Photo by Ed Thompson
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC are now focused on getting their first win of the season, but their next opponent won't be an easy one — their second trip to the Southwest this season to win the USL Championship. This is because they will be playing against the previous cup champion team. , Phoenix Rising FC.
We'll have more on this matchup later this week.
Plus, before I roll up my sleeves and go full throttle with some sicko content from the U.S. Open Cup, there's going to be an analysis column about the Hounds' scoring drought (1 goal in 5 games!!???) , please pay attention. Also, a new edition of the podcast “Sounding Off on Soccer” will be released on Thursday or Friday with special guests.
Also, be sure to check out the Pittsburgh soccer schedule for the next few weeks below, as several men's college programs in the area wrap up their spring schedules on Saturday, including another “cross-turn” game between Robert Morris and Point please. park. I'm not sure when the last time Point Park and RMU played each other, but when I was the head coach at Point Park, we faced Bill Denniston's RMU team in the 1998 spring game. (I'm sure!!). . Sure, we remained competitive, but it was a final score that escapes my memory. In the fall of 1998, we scrimmaged Duquesne at the newly named Rooney Field and got a good bang for our buck, missing some of that season's key starters and losing a 1-0 decision.
Check out the 1998 Point Park men's soccer team.
In the meantime, here's a little closer look at the Open Cup possibilities…
The Hounds will also find an opponent for the U.S. Open Cup later this week (possibly Friday, but not yet announced) after the third round of the nation's longest-running knockout soccer competition concludes on Friday. A lottery will be held to decide. 4th round (Round of 32) match.
The remaining eight USL Championship teams and eight MLS teams will advance to the Round of 32 with the winner of Round 3. The eight teams in the USL Championship include the Hounds and 2023 league champion Phoenix Rising FC, with the next top six teams from the 2023 standings advancing to the Round of 32.
The third round began on Tuesday, with clubs from the USL Championship (USL 2nd Division) competing in the tournament, with 4 of the 5 clubs from the 2nd Division advancing (Road in a penalty shootout against USL League 1's Charlotte Independence). Only Island FC lost). .
For more updates on the Open Cup, you can always check out the great work our friends at TheCup.US are doing, including previews of all third-round matches scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
Last year's Open Cup success gave the Hounds a big boost heading into the rest of the season, as head coach Bob Lilley was able to give players who didn't play much earlier in the season some invaluable minutes. It brought momentum. , he contributed to the win while also giving the coaching staff great confidence that he could go deeper on the depth chart if needed throughout the rest of the season.
The Hounds have struggled this season, with only 13 different field players starting through five games this season. So it's going to be something to watch. That's because the Hounds' Round of 32 game also serves as an opportunity to give more players a chance to step up when given the opportunity to start.
We will continue to monitor the tournament over the coming days, but the Hounds' potential opponents are anyone's guess at this time. This tournament does its best to maintain regionality in the early rounds, so the four-team pods most likely to be drawn will be from either the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, or Midwest groups. It will be. In the end, it is likely that there will be a grouping of four teams. With the exception of the Charleston Battery and Tampa Bay Rowdies, most of the USL Championship teams entering the Round of 32 are in the West Division, and it is highly unlikely that any club would be in the same lottery as the Hounds. The same could be said for the eight MLS teams participating in the Round of 32, as Atlanta is the only club from the Eastern time zone to qualify. To balance things out, it's very difficult to predict where the Hound will end up.
In my best of the best, the Hounds will face the winners of Loudoun United FC vs. Richmond Kickers, New York CFC vs. Hartford, and random MLS teams with little geographic connection (Atlanta United FC, Sporting KC, Houston Dynamo, FC Dallas is all in play).
Teams currently advancing include:
- Detroit City FC (USLC)
- New Mexico United (USLC)
- Louisville (USLC)
- Oakland Roots (USLC)
- Charlotte Independence (USLL1)
Here are the remaining matchups for teams that could be in the Hounds' lottery.
- NYCFC II (MLSNP) vs Hartford (USLC)
- Carolina Core FC (MLSNP) vs North Carolina FC (USLC)
- Indy Eleven (USLC) vs Chicago Fire II (MSLNP)
- Loudoun United FC (USLC) vs Richmond Kickers (USLL1)
The other seven USL teams advancing to the Round of 32 are:
- Phoenix Rising SC
- charleston battery
- Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
- orange county south carolina
- Sacramento Republic FC
- San Antonio FC
- tampa bay rowdies
The MLS teams that will advance to the Round of 32 are:
- Atlanta United FC
- fc dallas
- Houston Dynamo FC
- Los Angeles FC
- real salt lake
- san jose earthquake
- Seattle Sounders FC
- Sporting Kansas City
Remaining US Open Cup schedule
round of 32 Tuesday, May 7th – Wednesday, May 8th
round 16 Tuesday, May 21st – Wednesday, May 22nd
Quarter finals Tuesday 9th July – Wednesday 10th July
semifinal Tuesday, August 27th – Wednesday, August 28th
Last Wednesday, September 25th
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Pittsburgh Soccer Schedule (2024/4/17 – 2024/5/8)
Thursday-Friday, April 18-19, U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 Drawing
Saturday, April 20 (Men's College) — Duquesne vs. Tiffin 1 p.m. Rooney Field
(Men's College) — Robert Morris at Point Park TBA Highmark Stadium
Riverhounds vs. Phoenix Rising FC 10:03 p.m. Phoenix, Arizona
Saturday, April 27th Detroit City FC vs. Riverhounds 7:00 p.m. Highmark Stadium
Saturday, May 4 Miami FC vs. Riverhounds 7:00 p.m. Highmark Stadium
