Preview: Hounds at Indy Eleven
August 29, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
The Hounds have a shot to move back into the top eight of the Eastern Conference this weekend, but to do so would require picking up a second straight road win as they travel to face Indy Eleven on Saturday night in Indianapolis.
It is the second meeting of the season between the teams after Indy was able to poach a 2-1 win on June 1 at Highmark Stadium. Crucial defenses lapses cost the Hounds on that day, as the team came up short despite having season-high totals of 24 shots and nine shots on goal to go with 68 percent of possession.
But both teams enter Saturday's match trending in different directions than they were in the first meeting. The Hounds entered the first match having failed to win in their previous four, while Indy was in the process of rattling off 10 straight wins in all competitions - the eighth of which was topping the Hounds.
This time around, the Hounds come in with a 4-0-4 record across their previous eight contests, bringing them three points shy of the playoff line and just four back of fifth-place Indy. Indy, meanwhile, has dropped three straight and logged plenty of miles in the process, falling last weekend at Las Vegas and then having their outstanding U.S. Open Cup run end in a weather-delayed semifinal at Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday.
Those sorts of factors rarely seem to matter when the Hounds face Indy, however, as the teams seem bound to play tight matches. The Hounds have the 6-5-3 edge all-time, but 11 of the 14 contests have been settled by one goal or fewer.
Edward Kizza's two-goal performance against Birmingham earned him a Team of the Week spot, giving him a team-leading and career-best seven tallies on the season. He will hope to keep the scoring momentum going while fellow Team of the Week honoree Luke Biasi and the defense aims to help goalkeeper Eric Dick record a fifth shutout in six August matches.
Indy, meanwhile, still has a dangerous set of attackers who all have had success against the Hounds. Top scorer Jack Blake (eight goals in 2024) scored in the 1-1 draw between the teams when they met in Indiana in 2023; Sebastián Guenzatti (five goals) has four career goals against the Hounds, including in this year's first meeting; and Augustine Williams (five goals) scored each of the past two seasons against the Hounds while playing for Charleston.
Fans will be able to catch the match live to kick off their Labor Day weekend with the live broadcast on KDKA+ and the streaming broadcast on ESPN+. KDKA+ also will re-air the match at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Match info
Riverhounds (7-9-10) vs. Indy Eleven (10-9-5)
Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Michael A. Carroll Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.
Odds: Hounds +155 / Draw +210 / Indy +160
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #INDvPIT and #HOUNDTAHN
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