Jäger Cup Preview: Hounds at Portland Hearts of Pine
Published on July 23, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
The Hounds' first run through the USL Jägermeister Cup comes to an end with one final group stage match, a first-ever trip to face USL League One newcomers Portland Hearts of Pine on Friday night.
Though neither team is able to advance out of Group 4, which will end topped by either Rhode Island or Hartford, the Hounds enter the match riding a five-game unbeaten streak they are aiming to continue while working some fresh legs into the lineup. The Hounds' next three matches are their final congested schedule stretch of the season - Friday at Portland, Tuesday vs. Miami and next Saturday vs. Rhode Island make it three in nine days - so once again head coach Bob Lilley will utilize some rotation to preserve his squad's legs approaching the back third of the season.
How exactly that will shake out is yet to be seen. In the team's previous Jäger Cup match, a 1-0 win on June 28 against Westchester FC, Bertin Jacquesson netted the winning goal early in the contest, and Jacob Randolph kept the visitors off the scoreboard for his second clean sheet of the season. That match also saw Bradley Sample, Jorge Garcia and Max Broughton drawn into the starting 11, and similar shake-ups are likely in Portland.
Portland, meanwhile, sits eighth in the 14-team League One table, but they have been a tough side to get the better of with a very skewed 4-3-8 record. The team showed its potential earlier in the cup by pulling off a 4-2 win at Detroit, a result that should have the Hounds properly on their guard.
English forward Ollie Wright - a former Championship player with San Antonio and Rio Grande Valley - leads the Portland attack this season with three goals and three assists in league play. Along with longtime Birmingham Legion defender Mikey Lopez, who has nearly 200 Championship appearances to go with an MLS stint in his career, and the Hearts of Pine have some quality in the heart of their lineup.
Facing the League One outfit does bring a novel element to the match. The Hounds have never played in the state of Maine, so Friday's match will make the Pine Tree State the 35th state to play host to a Riverhounds match. It is also the easternmost domestic venue the Hounds have visited, and only Hamilton, Bermuda (Bermuda Hogges) and St. John's, Antigua (Antigua Barracuda) have been further East among cities to host a Hounds match.
The match kicks off slightly earlier than usual with a 6:30 p.m. start, and it will be shown live on SportsNet Pittsburgh+ and streamed live on ESPN+. Replays of the match will be shown throughout the weekend on the main SportsNet Pittsburgh channel and on SNP+; see the Hounds' social media accounts for a full schedule of replay times.
Match info
USL Jägermeister Cup Group Stage
Riverhounds (1-2-0) vs. Portland Hearts of Pine (1-2-0)
Date: Friday, July 25
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Fitzpatrick Stadium, Portland, Maine
Odds: Not available
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on X/Twitter
Match hashtags: #PORvPIT and #Grittsburgh
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