Pittsburgh Riverhounds head to New Jersey for second round of U.S. Open Cup

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds are on the road Tuesday night as they head across the turnpike to New Jersey to take on the Ocean City Nor’easters of the USL Premier Development League in second-round play of the 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament.

The game is set for a 7:30 p.m. start at Carey Stadium, with the winner advancing to play the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer (MLS) next Tuesday. The USL Premier Development League is considered one level below the USL PRO, of which the Riverhounds are a member.

The two ballclubs moved into the second round of play via different routes. It was a tough and dramatic contest at Highmark Stadium last Tuesday as the Hounds beat RWB Adria, a Croatian club from Chicago, with a score of 1-1. The match was decided 5-4 in a penalty shootout. Jose Angulo, Mike Green, Rob Vincent, Matt Dallman and Kevin Kerr all converted in the shootout for Pittsburgh. That same night, the Nor’easters shut out the New York Red Bulls U-23 squad 2-0.

The Riverhounds (1-4-4 overall) are coming into the event undefeated in May in league play (1-0-3) and will meet a Nor’easters team this evening that is undefeated in its first two games of the season. Ocean City is the defending 2012 Mid-Atlantic Division Champions in the USL PDL.

With a victory tonight, the Hounds will get to host the Union next Tuesday, which would be the debut of an MLS squad at first-year Highmark Stadium in Station Square.