WHO:

Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 3-12-4, 13 points, 13th place Eastern Conference

WHAT:

Louisville City’s 22nd USL game

WHEN:

Friday, August 5, 2016 7:00 p.m. Yeah, it’s smack in the middle of the opening ceremonies at the Olympics. But it’s 2016. Put your computer next to your TV and multitask.

WHERE:

Highmark Stadium, 510 W Station Square Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

WATCH:

At Against the Grain, or Saints, or Great Flood, or Over the Nine, or wherever! You can also catch it right here on the YouTubes:

WHO, AGAIN?

I was busy yesterday and didn’t get a good chance to publish Taylor Hamblin’s Keys to the Game post, so here it is:

After a heartbreaker loss to OCB, the boys in purple find themselves on the road against Pittsburgh Riverhounds. The Hounds sit in near dead last, while LCFC has slide down to 2nd after the baby bulls kicked Harrisburg’s rear 5-0. So lets look at the keys for the game.

Pitt “Scoot my butt across the floor” Riverhounds Keys:

Normally, I base my review on the last game but Harrisburg is very inconsistent so I quickly scanned through several games to write the review. Besides playing like what their mascot leaves in the yard (dooty), the hounds have had a similar season. Their season has been nothing short of doggy-do. Although, they are coming off a 4-1 smashing of Wilmington Hammerheads they are not spectacular on the field. The season that was so optimistic has coming to a screeching halt. They are hoping to salvage the rest of the season with something to say good job about.

Pittsburgh will need to play as team in great form. There have been moments where the Hounds have looked like a playoff team, and other times they look like my U-9 team on candy, just all over the place. They will need to get some more consistent offense, at times they looked threatening and at most times not well organized. Having said that they will be hoping to keep their form after a blasting of the hammerheads, going into the game against LCFC.

LCFC:

LCFC will be looking to bounce back and their biggest key will be to finish the ball! We should have put OCB away many times but failed to do so. Yes we lost, but a call that changes the whole game shouldn’t have had LCFC in that situation in the first place had we finished the ball. The referee had no idea that they would score again, however if he was going to call the first penalty, he needed to card the player that hit Paolo and call a PK on the OCB goalie after he did not get the ball and ran over a LCFC player in the possess (and I am a goalie saying my position getting the benefit of the doubt is wrong at times). So having said that no one should lose like that, I agree completely with O Conner on his post game interview (You do not see athletes getting fined for saying calls were bad on social media or in an interview). After hearing so many people comment on the USL and LCFC that they wanted to give up season tickets after that game, I was inclined to almost agree with them, but here’s the kicker. IT IS LOUISVILLE CITY FC so hate the league for not at least informing us that they would look into it but rather fining the club for being passionate about the sport. LCFC did what any family would do and when they get robbed they tried to fix the problem. The loss is heartbreaking but you got to not worry about it and just go out there and play the game.

Prediction 2 0 LCFC

If LCFC wants to say “shove it USL” they need to do it here or at least say “were one of your biggest marketing teams”, they need to put the Weiner Dogs away early and never let off the gas. Like Charlie Sheen “I have one speed Go!” That is what LCFC need to do this game. Forget the losses and take the USL by storm! Come on you Boys in Purple!

Thanks, Taylor H.! COME ON, CITY!