Preview: Hounds vs. Birmingham Legion FC
September 26, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
PITTSBURGH - After a rare weekend off, the Hounds resume their push for a seventh consecutive playoff berth with a vital home match against Birmingham Legion FC on Saturday night at Highmark Stadium.
With only five games to play, the Hounds find themselves on 35 points, two points adrift of Loudoun for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. But of greater concern is that both Hartford (37 points) and North Carolina (36 points) used the Hounds' off week to pull back ahead in the standings, creating a logjam near the cut line and forcing the Hounds to seek wins - not draws - to pull back ahead.
Birmingham comes into the match in fifth place, but even the Legion are only six points clear of the Hounds at 41 points. That means the Legion will do everything in their power to avoid a defeat in Pittsburgh that would not only close their lead over the Hounds to three points, but also give the Hounds a season sweep and the first tiebreaker, should the teams end the season level on points.
The Hounds have had time to lick their wounds with 14 days since letting a lead slip away in a 2-1 loss at Tampa Bay. It was the team's first defeat since July 6, snapping a 10-match unbeaten run, but that did little to ease the sting of Leo Fernandes' stoppage-time winner for the Rowdies.
Still, the defense has been more good than bad for the Hounds. The loss at Tampa Bay was only the second time since June 29 the team has given up multiple goals in a game - the other being a 2-2 draw with Colorado Springs - and the Hounds now have the league's best defensive record on a per-game basis, allowing only 0.93 goals per game. Goalkeeper Eric Dick has moved into the lead for the USL Championship's Golden Glove with a personal goals-against average of 0.77, and the Hounds' defense also has allowed the fewest shots by opponents this season.
That bodes well against a Legion team that has struggled to find the net. Despite the Hounds' well-documented struggles during the midway portion of the season, the Legion have scored just four more goals (34) than the Hounds (30) in 2024. Still Enzo Martinez (four goals, four assists) has a history of causing problems for the Hounds, and players such as Stefano Pinho (seven goals) and ex-Hound Tyler Pasher (four goals) make Birmingham capable of stealing points on the road.
Another boisterous crowd is expected at Highmark Stadium to back the Hounds, who have won all four home meetings with the Legion. The always-popular $1 IC Light special will be running until kickoff, starting in the Tailgate Zone at 5 p.m. and expanding into the stadium when gates open at 6 p.m.
Saturday's match is also the Hounds' annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Night, backed by partnerships with La Mega Media and Las Palmas. La Mega will be providing the music and atmosphere with their DJs in the Tailgate Zone, while the vibe will continue inside presented by the newly launched Radio Las Palmas, which will be playing music pregame and during the post-match autograph session. Spanish-language player introductions will also be part of the pregame ceremonies, and at halftime, a celebrity 7v7 soccer match featuring former reality TV stars will be played. Proceeds generated by the 7v7 participants will go to La Promesa Foundation, a locally based charity benefiting the Hispanic community.
The match will air live locally on KDKA+, which will also show a re-airing of the game at 1 p.m. Sunday. Fans in Pittsburgh can also view the match through the KDKA website, and it will be streamed live nationally on ESPN+.
Tickets for the match are still available through Ticketmaster and at the Highmark Stadium Box Office, and for Hispanic Heritage Night, discounted tickets are also available for purchase in-store at Las Palmas.
Match info
Riverhounds (8-10-11) vs. Birmingham Legion FC (12-12-5)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 28
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Odds: Hounds -145 / Draw +240 / Birmingham +390 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on X/Twitter
Match hashtags: #PITvBHM and #HOUNDTAHN
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