April 27, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC News Release
PITTSBURGH – On the day it was announced Pittsburgh would be getting a women’s team in the USL W League, the Riverhounds added an emphatic second W by taking a 2-0 victory over Detroit City FC tonight at Highmark Stadium in front of a regular-season record crowd of 6,099.
Pat Hogan and Danny Griffin from the penalty spot accounted for the goals by the Hounds (2-3-2), and goalkeeper Eric Dick made the only save asked of him for a third clean sheet in four matches.
The Hounds’ win snaps a six-game winning streak to start the season for Detroit (5-1-0), which had won its first five league games and a U.S. Open Cup match.
First half
From the beginning, the Hounds were on the front foot, as Opta stats said 48 percent of the first 15 minutes was played in the Hounds’ attacking third of the field. Bradley Sample had a good early look at the goal that deflected off a Detroit defender, but the ball skipped wide with the goalkeeper moving the wrong direction.
From a corner kick minutes later, Hogan headed the home team in front with his first goal as a member of the Hounds. The ball cycled around before cross from the right and was headed back to the same side where Robbie Mertz controlled it. His second ball in found Hogan unmarked, and he powered the header into the net in the 20th minute.
Junior Etou created the Hounds’ second goal when he received a short pass 40 yards from goal and turned on the jets. He darted past a trio of Detroit defenders to get into the box, and the referee pointed to the spot after he went down from a sliding challenge by Darren Amoo-Mensah.
Griffin stepped up to take the 35th-minute penalty, and though Detroit goalkeeper Nathan Steinwascher guessed correctly, Griffin hit the low shot with enough power to put it in off Steinwascher’s hand for his first goal of the season.
Second half
The Hounds came out looking for a third goal, and a great chance presented itself when Kenardo Forbes – who became the USL Championship’s all-time minutes leader during the match with 21,265 – set up Langston Blackstock hit a powerful shot from 18 yards that barely rose over the bar.
Dick was called into action in the 56th minute to stop Detroit’s only shot on target, a header by Maxi Rodriguez that forced the Hounds goalie to leave his feet and catch for the save going to his right.
The Hounds continued to stay locked in defensively, limiting Detroit to only six total…