WHO:
Pittsburgh Riverhounds, 13-10-4, 49 points, 2nd place Eastern Conference
WHAT:
A USL match
WHEN:
Saturday, September 15, 2018, 7:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Highmark Stadium, 510 W Station Square Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
WATCH:
TV: WBKI RADIO: 790 WKRD STREAM: ESPN+
Louisville City’s having a watch party at Flanagan’s on Baxter Avenue, and that’s fun, and you should probably go there if watching soccer in public is your thing. You can also find the game on at Against the Grain, Saints, either Molly Malone’s location, Mellwood Tavern, and probably Butchertown Pizza Hall. Despite common belief, the players actually can hear you when you yell at them through the TV, so keep that in mind when you’re wildly gesticulating in their general direction.
WHO, AGAIN?
We’re heading down the home stretch here, y’all. City’s only picked up six points in their last five matches. Pittsburgh’s only lost four times all year, and are now two points ahead of City in the table with the same number of games played. Frankly, this is a match Louisville City needs to win if they want to take second place for their own at the end of the year. It will not be easy.
Bob Lilley’s teams are basically tailor-made to beat Louisville City’s style of play. They don’t really want the ball. They like scoring, but are okay if they don’t. They try to live in the opponent’s passing lanes. They’ve got big, physical centerbacks who aren’t there to pass, but instead knock the daylights out of the other team’s center forward so they’re too disoriented to do anything useful if they can ever actually get the ball. Their entire purpose, really, is to frustrate the shit out of the other team and nick a goal on a counter or a mistake if they can. They’re very good at all of those things.
Neco Brett’s been banging them in all season for the Hounds. He’s slowed down a bit, but given City’s defensive frailties on counter attacks, he’s definitely someone to worry about. Daniel Lynd’s got eleven clean sheets on 35 saves, which means he’s not facing very many shots during games (46 all season). The 17 goals the Hounds have surrendered in 27 games is a testament to that.
The way City wins this game is patience. Picking their spots. I think a good idea, really, would be to let Pittsburgh have the ball a little, just to see if they know what to do with it. They like to turn the middle 30 yards of the field into an interminable traffic jam, so maybe if they have the ball they’ll have to open up some space that City can then exploit with a turnover and counter of their own. Playing Louisville City soccer against Bob Lilley hasn’t earned Morados very many wins, so a change in tactic is probably a smart idea. Let’s make it happen.
VAMOS MORADOS, VAMOS A GANAR!
