RIFC are back on the road this weekend as they are set for a 3rd meeting with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Saturday night.  The two teams met back to back in late May, with the Riverhounds winning 1-0 in the league followed by a 1-0 RIFC win in the Jägermeister Cup.  Let’s take a look at what to expect from both teams as they head into this one.

RIFC come into this one off of a tough two weeks.  When the schedule was first released, back to back home derbies against Hartford Athletic sounded incredible.  But all we have to show for it is a 0-0 draw, getting taunted by Hartford’s goalkeeper, sanctions to the supporter’s group, blowing a game up a man for over an hour to get another draw, and losing on penalties to allow Hartford to advance in the cup as a wild card.  Great times all-around.

I think that pretty much sums up the vibes as RIFC head into Pittsburgh.  But this is supposed to be a preview of the upcoming game.  We can’t dwell too much on the past.

Yet again, I’m going to forego my usual format here.  Typically, I provide a lineup and some keys to the game.  But here, I’m going to search for some positives for RIFC heading into this game, as difficult as that might be.

Positives

• It’s Only 6 Points
  • RIFC sit 10th currently with 17 point from 17 games.  Not a positive, but on the bright side, the gap between us and Pittsburgh in 5th is 6 points.  I’m not saying RIFC will catch them, but at least it’s well within reach mathematically
• Getting Healthy
  • The return of JJ Williams and debut of Hugo Bacharach give Khano Smith more options in the squad.  More than that, they both should be starters.  Having them back should help raise the game of their peers.  Competition for spots is always good.  You have to think Koke Vegas is also nearing a return in goal.  I think the team misses his ability on the ball
• Turn the Page
  • This game is an opportunity for RIFC to turn the page.  I know there have been several opportunities for that throughout the season so far, but this one at least feels a little unique.  There has been a lot of turmoil these past couple of weeks, both on and off the field.  Traveling away to Pittsburgh is a chance to leave that in the past and reset.  You’ll also be getting Khano Smith back after he was out due to suspension last weekend
• 3 Points in Pitt
  • Lastly, RIFC got the monkey off their back with a 1-0 win in Pittsburgh in the last meeting.  That has to count for something.  The Riverhounds are almost always a tough team to play against, so having gotten the 3 points on the road should provide at least a little confidence

So there you have it.  Some positives.  It’s not an enviable job, but someone has to do it. 

Now, this doesn’t mean I think RIFC are going to go smash Pittsburgh or anything.  My usual confidence that slowly grows throughout the week isn’t really there anymore.  At best, I’m just relieved to move forward from the recent mess

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds enter this game having drawn 4 straight.  I’m including the loss on penalties to Portland Hearts of Pine in what was essentially a meaningless game, with both teams having already been eliminated from the competition before kickoff.  The most recent of these draws was a dramatic 1-1 against Miami FC on Tuesday night.  The Riverhounds scored with essentially the last touch of the ball to rescue their point.

Style

Bob Lilley typically sets his team up in a 3-4-2-1.  It looks something like this:

This setup requires their wingbacks to provide all of the width in attack and the two central attacking midfielders play off of a strong striker.  Defensively, the two central midfielders put in a lot of work to help protect the backline.  When things are working, Pittsburgh can be a tough team to play against because they can easily switch from being more defensive to more attack-minded depending on what the game requires.

Key Players

• Eric Dick (GK)
  • One of the best goalkeepers in the league.  Tied for lead with 7 clean sheets
• Robbie Mertz (MF)
  • Often plays as one of the two 10s.  Leads team in goal contributions with 5
• Jackson Walti (MF)
  • Defensive midfielder who leads the team in interceptions and is near the top in accurate passes.  Important in protecting the backline and getting the ball to more attack-minded players

Some Stats

• The Riverhounds have lost twice in 11 games at home this season, making them tough to beat at Highmark. The losses were 1-0 against RIFC and 2-0 against North Carolina FC
• Pittsburgh are 3rd in the league for fewest goals conceded per game and 22nd in goals scored per game
• They’re 5th in interceptions per match and 2nd in successful tackles

Despite the positives I pointed out for RIFC, I can’t bring myself to predict a win here. You are what your record is and RIFC’s is one of the worst in the league. Add to that the fact that Pittsburgh don’t concede a lot of goals and are tough to beat, I have to choose a Riverhounds win. Trust me: I will be thrilled to be wrong. But as I mentioned earlier, the positivity that I usually have late in the week just isn’t there.

Up Next

I will be back with the Riptide Report to give my quick takeaways from the game Saturday night. As always, I hope I have a lot of positive things to say. I just can’t expect it anymore. No matter what though, I will be here to keep churning out the blogs.

UP THE TIDE!