Riverhounds get important contributions from young, new players
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The Pittsburgh Riverhounds went to Philadelphia on Saturday and made a statement with a 6-0 victory over their cross-state rival.
The black and goal received contributions from players up and down the roster as they earned their second victory of the season. They also took another step forward as a team, which is something coach Bob Lilley has been looking for.
Pittsburgh (2-0) now heads into a two-game week as they host Indy Eleven at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the home opener at Highmark Stadium, a game to be televised on ESPN2. The Riverhounds then travel to Red Bull Arena in New Jersey to take on the New York Red Bulls II on Sunday.
Lilley met with media Monday via Zoom to discuss several different topics, from two young players scoring their first professional goals Saturday to what his team will have to do during an early-season measuring stick matchup with Indy Eleven.
Youth movement
On Saturday, Lilley saw two of his younger players — Danny Griffin and Lukas Fernandes — score their first professional goals in a landslide victory.
After assisting on Ropapa Mensah’s goal in the 29th minute to get the scoring started, Griffin tallied his first goal with a left-footed shot. After the Hounds had passed the ball around the box, Pittsburgh native Robbie Mertz hit Griffin in the middle of the box and Griffin found the back of the net.
First professional goal ✅
Congrats, @DannyGriffin04! #UNLEASH #PHIvPIT pic.twitter.com/svt342oTa3
— Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (@RiverhoundsSC) July 19, 2020
“I thought, for his first pro game start, he handled himself pretty well and he wasn’t tired,” Lilley said. “I wasn’t pulling him because he was tired in the second half; we wanted to get some other guys out there.”
Fernandes hit his mark in the 67th minute as the Rochester, N.Y. native finished off a pass from Griffin with a tap into the right side of the goal.
PILE IT ON. #UNLEASH #PHIvPIT pic.twitter.com/JKrvZivuuc
— Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (@RiverhoundsSC) July 19, 2020
Both players put their mark on the match against Philadelphia, and Lilley was happy to see that some of his newer players have meshed with his coaching style.
“It is very important what we’ve gotten from some of the young players at this point, but also some of the new players,” Lilley said. “They’ve handled it pretty well and we’ve talked about, regardless of the results, trying to get better each game.”
Laser focused
The Riverhounds will play on a national stage for the second time this season, and the match is an important one for several different reasons.
To start, it’s the first time the Riverhounds will be playing on their home field in 2020, where they are unbeaten in 25 regular-season games. But, it also will be the first professional sport played in Pittsburgh since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
Lilley admitted to knowing how big the stage will be and how important the match is. But, in a shortened season, where they only get 16 games, every game is important, and the veteran coach is trying to keep his team focused on the task at hand.
“We are aware of (the importance of the game), but with our group and my teams, we just want to win the next game, we want to be successful,” Lilley said. “We know not to jump ahead; you have to get results on a consistent basis. It’s a tough opponent, they are playing well and we will have to be good on the night to get a result. I want them just thinking about that.
“I’m glad we’ve started well and people are talking about us here, but if we want them to keep talking about us, we have to keep showing that we are getting better and we are a top team.”
Pass happy
Kenardo Forbes has been a mainstay with Lilley over the years, from their time together with the Rochester Rhinos, to what they’ve accomplished in Pittsburgh. Over that time, Forbes has become known as one of the best passers in the USL Championship. Now, he’s approaching the all-time career assists record for the USL Championship.
The Jamaican native has tallied four helpers this season and is currently tied with Jorge Herrera at 35. Maikel Chang holds the record at 37.
While Lilley could rattle off a list of what has made Forbes successful over the years, he said it just came down to one thing.
“He’s a good passer and he gets better every year,” Lilley said. “I’ll leave it at that.”
Goalie competition
Through the first two games of the season, goalkeeper Tomas Gomez hasn’t faced much pressure. The Webster Grove, Mo. native has made three saves on four shots and also gave up a goal during their match with Louisville.
Lilley is hoping to get a better picture of what Gomez can provide when the Riverhounds face Indy Eleven on Wednesday.
“They (Indy Eleven) are going to create some dangerous moments, and he is going to be tested,” Lilley said. “Let’s hope he’s ready. He’s had a couple of dress rehearsals, and it’s important for him to have this game and be able to manage it.”
Not only is Lilley hoping to see what he has in Gomez, but he’s also looking forward to a time when backup keeper Danny Vitiello can have an opportunity to show what he can do. In a shortened season, Lilley said the opportunities are limited, but he sees Vitiello earning a starting opportunity in the future.
“He’s going to get a game here soon; I mean in a 34-game season it’s easy to get your backup eight to 10 games and develop him and have him ready in case your starter goes down,” Lilley said. “In a 16-game season it’s difficult to rotate things but I do believe that Danny is capable and I expect us to get him ready.”
Measuring stick
While the Riverhounds will have an opportunity to prove themselves on a national broadcast Wednesday, they’ll also have the chance to see where they stand in the USL.
Indy Eleven is 3-0 and atop Group E after defeating Saint Louis FC, 2-0, and Sporting Kansas City II, 2-1, the past two weeks. It also defeated Memphis 901 FC in March before the USL championship season was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Right now, my guess is Indy should be the measuring stick,” Lilley said. “I think Saint Louis is a really good team and they handled Saint Louis pretty comfortably, and I don’t think Saint Louis played bad. I know Indy is the real deal.”