Match Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: September 7, 2024

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Rhode Island FC

Match Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: September 7, 2024

September 5, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


After taking all three points against Birmingham Legion FC for the second time this season in a dominant 2-0 win, Rhode Island FC will hit the road for the first of two-straight matches away from Beirne Stadium, first heading to Pittsburgh on Saturday to face Bob Lilley's men for the second time this season. The first time the two clubs met, they fought to a scoreless draw in Smithfield, and since then both squads have put together powerful pushes towards a postseason berth. Ahead of yet another critical Eastern Conference matchup on Saturday, here is everything you need to know.

AT A GLANCE

Date | Saturday, September 7

Kickoff | 7:00 PM ET

Location | Highmark Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Broadcast | NESN, ESPN+

Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook)

Match Hashtag | #PITvsRI

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS SC

Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Eric Dick, 12-Gabriel Perrotta, 31-Jacob Randolph

DEFENDERS (7): 3-Pat Hogan, 4-Dani Rovira, 5-Sean Suber, 13-Luke Biasi, 22-Jake Lent-Koop, 28 Illal Osumanu, 44 Pierre Cayet

MIDFIELDERS (9): 2-Danny Griffin, 8-Junior Etou, 10-Aidan O'Toole, 11-Fernando Forbes, 14-Robbie Metrz, 15-Bradley Sample, 17-Nate Dragisich, 42-Jackson Walti, 70-Pablo Linzoain

FORWARDS (6): 7-Langston Blackstock, 9-Emmanuel Johnson, 19-Edward Kizza, 27-Babacar Diene, 45-Kazaiah Sterling, 77-Enoch Muchagalusa

Pushing for Postseason

After a slow start to the season pushed Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings early, including a scoreless draw vs. RIFC that was one of five winless matches to start the season, Bob Lilley's side has completely turned around its form to put pressure on the final postseason spots during the back half of the summer stretch. Holding a 7W-6L-9D record since the last time the two clubs met, Pittsburgh is unbeaten in nine matches dating back to a narrow loss to Monterey Bay F.C. on July 6, and currently sit two points back from eighth-place Loudoun United FC in the battle for the final playoff spots. Five points in the last three matches, including a 1-1 draw on the road against Indy Eleven last time out, has helped Pittsburgh gain valuable momentum heading into the business end of the season.

Waking up the Attack

Despite being held to six scoreless draws and failing to score in a league-leading 13 matches and sitting among the bottom eight teams in the USL Championship with 27 goals, Pittsburgh has found a way to increase its production in the final third of late. The club has scored six goals in its last three matches, including a pair of back-to-back matches with multiple goals for only the third time this season. One of those results, a 3-0 victory over Birmingham Legion FC in the club's last win on August 24, saw three players and Liley all named to the USL Championship Team of the Week. On the other side of the ball, the Pennsylvania club is third in the league with 11 shutouts, including three in its last five.

The Kizza Effect

The win vs. Birmingham marked a season-high performance from forward Edward Kizza, who scored his first brace since the 2022 postseason, netting two goals in five minutes in the first half to lift the 'Hounds to victory. The goal was his first in three matches, and four of his team-leading seven goals have come in the last month and a half. The seven-goal tally not only leads Pittsburgh, but also marks his most productive season as a professional, bringing his career total to 15 in three USL Championship seasons. Kizza is one of just three Pittsburgh players to tally at least three goals. The Ugandan striker is closely followed by Danny Griffin, who netted his fourth of the year in the club's draw with Indy last weekend.

RHODE ISLAND FC

Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Koke Vegas, 22-Jackson Lee, 30-Nate Silveira

DEFENDERS (7): 2-Nathan Messer, 3-Stephen Turnbull, 4-Collin Smith, 5-Grant Stoneman, 6-Morris Duggan, 15-Frank Nodarse, 16-Gabriel Alves, 24-Karifa Yao

MIDFIELDERS (12): 8-Jack Panayotou, 12-Clay Holstad, 17-Jojea Kwizera, 18-Joe Brito, 19-Kevin Vang, 20-Zachary Herivaux, 21-Kofi Twumasi, 23-Marc Ybarra, 25-Kevin Orduy, 28-Conor McGlynn, 77-Amos Shapiro-Thompson, 80-Isaac Angking

FORWARDS (4): 9-JJ Williams, 10-Chico, 11-Noah Fuson, 14-Mark Doyle

Chico Returns

Saturday's match will represent a special homecoming for Rhode Island FC's leading scorer, Albert Dikwa "Chico," who enjoyed the best season of his professional career under Bob Lilley for Pittsburgh in 2023. In his fourth season with the club, the Cameroonian striker led the USL Championship with 20 goals in 28 matches, leading the Player's Shield winners to the best overall record. On average, Chico scored once every 114.7 minutes, recording one hat trick and tallying five two-goal performances over the course of the season while accounting for 40 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive output. Chico's league-best numbers marked his second consecutive season scoring in double figures. Now on pace for a third-straight double figure season with RIFC, Chico will lead the line as a member of the visiting team at Highmark Stadium for the first time on Saturday.

Defensive Stability

Rhode Island FC has been one of the hardest teams to score on of late, allowing only one goal in it's last four matches and keeping three of its nine total clean sheets in that time. The club's back-to-back clean sheets marked the first such streak since RIFC and Pittsburgh met in April, and its 198 minutes without conceding marks the second-longest run in club history. The recent run of defensive form includes a pair of defensive selections to the USL Championship Team of the Week, with goalkeeper Koke Vegas and defender Stephen Turnbull getting the nod in back-to-back weeks. Vegas matched a season-high five saves in a 0-0 draw with Loudoun United FC, including his first penalty save in second-half stoppage time to secure the shutout, while Turnbull scored the match-winning goal against Birmingham in the heart of a defensive line that limited The Three Sparks to just four total shots.

The Attack is Back

Rhode Island FC's shutout win over Birmingham added to an attacking force that currently sits fifth in the USL Championship with 39 goals so far this season. Against Birmingham, JJ Williams added to that tally with a goal and an assist off the bench, becoming only the second Rhode Island FC player to register multiple goal contributions off the bench in a single match. In its last three matches, the Ocean State club has scored six goals from six different goalscorers. Of those six, three were defenders in Frank Nodarse, Turnbull and Grant Stoneman, while Joe Brito, Williams and Chico rounded out the scoresheet. With 14 different players making up RIFC's total scoring tally this year, the options for Head Coach Khano Smith are plentiful as the club looks to break into the top four in the Eastern Conference this weekend for the first time in club history.

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