kolarac are both unavailable after sustaining knee injuries this week.

Steffens will be able to call upon newly registered 25-year-old Serbian midfielder Boris Zivanovic after the former Budapest Honved player received his international transfer clearance.

The Kickers slumped to their first loss of the season last Friday when they were beaten 3-0 at Charlotte Independence. Defender Alex Lee received a red card during the first half with Richmond trailing to Ryan Finley's stunning opener. Lee is suspended for tomorrow's game.

Cameroonian defender William Yomby has played every minute for Richmond to date in his seventh season with the club. Fellow Kickers veteran Matthew Delicate continues to be the team's most potent offensive weapon with four goals. Delicate was shortlisted for the USL's Most Valuable Player after leading his team with 14 goals.

Pittsburgh holds a 7-17-8 all-time record against the Kickers dating back to the Hounds' inaugural 1999 season. Richmond recorded a 3-1 win at Highmark Stadium last June after taking four points from two league meetings at City Stadium earlier in the season.

A big crowd is expected for Saturday's game and only a few hundred tickets remain available. Visit Riverhounds.com for information or call the Highmark Stadium box office on (412) 325-7241 to speak to a ticket representative.

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