Under a stadium-record roar of 6,220 fans at Highmark Stadium, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds punched their ticket to the USL Championship Eastern Conference Final after defeating Detroit City FC 4-3 on penalties following a second straight 0-0 playoff stalemate. The crowd, by far the loudest the Hounds have hosted in postseason play, set the tone all night, turning each breakaway, block and close call into a wave of rising tension that carried the match deep into extra time and a nerve-jangling shootout.
A Night of Pressure and Defense
The game was a chess match of forward thrusts and last-ditch defending. Pittsburgh controlled possession (58 percent) and outshot Detroit 18-5, but neither side could find the decisive finish in 120 minutes of intense, physical soccer. Hounds goalkeeper Eric Dick, a wall all season, matched his own club record with his 14th shutout across competitions and produced a handful of game-defining moments that kept Pittsburgh in the tie long enough for destiny to be decided from 12 yards.
First Half Moments
Early promise arrived when Bradley Sample sliced inside and fired a low shot through traffic that forced a smart save from Carlos Saldaña. The Hounds pressed consistently—Augi Williams flashed wide from 20 yards in a rapid transition chance—and the home side’s movement and width repeatedly tested Detroit’s rearguard. Dick capped the half with a physical, crowd-pleasing stop on a dangerous free kick, tumbling atop bodies to smother the danger and preserve the clean sheet.
Second Half Chances and a Disallowed Goal
The second half opened with Hounds chances on the heels of Detroit turnovers. Charles Ahl rushed a shot high, then Beto Ydrach’s header from Robbie Mertz’s corner sailed over. Danny Griffin came closest in the 67th minute, meeting a pinpoint Mertz delivery with a header that bounced narrowly wide. In the 71st minute Pittsburgh thought it had the breakthrough when Williams nodded home a long diagonal from Luke Biasi, but referee Natalie Simon ruled a push in the box and correctly disallowed the goal. Sample nearly forced a stoppage-time winner, but his late effort drifted over the bar.
Extra Time and the Late Drama
Extra time handed a brief scare when Eric Dick raced off his line in the 96th minute to block Jordan Adebayo-Smith with his head and shoulder—an instinctive play that summed up the keeper’s night. Pittsburgh continued to press: Bertin Jacquesson’s near-post header rebounded off the left post in the second half of stoppage time, and Robbie Mertz was denied again by Saldaña with a full-stretch save that kept the match scoreless and sent it to penalties.
Shootout Heartbreak and Triumph
The shootout unfolded like a thriller. Detroit’s first two takers converted, but Mertz’s penalty was brilliantly pushed away by Saldaña to give Detroit an early edge. Detroit then saw two consecutive kicks rattle wood, Devon Amoo-Mensah hit the post and Ryan Williams struck the crossbar, shifts that swung momentum back to Pittsburgh. Bertin Jacquesson stepped up and converted, Augi Williams and Sean Suber followed, and Beto Ydrach finished with a cool, high strike to the right that clipped off the fingertips of Saldaña and sealed the Hounds’ 4-3 shootout win.
Modelo Man of the Match
Bradley Sample was the engine in midfield, running the show for all 120 minutes. He completed 90.2 percent of his passes (55 of 61), dominated the attacking third with 22 of 26 completed passes and finished second on the team in recoveries with eight. His composure and ball retention under pressure were instrumental to Pittsburgh’s ability to control long stretches of the match.
Attendance and Atmosphere
The announced crowd of 6,220 set a new Highmark Stadium record, turning into an extra man for the Hounds. The fans’ energy was palpable from kickoff through the final penalty, playing a consequential role in what became one of the most electric postseason nights in club history.
What Comes Next
Pittsburgh, the No. 4 seed, will host seventh-seeded Rhode Island FC in the Eastern Conference Final at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15. Rhode Island advanced with a 2-0 win over North Carolina FC. The Hounds split the regular-season meetings with Rhode Island this year and will look to harness this home-field momentum—and a record-setting crowd—to reach the Championship Final for the first time since the current postseason format began in 2016.