Rowdies Rally Sends Hounds to Road Defeat
Published on August 30, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
An early lead slipped away from the Pittsburgh Riverhounds after the Tampa Bay Rowdies scored twice in an 11-minute span of the second half to defeat the Hounds, 2-1, tonight at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Charles Ahl, the rookie and Florida native, scored his second goal of the year to put the Hounds (7-8-7) in front in the second minute. But goals by Lewis Hilton and Woobens Pacius swiped the points for the Rowdies (6-12-3), who had lost by the same score in Pittsburgh back in June.
The loss deals a blow to the Hounds hopes of a home playoff match, as they now sit five points back of fourth-place North Carolina FC with only eight to play.
First half
The Hounds were in front with their fastest goal of the season, officially 119 seconds into the match.
Luke Biasi worked the ball down the left side and lifted a pass into the path of Robbie Mertz, who was running toward the goal line in the box. Mertz made one cut before dropping a pass back to Ahl, who placed a shot into the top right corner of the net with his first touch from 12 yards out.
Augi Williams nearly doubled the Hounds' lead in the 25th minute after Mertz sent a no-look flick toward goal from a broken play. Williams circled around the left of goalkeeper Ethan Bandré and shot toward the open net, but former Hounds defender Thomas Vancayezeele raced back to clear the ball off the line as his momentum carried him falling into the goal.
Eric Dick made his biggest save of the game in stoppage time. The Hounds' goalkeeper shuffled quickly to his right and made a diving, full-stretch stop to deny Hilton on a powerfully hit shot from 25 yards away.
Second half
The Rowdies got back into the match from a corner kick in the 64th minute, as newly entered substitute Joey Skinner won the header. Dick made the reflexive save by pushing ball off the crossbar, but it bounced down into play and into the path of Hilton, who was able to direct the ball over the line off his knee.
The Hounds continued to press for a second goal, and a pair of Mertz crosses were just out of the reach of Williams - one parried away by a flailing Bandré, and the other just too tall for the striker.
But it would be Tampa Bay who struck last in the 75th minute. Substitute Manuel Arteaga hit a long, diagonal ball from the left side into the Hounds box, where Pacius received the pass on the right side. Pacius took a touch and scored on the angled finish for his Rowdies-leading eighth goal of the year.
Suddenly trailing, the Hounds continued to press forward, and Williams nearly pounced on an errant pass backward that forced Bandré to leave his box and make a last-ditch clearance. That would be the Hounds' best chance of the final 15 minutes sending them to defeat for only the second time since June 14.
Modelo Man of the Match
Robbie Mertz made the opening goal happen with his run to the goal line and pass laid back to Ahl, and he was on target all night by connecting on 33 of 36 passes (91.7 percent). Mertz also had two chances created and 10 total crosses in his attacking role.
What's next?
The Hounds will complete their three-game road stretch with a cross-country trip to face Oakland Roots SC at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, at the historic Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the longtime home of the NFL's Raiders and MLB's Athletics. The Roots (6-11-3) are hosting Monterey Bay FC in a match late tonight.
Riverhounds SC lineup (3-4-2-1) - Eric Dick; Guillaume Vacter (Illal Osumanu 85'), Sean Suber, Beto Ydrach; Luke Biasi (Junior Etou 85'), Bradley Sample (Jackson Walti 74'), Danny Griffin, Perrin Barnes; Robbie Mertz (Bertin Jacquesson 84'), Charles Ahl (Chase Boone 74'); Augi Williams
Tampa Bay Rowdies lineup (3-5-2) - Ethan Bandré; Aarón Guillén, Robert Castellanos, Thomas Vancaeyezeele; Blake Bodily (Joey Skinner 60'), Laurence Wake, Lewis Hilton (Charlie Sharp 74'), Danny Crisostomo (Nick Moon 60', Juan Carlos Azócar 75'), Paul Marie; Woobens Pacius, Luiz Álvarez (Manuel Arteaga 46')
Scoring summary
PIT - Charles Ahl 2' (Robbie Mertz)
TBR - Lewis Hilton 64'
TBR - Woobens Pacius 75' (Manuel Arteaga)
Discipline summary
TBR - Danny Crisostomo 50' (caution - reckless foul)
TBR - Paul Marie 69' (caution - reckless foul)
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