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USL Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Hounds Draw Saint Louis FC, 2-2

August 23, 2020 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release


PITTSBURGH - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (5-3-1) tied Saint Louis FC (4-3-2), 2-2, on Saturday at Highmark Stadium.

Ropapa Mensah started the scoring for the Hounds in the 16th minute, and Robbie Mertz added another in the 40th minute to give the Hounds a two-goal lead. Kyle Greig cut the deficit to one for Saint Louis in first-half stoppage time, and Wal Fall scored the match's final goal in the 57th minute.

The tie gives the Hounds a one-point lead over Hartford Athletic in Group F.

First Half

The two teams failed to record a shot in the opening 15 minutes of play.

The Hounds were on the attack in the 16th minute, after Mertz sent a pass to Steevan Dos Santos in the right side of the penalty area. Dos Santos then sent a cross into the six-yard box, which deflected off a nearby defender and the crossbar. Mensah then kicked the ball over the line, giving the Hounds a one-goal lead.

Another chance came in the 40th minute, when Mertz regained possession in the left side of the penalty area after a deflection. The Pittsburgh native then sent a shot past Saint Louis goalkeeper Kyle Morton into the bottom-right corner to give the Hounds a 2-0 advantage.

Saint Louis' best chance of the half came in the 45'+1, after Sam Fink sent a long pass to Greig in the six-yard box. The ensuing shot was saved by Tomas Gomez, but Greig was able to send the rebound into the bottom-left corner, making it 2-1.

After a slow offensive start, the teams combined for 13 shots in the first half.

Second Half

Inclement weather halted the start of the second half, but the Hounds continued to push the pace when play resumed. A good chance came in the 49th minute, when Dos Santos created space on the right side of the penalty area. He launched a long shot into the bottom-left corner, but was denied by Morton.

After winning a free kick in the 57th minute, Saint Louis had a chance to even the game. Fall took the free kick for Saint Louis and sent a right-footed shot into the top-left corner, tying the game at 2-2.

The Hounds almost made up for this goal in the 72nd minute, after Mertz sent a ball to Kenardo Forbes in the center of the penalty area. Forbes launched a shot into the bottom-left corner, only to be saved by Morton, who dove to his right to keep the game even.

In the 84th minute, the Hounds narrowly missed on another chance. A shot from Jordan Dover in the right side of the six-yard box was saved by Morton. Their last great chance to take the lead came in stoppage time, when Dos Santos headed a shot into the top-right corner, only to be saved by Morton.

Hound of the Match, presented by EPIC

Ropapa Mensah scored Pittsburgh's first goal and tallied three shots on the night.

Beyond the Box Score, presented by Beyond Self Storage

The Hounds have earned a point in 28 of their last 29 home matches.

What's Next

The Hounds will travel to Dillon Stadium for a match against Hartford Athletic (5-1-0) at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28. The match can be streamed on ESPN+.

Lineups:

Riverhounds SC - Tomas Gomez; Ray Lee, Mark Lindstrom (Ryan James 81'), Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Skylar Thomas, Jordan Dover; Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes, Robbie Mertz (Anthony Velarde 86'); Steevan Dos Santos, Ropapa Mensah (Lukas Fernandes 86')

Subs not used: Danny Vitiello, Hunter Ashworth, Dakota Barnathan, Mark Forrest

Saint Louis FC - Kyle Morton; Richard Bryan (Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé 45'), Sam Fink, Phanuel Kavita, Paris Gee; Oscar Umar, Todd Wharton, Wal Fall (Joaquin Rivas 90'), Russell Cicerone; Kyle Greig, Mour Samb

Subs not used: John Berner, Tobi Adewole, Kadeem Dacres, Daniel Fischer, Nichi Vlastos

Scoring Summary:

PIT - Ropapa Mensah 16'

PIT - Robbie Mertz 40'

STL - Kyle Greig 45'+1

STL - Wal Fall 57'

Misconduct Summary:

PIT - Skylar Thomas 45'+3 (caution)

PIT - Mark Lindstrom 56' (caution)

QUOTES

Head coach Bob Lilley

On his team's defense...

"We did a pretty good job of limiting their chances, and we also had some good ones in the first half. That goal at the end of the first half was a bad goal to give up because that was a big moment for them."

On what improvements can be made...

"I think we gave the ball away too much tonight, and I think we can manage the game better throughout the 90 minutes. I liked our response to Saint Louis' second goal and I think we created some good chances."

On adjustments made at the half...

"We told our guys that they had to be ready for Saint Louis to attack hard in the second half. I just felt like we sat back in the second half, and we sat too deep on their second goal."

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