The Pittsburgh Riverhounds battled toe-to-toe with USL Championship leaders Louisville City FC, but two second-half strikes sent the visitors home with a 2-0 win at Highmark Stadium. Despite outshooting Louisville 14-7 and controlling 63 percent of possession, the Hounds were kept off the scoreboard for the first time in nine matches. Louisville (17-1-6) now sits six points clear atop the standings with six games remaining, while Pittsburgh falls to 8-9-7 on the season.
The opening 45 minutes were a cagey, physical affair punctuated by hard tackles and half-chance scrambles. Neither side managed a shot on target until stoppage time, though sparks flew in the 21st minute when Robbie Mertz circled defender Brandon Dayes inside the box only to go down under a tugged arm with no whistle. Tensions flared again in the 40th minute after Cameron Lancaster’s collision with goalkeeper Eric Dick, sparking a brief exchange of shoves before play resumed. In injury time, Lancaster and Danny Griffin both tested Louisville’s backline with tame attempts, but neither threatened the deadlock.
Just five minutes into the second half, Louisville drew first blood from a corner. The ball was played back to Adrien Pérez in space; his low shot ricocheted around the six-yard box until Kevon Lambert pounced on the rebound to nod home. The Hounds argued that Pérez or Sean Totsch were offside on the initial strike, but the officials allowed the goal to stand.
Pittsburgh responded aggressively, with Augi Williams springing Mertz into the box, only for Sean Totsch’s slide to smother his left-footed effort. Minutes later, Mertz whipped a free kick to the far post where Beto Ydrach rose to head across the crease, but Josh Jones cleared the danger just before the goal line. Those near misses underscored the Hounds’ urgency, but Louisville’s defense held firm.
In the 84th minute, Pittsburgh’s fresh attackers nearly found a breakthrough when a weighted pass from Williams eluded the back line, only to be hacked away at the last moment before reaching Chase Boone. Three minutes later, Louisville put the result beyond doubt on a swift counter. Jansen Wilson threaded a pass through the heart of the Hounds’ midfield to Pérez, who raced onto it and slotted past Dick on the breakaway.
Robbie Mertz stood out as Pittsburgh’s most dangerous outlet, delivering 14 crosses and creating three clear chances—both team highs. His creativity in the attacking third was pinpoint accurate, completing 15 of 16 passes in the final third and repeatedly probing Louisville’s defense despite the scoreline.
Next up, the Riverhounds hit the road for an Eastern Conference clash at Hartford Athletic on Saturday, Sept. 20 (7 p.m.). Hartford (10-9-5) sits four points ahead of Pittsburgh after their 4-0 win at Monterey Bay FC.
(photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds)