USL Pro: Pittsburgh Riverhounds Can’t Complete Rally In Home-Opening Loss To Wilmington
By Matt Gajtka
Riverhounds forward Jose Angulo (center, hand raised) celebrates his second half goal. The Riverhounds lost their home opener Saturday, April 12 at Highmark Stadium. (Photo: Matt Gajtka)
The scene was perfect, but the Pittsburgh Riverhounds couldn’t quite match the atmosphere for their home opener at Highmark Stadium.
Despite generating three second-half goals in a stirring rally, the Riverhounds were too loose defensively in a 4-3 loss to the Wilmington Hammerheads on Saturday night. Pittsburgh fell to 0-2-1 in USL Pro action this season.
A sellout crowd of 3,902 was present on a pristine spring evening on Monongahela River, but the night ended in controversial fashion when Joseph Ngwenya’s apparent tying goal in stoppage time was nullified for being offside. Daniel Earls made the offending pass, and it was too close to tell from most vantage points.
“It looked (good) from my angle, but I couldn’t tell,” Riverhounds coach Justin Evans said. “It looked like (the pass) went straight across to me. The referee’s got the best angle.”
Hounds forward Collins John, who had a goal and an assist, was ejected for arguing the call with head referee Mathieu Bourdeau. Midfielder Matt Dallman also had a beef with the officiating on the play, contending that Earls was fouled after feeding to Ngwenya from inside the penalty area.
But instead of a chance at a penalty kick, the Hounds had to swallow a defeat that kept them winless on the year. Pittsburgh went 0-4-3 to begin last season before surging late to make the league playoffs.
“We just couldn’t overcome our deficit,” said Riverhounds goalkeeper Greg Blum, a native of nearby Ambridge, Pa. “We didn’t put a full 90 (minutes) together.”
Related: Photo gallery captures scenes from Hounds home opener
Pittsburgh trailed 2-0 at halftime on goals by Pennsylvania natives Steven Miller and Daniel Lovitz, the first on a strike from the top of the 18-yard box and the second on a free kick tucked into the top-right corner of the net.
“We made a couple of stupid fouls,” Evans said. “We gave up the free kick in first half, and that’s difficult. We’ve got to be a little more steady and not give up cheap fouls around the box.”
Despite their early deficit, the Riverhounds were far from stagnant in the opening 45 minutes. Wilmington goalie Quillan Roberts was often spectacular early, denying John (header) and Dallman (free kick) on what seemed to be sure goals.
A sluggish start doomed the Hounds last week in a loss at Richmond, but Evans didn’t have a big issue with how his club came out Saturday.
“It’s not like we didn’t have the chances,” Evans said. “We had some good chances, but theirs went in the back of the net. We didn’t necessarily come out flat…if we score early it changes the game for us.”
The Hounds emerged from halftime with a new formation, swapping out a defender for a fifth midfielder. The strategy paid off almost immediately when defending league MVP Jose Angulo headed home his second goal of the year off an expertly-placed corner kick from Dallman.
“To go down 2-0 at the half is tough, but we changed the formation a little bit,” Evans said. “We got a little more attacking, and the guys came out with good energy.”
Samuel Ochoa restored the visitors’ two-goal lead in the 57th minute, but John answered back moments later, depositing his second Riverhounds goal when he tapped in a loose ball in front of the net.
Watch the Steel Army supporters section celebrate John’s goal, drawing the Hounds within 3-2:
Wilmington (1-0-1) was staggered for a few minutes until Ochoa scored again in the 64th minute, this time on a penalty kick. A Californian with MLS experience, Ochoa drilled a low shot into the left side that Blum couldn’t quite reach.
With a loss looming, Pittsburgh substitute Kevin Kerr kept the partisans engaged by half-volleying a centering pass from John high into the twine in the 86th minute. Four minutes of stoppage time were added, during which the Hounds kept the Hammerheads pinned in their end, but it was for naught.
In the end, Wilmington’s quick strike offense was too much for the Riverhounds to contain.
“They play pretty direct, so we had to deal with the long balls (better),” said Blum, who made six saves. “It was a pretty open game…they play it long.”
Although Saturday’s congregation was slow arriving due to congestion at Station Square, Blum said their energy should continue to lift the Hounds on their home turf.
“It’s really cool to see (the support),” Blum said. “It’s awesome. It’s a lot different from when I was growing up. It’s definitely nice.”
Pittsburgh travels to Richmond, Va., next Saturday for a rematch with the Kickers. The Hounds fell 3-1 to the defending regular-season champions April 5.
Notes: The Hammerheads and Riverhounds finished with 10 shots apiece…Pittsburgh committed 15 fouls to Wilmington’s nine…The two sides were even in corner kicks with five, although all of the Hounds’ came in the second half…Ngwenya, Andrew Marshall and Brian Ownby each were issued warnings for Pittsburgh.