Preview: Hounds at Sporting Jacksonville
Published on July 13, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
PITTSBURGH - After closing out USL Cup play with a win, the Hounds' schedule is down to league matches only beginning with a Wednesday night visit to Sporting Jacksonville in front of a national TV audience.
The match will be aired live on CBS Sports Network beginning at 7:30, the first of two consecutive national games for the Hounds with their big home match on CBS against Louisville City FC awaiting this Saturday. But the Hounds have more reason than just the larger audience to be aiming for all three points on the road.
The Eastern Conference remains cluttered as the season's midpoint arrives, and the Hounds - currently in sixth place - are only four points behind third-place Detroit and the same distance ahead of Rhode Island, which is out of the playoff spots in ninth currently. Winless Jacksonville would seem to be a place the Hounds can move up the ladder, but the league newcomers already showed the Hounds once already they're no easy out.
The Hounds won the first meeting between the teams 3-2 in Pittsburgh, but that only tells part of the story. The Hounds held a 3-0 lead on a pair of goals by Albert Dikwa on either side of a Sam Bassett finish, but Jacksonville came roaring back with goals by Mohamed Traore and Emil Jääskeläinen to make it a tense final half hour on the South Shore. Close but not quite has been the story of Jacksonville's debut year, which includes arguably the wildest result of the Championship season after blowing a 3-0 lead before coming from behind to salvage a 4-4 draw with San Antonio.
Jacksonville has conceded a league-worst 41 goals this season, but the Hounds will have to attack their defensive deficiencies without leading scorer Dikwa, who is serving a one-match suspension after being sent off July 4 against Brooklyn. That likely leaves the No. 9 role to Trevor Amann, who has five goals across all competitions this season, including a big one in his last start in league play, the team's 2-0 road win at Louisville back on May 9.
Kieran Sadlier leads Jacksonville with seven goals on the season, and Jääskeläinen has four goals and four assists for the Florida side. The team did pick up a result on the road in their last outing, a 2-2 draw at Loudoun United FC on July 3, and they are coming off extra rest after not having a match last weekend on the final day of USL Cup play.
In addition to the CBS Sports Network broadcast, the match will be streamed on Paramount+, and the Hounds' partners at Radio Las Palmas, 92.9 FM HD2 will have coverage of the match in Spanish.
Match Info
Riverhounds (6-5-2) vs. Sporting Club Jacksonville (0-11-4)
Date: Wednesday, July 15
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Hodges Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla.
Odds: Hounds -115 / Draw +250 / Jacksonville +280
TV: CBS Sports Network
Streaming: Paramount+
Radio: Radio Las Palmas, 92.9 FM HD2
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on X/Twitter
Match hashtag: #JAXvPIT
United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 13, 2026
- Miami FC Advances to USL Cup Quarterfinals with 5-0 Victory over Sarasota Paradise - Miami FC
- Hartford Athletic to Visit Charlotte Independence in Quarterfinals of Prinx Tires USL Cup - Hartford Athletic
- Preview: Hounds at Sporting Jacksonville - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
- Applications Open for Second-Annual Republic FC and Wilton Rancheria Indigenous Future Leaders Scholarship - Sacramento Republic FC
- Juan Carlos Obregón Jr. Earns Goal of the Round Nomination - Brooklyn FC
- San Antonio FC to Host Miami FC in Prinx Tires USL Cup Quarterfinals - San Antonio FC
- Rowdies to Host Louisville in Prinx Tires USL Cup Quartefinals - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- LouCity to Visit Tampa Bay in USL Cup's Quarterfinal Round - Louisville City FC
- Orange County SC Return to Championship Stadium with Youngest Ever Lineup - Orange County SC
- Jay Farner, Founder of Ronin Capital Partners, Makes Landmark Investment in Detroit City FC - Detroit City FC
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