Following three straight home matches, Republic FC heads East to the Steel City this week to face Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in an inter-conference matchup. One of the league’s top clubs, Pittsburgh looks to be one of the Quails toughest tests this season. Sacramento visits the shores of the Monongahela River for the very first time as each of the previous two contests with the Pennsylvania side took place at Heart Health Park.
Last Week’s Results: #PITvLOU
A matchup between two heavyweights at Highmark Stadium saw Pittsburgh play to a scoreless draw against Louisville City FC. Stingy defense on both sides kept the match tight for all 90 minutes as the two sides combined to put just a single shot on target. The point kept the Hounds tied for the top spot in the Eastern Conference table with Charleston Battery and marked the club’s tenth straight unbeaten result – tied for the longest active streak in the league with Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Riverhounds SC this Season
Pittsburgh welcomes Sacramento on a hot streak. The club’s last loss came on April 22 – an unbeaten run tied for the longest active in the league – and since that date, the Hounds have recorded six wins and four draws. Since May 28, the club has only allowed one goal, recording clean sheets in five of its last six – including four straight from May 28 to June 17. Except for Republic FC, no team has been as good defensively this season; Pittsburgh has conceded only 12 times, just one more goal than Sacramento.
Players to Watch
Anchored by Arturo Ordonez and Joe Farrell, the Hounds’ backline has been dominant the last month, keeping opposing attackers off the score sheet in all but one match. How Head Coach Bob Lilley deploys the duo against Sacramento’s aggressive attack could decide the contest, which figures to be a defensive battle.
Between the sticks, Jamaican Jamali Waite has missed the last two weeks for Pittsburgh while out on international duty at the Concacaf Gold Cup. Waite will again be out with his nation’s advance to the Quarterfinals of the tournament this weekend. Sacramento has previously faced off with the player that’s filled in for him – former Loudoun United shot-stopper Luis Zamudio. Last September, the club put four goals past him in a September 10 win.
Head-to-Head
Sacramento and Pittsburgh have only faced off twice in the past. Most recently, the two clubs played to a 1-1 draw at Heart Health Park last October 9. After Rodrigo Lopez converted from the penalty spot, the visitors equalized moments later to split the points. Before last season two sides hadn’t faced off since 2014, when Sacramento recorded a 5-0 victory in the first match of the fixture.
