Rather a lot has been made from the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’s highway struggles forward of Saturday’s 2-2 draw in opposition to The Miami FC in a match that was delayed a number of occasions, and didn’t finish till early Sunday morning.
There was a two-hour and 50 minute climate delay, then when the second half was set to start out, the lights went out at Ricardo Silva Stadium.
FINAL: Riverhounds SC 2, The Miami FC 2
The match itself supplied loads of thrills for many who caught round to observe in particular person and on the published. Going again to final season, the Hounds are actually 1-2-2 general in opposition to Miami.
I’ll say this a lot. The Hounds haven’t been afraid to take every match to its opponents on the highway this season.
They’re fearless.
As soon as once more, they had been trying to get ahead rapidly within the attacking third, attempting to create possibilities early whereas additionally they held the sting in possession. All through the evening, their two most imaginative and protracted play makers, Alex Dixon and Russell Cicerone created havoc within the closing third.
Nevertheless, bringing numbers ahead additionally left room and loads of house on the again finish for opponents to search out a couple of scoring possibilities. Miami took benefit of a set piece to take the lead, then in first half stoppage time, caught the Hounds’ napping.
Within the newest version of ‘Sounding Off on Soccer’, Mark Goodman and I went back-and-forth on a number of the causes for the Hounds’ highway woes. He introduced up some glorious factors in regards to the Hounds missing pace, not being ‘tough-in-the-tackle’ and carrying down late in matches whereas I additionally addressed a number of the selections they’ve made tactically to play aggressively on the highway and leaving the again line to be uncovered at occasions.
Watching the newest match, all of those points got here to the forefront for the Hounds.
Bob Lilley’s squad confirmed loads of resolve to battle again for what was an vital outcome to cease the highway carnage of late.
Essentially the most optimistic takeaway for the Hounds’ is that for the primary time in 5 matches, they’ve come again from a highway journey with some extent within the bag. For a workforce with excessive expectations, highway outcomes are a should.
They’re at present in fourth place, one level behind Detroit Metropolis FC, subsequent week’s opponent in what’s going to all of a sudden turn out to be an vital match for positioning within the high half of the Jap Convention standings.
Techniques / Personnel / Formation
All the time mixing issues up from week-to-week, the Hounds opted to go along with a 3-4-2-1 (or 3-4-3) to start out the match.
Head Coach Bob Lilley has been utilizing the central midfield trio of Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes and Dani Rovira to start out most matches of late, nevertheless, the place they’re located within the formation continues to be fluid. In Miami, Lilley opted to make use of Rovira on the width, reverse Nathan Dossantos, whereas utilizing Forbes and Griffin to anchor the central midfield. Griffin stayed at house a bit greater than Forbes, who moved up at occasions to assist the attackers.
This additionally allowed the Hounds to maintain Alex Dixon larger up within the attacking finish, alongside Cicerone, the place they had been capable of create sufficient harmful possibilities to gas a optimistic effort on the highway.
Pittsburgh stayed compact in form many of the match. Dixon had loads of freedom to work both aspect of the broader channels within the attacking third, and used his means to beat defenders off the dribble and likewise ship quite a few harmful balls into the field, whereas Cicerone continues to additionally work with Kelly to search out the seams within the defenses.
On this match, Lilley, who has moved his heart backs round relying on match-ups, positioned Mekeil Williams in the course of the trio.
Lilley went to his bench fairly early within the second half (54′) to swap Rovira out for Luis Argudo.
The Hounds made two extra subs within the 79th minute, as Toby Sims and Albert Dikwa got here in for Cicerone and Dossantos.
Pittsburgh held the possession edge (56/44%), had extra passes (531-431) and for the primary time in a highway recreation shortly, they had been the stronger workforce on the finish of the match. Within the pictures division, Pittsburgh had extra quantity (16-10), however Miami delivered extra on body (5-4).
Turning the tide on the highway?
Initially, the try to get on the entrance foot within the early going of highway matches this season paid off within the Hounds’ first two highway wins at Memphis (a 3-0 shutout, now trying occasion extra spectacular, particularly with 901 FC sitting on the high of the USL Championship’s Jap Convention standings) and at Tulsa, because the Hounds scored seven objectives in these two matches.
