After winning Group 4 of the USL Jägermeister Cup and advancing to the quarterfinals with a dramatic 2-2 tie vs. Hartford Athletic on July 26, Rhode Island FC will return to USL Championship regular season action Saturday as it heads to Highmark Stadium to take on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. After becoming just the second club all season to win in Pittsburgh when the two clubs last met on May 31, RIFC will look to level the all-time series vs. The ‘Hounds and lift itself back above the playoff line with three points vs. a stingy Pittsburgh defense. Ahead of the fifth all-time meeting between the two clubs, and third this season, here is everything you need to know.
AT A GLANCE
Date | Saturday, August 2
Kickoff | 7:00 p.m. ET
Location | Highmark Stadium – Pittsburgh, Pa.
Broadcast | NESN+, EPSN+
Radio | 790 The Score (790 AM)
Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook)
Game Hashtag | #PITvRI
Last Meeting | May 31, 2024: PIT 0-1 RI – Pittsburgh, Pa.
PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS SC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Eric DIck, 31-Jacob Randolph, 67-Ben Martino
DEFENDERS (7): 3-Perrin Barnes, 5-Sean Suber, 6-Max Broughton, 13-Luke Biasi, 16-Beto Ydrach, 23-Guillaume Vacter, 28-Illal Osumanu
MIDFIELDERS (9): 2-Danny Griffin, 4-Aidan O’Toole, 8-Junior Etou, 12-Charles Ahl, 14-Robbie Mertz, 15-Bradley Sample, 18-Jorge Garcia, 20-Jason Bouregy, 42-Jackson Walti
FORWARDS (4): 9-Augi Williams, 10-Bertin Jacquesson, 17-Brigham Larsen, 70-Pablo Linzoain
Leaving it Late
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC last took on Miami FC in the lone USL Championship game on Tuesday night, playing to a hard-fought 1-1 tie. After Pittsburgh goalkeeper Eric Dick matched a season-high five saves to keep the visitors out of the back of the net for the majority of the game, Miami FC eventually broke the deadlock in the 83rd minute, taking a 1-0 lead that looked set to confirm a valuable road win. The ‘Hounds did not back down, finding an equalizer with one of the last kicks of the game in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time. The magical moment came when Charles Ahl connected with a cross at the near post for his first-ever professional goal. The strike rescued an important point for the hosts, marking its third-straight regular-season tie and keeping a season-long, seven-game unbeaten streak across all competitions alive.
Happy at Highmark
The tie vs. Miami marked the beginning of a four-game homestand for Pittsburgh, who has only had to travel away from Highmark Stadium once since the end of June. The ‘Hounds have taken full advantage of the lengthy homestand so far. The club is currently unbeaten in seven games, with its last loss across all competitions coming on June 14 in a narrow 1-0 defeat at Indy Eleven. The club has earned seven of its nine total wins in all competitions at Highmark Stadium, with its last loss at home coming at the hands of Rhode Island FC in the Jägermeister Cup group stage on May 31. With the win, Rhode Island FC became just the second club to beat Pittsburgh at Highmark Stadium this season, with the only other home loss for Bob Lilley’s side coming against North Carolina FC on May 3. In the regular season, only one of Pittsburgh’s six total losses has been suffered in front of the home fans, complimenting a near-perfect home record that has turned Pittsburgh into a fortress.
Brick Wall in Net
In line with Bob Lilley’s signature coaching style, Pittsburgh has been near-impenetrable in the back this season, boasting one of the best defenses in the USL Championship. In net, reigning USL Championship Goalkeeper of the Year Eric Dick leads the USL Championship with seven clean sheets, averaging more than two saves per game. He has made a season-high five saves three times this season, including last time out vs. Miami FC and during the club’s 1-0 shutout win vs. Rhode Island FC at Centreville Bank Stadium on May 24, which handed the Ocean State club its first-ever loss at its new home. Despite scoring just 15 goals, which is the third-lowest in the USL Championship, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has conceded just 15 goals across 17 league games this season, which is the third-best total in the league. Its airtight defense has kept it in the hunt for one of the top 4 spots in the East as the back half of the season gets underway.
RHODE ISLAND FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 22-Jackson Lee, 1-Koke Vegas, 13-Will Meyer
DEFENDERS (7): 4-Hugo Bacharach, 6-Aimé Mabika, 14-Rio Hope-Gund, 15-Frank Nodarse, 2-Dani Rovira, 3-Aldair Sanchez, 5-Grant Stoneman, 24-Karifa Yao, 16-Cole Dewhurst
MIDFIELDERS (10): 80-Isaac Angking*, 18-Joe Brito, 20-Zachary Herivaux, 12-Clay Holstad, 17-Jojea Kwizera, 8-Taimu Okiyoshi*, 21-Maxi Rodriguez, 77-Amos Shapiro-Thompson, 19-Kevin Vang, 23-Marc Ybarra
FORWARDS (3): 10-Albert Dikwa, 11-Noah Fuson, 9-JJ Williams
*Out on loan
Spark in the Attack
Although Hartford Athletic took the extra point in the penalty shootout during the Jägermeister Cup group stage finale last time out, Rhode Island FC’s attack did enough to earn a point in regulation and win Group 4. The 2-2 result after 90 minutes marked the third time this season RIFC has come from behind to earn a result, and the third time the club has scored multiple goals in a game at Centreville Bank Stadium. After RIFC went down 1-0 late in the first half, Amos Shapiro-Thompson leveled the score in the 49th minute with a long-range rocket, scoring his first-ever goal for RIFC, and the second of his professional career. Half an hour later, RIFC earned a penalty kick after Albert Dikwa “Chico” was fouled in the penalty area, and Maxi Rodriguez converted his tied-team-leading fifth goal of the year in all competitions to make it a 2-1 game. Rodriguez is now 2-2 from the penalty spot this season, scoring both of Rhode Island FC’s in-game spot kicks at Centreville Bank Stadium.
Rhode Warriors
Although Rhode Island FC has spent much of the summer at Centreville Bank Stadium, the club has proven it can pull its weight on the road. Six of its eight wins across all competitions this season have come on the road, including the win in Pittsburgh the last time these two clubs met. Although RIFC has struggled to score at times this season, its biggest wins have come on the road. In the regular season, RIFC has scored 10 goals in nine road games, while netting just four goals in eight regular-season games at home. Notable road results for the Ocean State club include a commanding 4-1 win at USL League One side Westchester SC, a pair of dominant 3-0 wins over the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Oakland Roots, and a 1-0 clean sheet victory over Birmingham Legion FC.
Scouting the Series
In Saturday’s meeting, which is the fifth all-time between the two clubs, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will become Rhode Island FC’s most frequently-played opponent, beating out Charleston Battery (4 meetings), Hartford Athletic (4 meetings), Louisville City FC (4 meetings) and Birmingham Legion FC (4 meetings). Rhode Island FC has never beaten or scored against Pittsburgh in the USL Championship regular season. In the first three meetings between the two clubs, Pittsburgh kept three shutouts against RIFC, out-scoring the Ocean Stat club 3-0. The 1-0 Jägermeister Cup win for RIFC in the club’s last meeting saw it score its-first ever goal against the Riverhounds, and collect its first-ever win against Bob Lilley’s side. The shutout win against Pittsburgh marked the first clean sheet of the season for RIFC goalkeeper Jackson Lee, who matched his season-high 4 saves to secure all three points for the Ocean State club. Pittsburgh currently leads the all-time series 2W-1L-1T, giving Rhode Island FC an opportunity to level the series when it makes its second visit to Highmark Stadium this season on Saturday.
