Riverhounds prepare for home opener at Highmark Stadium
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The Riverhounds have a tall task ahead of them as they get set to host Group E leader Indy Eleven for their home opener at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Highmark Stadium.
The difficulty of Pittsburgh’s next contest doesn’t just come from the quality of play Indy Eleven brings to the table. It also comes from the pressure and attention off the field.
The Hounds will be the first professional sports team to play in Pittsburgh since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. They’ll also be playing on a national stage for the second time this season as the game is being televised on ESPN2.
Riverhounds coach Bob Lilley is a veteran when it comes to keeping his team’s focus, and that has been a priority.
“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.”
With league-leading goal scorer Tyler Pasher (four goals) at the front of its attack, along with Nick Moon, who has two assists, Indy is dangerous on the offensive end. Indy has allowed three goals, scored eight and controlled around 55% of the possession.
When it comes to slowing down Indy Eleven, Lilley said it starts with slowing down Pasher. How do they do that?
“That’s the question I’ve been thinking about since the end of the Philly game,” Lilley said. “It even creeped in last week because I knew Indy was coming up.”
Pasher and Moon present a myriad of problems for the Riverhounds. They are quick and mobile, read plays early and play off each other, which makes things even more difficult for defenses. But creating offense can give a defense a sense of relief, so Lilley and the Riverhounds are trying to structure a balanced attack while still being able to defend Indy’s top weapons.
“We’re mindful of his abilities, and we’ll try to put tactics together to slow (Pasher) down,” Lilley said. “It’s that old phrase, though, ‘You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him.’ I mean we don’t want him — I believe he had nine or 10 shots the last game — if he does that we’re probably in trouble. So hopefully we can contain him and limit the havoc he can cause, while also doing a good job on Moon.”
Through the first two games, the Riverhounds have played two types of teams. Louisville City FC was an experienced team that liked to pass and control the possession, while Philadelphia was a young and inexperienced team that played free and open.
Lilley believes Wednesday’s game will be a good sign of where his team stands.
“Their personnel is very good, and we have our work cut out for us because of us being a little bit younger and not having everyone back,” Lilley said. “But by the same token, we have some great character in this group. I know they were ready for the challenge in Louisville, and they are going to want to go show that they are a good team in the East.”