Blended in between these two matches additionally included a first-ever match at Detroit Metropolis FC, the place the Hounds had been clearly on the entrance foot on the outset of the match, dictating phrases and play, on its strategy to a 1-0 lead. Because the second half of that match, once they surrendered a second half objective and withstood a powerful assault from Det Metropolis, Pittsburgh has been enjoying most of its highway matches on its heels, particularly within the closing 45 minutes.
The Open Cup highway loss at FC Cincinnati, noticed the identical theme. A strong first half, however unable to transform on a couple of high quality possibilities. Within the second half, FCC subs introduced every part however the kitchen sink, bringing a few of their high gamers off the bench. The Hounds held on bravely, however finally misplaced to FCC in additional time.
They fell behind at Louisville and Tampa, however in each matches, they faltered within the second half.
That modified on Saturday.
g+ GameFlow: USL Championship Common Season @TheMiamiFC v @RiverhoundsSC on Might 28, 2022. #VamosMiami #UNLEASH #MIAvPIT pic.twitter.com/F7VOCos7m1
— GameFlow (@GameFlowxPG) May 29, 2022
The sturdy late kick on Saturday — on a really lengthy evening — needs to be encouraging for Hounds followers.
Defensive Lapses
The Hounds needed to battle again on this match as a result of the protection was overpowered a couple of occasions.
The primary got here on a nook kick. Miami performed the set piece to the close to publish space, and whereas the Hounds’had all marks coated alongside the objective field, they didn’t pick-up the late trailer, Junior Palacios, who got here barreling into the field to smash the ball previous the scrum and into the objective.
22′ | Com’mon….. pic.twitter.com/s2MLlZERlL
— Miami FC (@TheMiamiFC) May 29, 2022
The following got here in stoppage time when Hounds weren’t capable of include a burst of Miami pace when Joshua Pérez received behind the left aspect of the protection — Jelani Peters to be exact. Whereas Kevin Silva made the preliminary save, however Adonijah Reid tapped the ball into the open internet on the rebound.
That was method too simple. This will probably be one thing that Lilley will in all probability be working on repeat within the subsequent Hounds movie session.
Listed here are the nonetheless frames of how the Hounds’ allowed one more lengthy, direct ball depart them uncovered. It’s been an on-and-off situation since final season.
It didn’t begin out that method, because the again line had been in first rate place. Nonetheless you possibly can see that the Hounds had been a bit stretched with the hole between the again line and the central midfielders.
Shortly, Peters has his palms full with Pérez, who initially burst by means of to the ball performed on the proper aspect.
At the same time as Peters recovered, the opposite heart backs, Williams and Ordonez, had been in good place with the subsequent attackers five-to-10 yards in entrance of them. Nevertheless, each had their backs turned — watching the ball.
After Pérez’s shot try was saved, each Ordonez and Williams had been caught out of place with no assist from their midfielders or wingers.
Making a heads up run, Reid has loads of room to chop between the closest Hounds defenders for the scientific end.
The Hounds defensive form wasn’t cohesive and fast sufficient to disclaim a direct lengthy ball. It is a good instance of the again line being stretched out and never having sufficient assist and never correctly closing out house in a harmful state of affairs.
On the postiive aspect for the Hounds, within the second half, Miami solely might get one shot try, as Pittsburgh tightened issues up significantly, whereas enjoying on the entrance foot for a lot of the ultimate 45 minutes.
They made the required changes and completed sturdy, however solely after surrendering one other pair of highway objectives that had been pretty preventable.
Dixon and Cicerone Gas the Hounds’ Assault
Dixon and Cicerone had been a dynamite mixture in 2021. They related greater than one other different pairing we’ve seen in Pittsburgh since Kevin Kerr and Rob Vincent, combining for twenty-four objectives and 20 assists.
Firstly of 2022, with the addition of Dane Kelly, the assault added one other dimension and a cold-blooded finisher.
For all of Kelly’s attributes, which supplies the Hounds with extra high quality and depth in its assault, currently they’ve relied an increasing number of on Dixon and Cicerone to ship in key moments.
