Pittsburgh Riverhounds eliminated by Orlando in USL PRO playoffs
By Larry Snyder
On a rainy Saturday night at the Florida Citrus Bowl, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer club could not contain the attack of the second-seeded Orlando City Lions, losing 5-0 in the first round of the USL PRO playoffs.
Orlando forward Long Tan opened the scoring in the third minute of the first half off a well-placed corner from defender Luke Boden.
The Lions doubled their advantage on the scoreboard in the fifth minute with defender Renan Felipe Boufleur cleaning up a loose ball inside the 6-yard box and finding the back of the net against Hounds goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap for a 2-0 lead.
Tan scored his second goal of the evening in the 48th minute off an outstanding back-heel pass from forward Dennis Chin. The two goals in one game by Tan was the first time the striker accomplished the feat since coming on board with Orlando City in the 2012 offseason.
The Lions added two more goals to seal the deal with Chin converting in the 68th minute off an assist from Tan while midfielder Anthony Pulis scored on a penalty kick in the 80th minute for a commanding 5-0 lead.
Gilstrap had four saves for the Hounds while Lions goalkeeper Miguel Gallardo-Aparicio had two on the night. Orlando led in shots 21-15 over Pittsburgh.
Saturday Playoff Results: The No. 5-seed Charlotte Eagles were the only team to win on the road in the first round of the playoffs as they beat the Harrisburg City Islanders 3-1 at the Skyline Sports Complex in Pennsylvania’s capital city.
The eighth-seeded Dayton Dutch Lions were shut out 1-0 by the regular-season champion Richmond Kickers at City Stadium in Virginia.
Finally, the No. 6 Los Angeles Blues was defeated 2-1 by the third-seeded and defending USL PRO champion Charleston Battery at Blackbaud Stadium in South Carolina.
The next round will see the Orlando City Lions host the Charleston Battery on Friday while the Charlotte Eagles will face the Kickers in Richmond next Saturday.