LEESBURG, Va. (October 1, 2019) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (17-4-10) defeated Loudoun United FC (7-17-6), 2-1, on Tuesday at Segra Field. With the win, the Hounds now hold the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Loudoun struck first with a tally from Kyle Murphy in the 52nd minute. Shortly afterward, Pittsburgh fought back with goals from Neco Brett in the 57th minute and Joe Greenspan in the 62nd minute.
“We were able to defend well in the back half of the game and limit their chances,” head coach Bob Lilley said. “It was an important three points. I’m proud of the guys. They had a lot of travel and a lot of wear and tear the past 10 days or so.”
First Half
The first shot of the match came in the 23rd minute.
Streaking down the left side of the pitch, Anthony Velarde fired a shot just wide of the far post. Brett followed up with a shot of his own one minute later, but his attempt on target was saved by goalkeeper Calle Brown.
Robbie Mertz and Sammy Kahsai added shots on target of their own, but those also were turned away by Brown.
At the halftime whistle, the Hounds held the opposition without a shot on target.
Second Half
After a scoreless first half, the second half went a different direction.
Loudoun jumped on the board first with a goal from Murphy in the 52nd minute. The striker took advantage of the counterattack and headed a cross served in from teammate Kevin Paredes.
Afterward, the Hounds took over. Brett notched an equalizer in the 57th minute, finishing a tic-tac-toe passing display that included Kenardo Forbes and Velarde. Then just five minutes later, Greenspan sent a left-footed shot into the net, being in the right place following a Forbes-taken corner kick.
To close the match, Pittsburgh buckled down and did not allow a shot on goal for the remainder of the action. Loudoun’s only shot on target occurred on its goal.
Hound of the Match
Neco Brett posted his team-leading 12th goal of the season, and all three of his shots were on target.
Stat of the Game
At 698 minutes, the Hounds’ shutout streak came to an end. This is the second-longest shutout streak in USL Championship history.
What’s Next
Riverhounds SC returns to Pittsburgh for its regular season home finale, battling Atlanta United 2 (8-16-7) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Highmark Stadium. The match will mark Fan Appreciation Night, and the first 2,000 fans will receive a free Kick for Cancer T-shirt, courtesy of Allegheny Health Network.
Lineups:
Riverhounds SC – Kyle Morton; Ryan James, Tobi Adewole, Joe Greenspan, Todd Pratzner, Noah Franke; Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Robbie Mertz, Sammy Kahsai (Kenardo Forbes 53′), Anthony Velarde (Mouhamed Dabo 85′); Neco Brett (Steevan Dos Santos 74′)
Subs not used: Austin Pack, Jordan Dover, Kevin Kerr, Uchenna Uzo
Loudoun United FC – Calle Brown; Peabo Doue, Harri Hawkins, Miguel Angel Garduño, Hunter Gorskie; Moses Nyeman (Gordon Wild 45′), Antonio Bustamante, Griffin Yow (Kevin Paredes 45′), Theodore Ku-Dipietro (John Murphy 74′), Andrew Lubahn; Kyle Murphy
Subs not used: Colin Miller, Alioune Ndour, Connor Presley, Shane Wiedt
Scoring Summary:
LDN – Kyle Murphy 52′ (Kevin Paredes)
PIT – Neco Brett 57′ (Anthony Velarde)
PIT – Joe Greenspan 62′ (Kenardo Forbes)
Misconduct Summary:
PIT – Robbie Mertz 22′ (caution)
LDN – Kyle Murphy 35′ (caution)
LDN – Miguel Angel Garduño 44′ (caution)