Within the seventeenth minute, Dixon discovered Cicerone breaking into the field with a lethal correct cross because the latter broke into the sting of the field. After taking a contact and accelerating ahead, Cicerone was tripped by Devon ‘Speedy’ Williams to win a penalty.
Stepping as much as take the spot kick was Dixon, who in all probability tried to get too cute to combine up Miami’s keeper Connor Sparrow by chipping his try within the higher heart space of the objective, which didn’t idiot Sparrow.
As soon as the Hounds surrendered its first objective, Dixon determined to not get cute along with his subsequent probability.
Following a harmful cross into the field, Dane Kelly elevated to beat Sparrow to a excessive cross. After the ball pinged round for a bit, Kelly’s header fell to Dixon, who didn’t maintain again in blasting a shot that struck the physique of Cicerone, then deflected into the web.
The comeback from @RiverhoundsSC ?#MIAvPIT pic.twitter.com/15QIWSaNV5
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) May 29, 2022
Dixon and Cicerone all the time appear to search out one another — even when it’s unintentional.
And when it’s intentional, they make it look even prettier.
Trailing 2-1 early within the second half, Cicerone performed a pleasant diagonal ball to Dixon on the left aspect.
The 32-year veteran took it from there.
No phrases ?@alexdixon19 did THAT.#MIAvPIT | @RiverhoundsSC pic.twitter.com/cDGJhs0vUr
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) May 29, 2022
Dixon practically had one other help in stoppage time, however Kelly’s header missed over the bar.
Whereas Kelly battled on with no actual, high quality probability, and Albert Dikwa supplied some power off the bench it was Dixon and Cicerone who had been the catalysts.
Combining for 3 of 4 shot makes an attempt, profitable 4 fouls and scoring twice, Dixon and Cicerone’s persistence paid dividends, giving the Hounds with an opportunity to salvage a highway level.
Participant Grades (MIAvPIT)
Participant |
Grade(out of 10) |
Key Stats / Notes |
| Goalkeeper | ||
| Kevin Silva | 5 | The nook kick objective was a bit confounding, as ball performed to close publish might have supplied alternative to return off his line although it was fairly a scrum. Three saves, one punch out however conceded two objectives. |
| Defenders | ||
| Jelani Peters | 4 | Received 4 of 9 duels, conceded two fouls, one clearance, one interception. |
| Mekiel Williams | 5.5 | 4 clearances, received 4 of 4 duels, 92% passing accuracy as Hounds’ steadiest determination maker out of the again proper now, however nonetheless, that second Miami objective was tough. |
| Arturo Ordonez | 5 | Received 7 of 10 duels, two tackles, three clearances. Crew excessive 77 passes. Similar as Williams re: second Miami objective. |
| Midfield | ||
| Dani Rovira | 4 | received 1 of seven duels, simply 29 passes, conceded 3 fouls, and was pulled in favor of Argudo within the 54th minute |
| Kenardo Forbes | 5.5 | received 4 of 12 duels, conceded 4 fouls, passing accuracy at 77% — with 63 passes with three profitable (of seven) crosses to create three possibilities. Not up this he excessive requirements, however nonetheless productive evening. |
| Danny Griffin | 5.5 | 91% passing accuracy, received 5 of 10 duels, created one probability, conceded three fouls |
| Luis Argudo | 5 | reveals flashes of brilliance, however general pedestrian efficiency as second half sub; created one probability; received 1 of seven duels; |
| Nathan Dossantos | 4.5 | Conceded three fouls, had yellow card; 50 passes, however didn’t create too many possibilities on his aspect. |
| Toby Sims (79′) | n/a | First look shortly, with some high quality moments. |
| Forwards | ||
| Dane Kelly | 4.5 | By his requirements, a beneath par efficiency for the USL C’s all-time objective scorer, however he continues to work arduous and draw defenders. |
| Alex Dixon | 7 | GOAL; actually might have been three objectives and the Cicerone credited objective was a results of his effort to get a harmful shot try on objective. |
| Russell Ciccerone | 7 | GOAL; ASSIST; additional bonus factors for being in the proper place on the proper time. The cross over to Dixon confirmed he has nice imaginative and prescient and may arrange possibilities too. |
| Albert Dikwa | n/a |
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