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Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

2025 US Open Cup Round 5: Philadelphia Union “stay on the gas”, end Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ Cup run

May 21, 2025 by Phil Naegely

Philadelphia Union players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph - Philadelphia Soccer Now
Philadelphia Union players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph - Philadelphia Soccer Now
Philadelphia Union players celebrate after scoring a goal against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Fifth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Matt Ralph – Philadelphia Soccer Now

On an unseasonably cold, wet, and windy night at Subaru Park, the Philadelphia Union (MLS) pressured the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-C) early and often, coming away with a 4-1 win in front of their home crowd. 

With the win, Philadelphia advances to the US Open Cup Quarterfinals for the first time since 2018 and the sixth time in club history (2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2025). The win also extends the Union’s home unbeaten streak to 13 games, the fourth-longest such streak in the Modern Era (1995-present). Philadelphia’s last home loss was in the 2014 US Open Cup Final against the Seattle Sounders.

After Thursday’s draw, Philadelphia will host the New York Red Bulls in the Quarterfinals the week of July 8-9.  

“When we play at Subaru Park, we control the game,” head coach Bradley Carnell said. “It’s important to stay on the gas and prevent the opponent from controlling the game’s pace.”

The Union did just that on Wednesday night against the Riverhounds.

“We knew from the last time we played Indy that these games are no walkovers,” Carnell said about his team’s performance against Pittsburgh. “We wanted to set ourselves a chance and make sure in the stretch that we are in that we got the job done.”

Philadelphia earned an early penalty kick in the 14th minute when TheCup.us Round 4 Player of the Round Roberto Ydrach’s hand contacted the ball inside the box. Bruno Damiani stepped up to the mark, burying the ball into the back of the net and putting the hosts up early.

Pittsburgh looked to have an equalizing chance of its own, but Danny Griffin’s shot off a corner kick went wide of the net. The Hounds’ two attempts late in the first half were stymied by Union keeper Andrew Rick who dove to stop Griffin’s attempt off a set piece before falling on Bertin Jacquesson’s follow up chance.

The traveling Pittsburgh fans:

— Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald.bsky.social) 2025-05-21T23:41:47.526Z

Off a quick counter attack of their own, the Union doubled their lead. In extra time Indiana Vassilev slotted home a Quinn Sullivan pass, giving the hosts some breathing room heading into the break.

A nice string of passes and sustained possession paid off for the hosts in the second half. Danley Jean Jacques fired home Damiani’s well-placed pass from inside the box, giving the home side a 3-0 lead in the 54th minute.

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Jorge Garcia curled a ball into the right upper 90 of the net, capitalizing on a nice feed from Antoine Williams and putting Pittsburgh on the scoreboard.

Cavan Sullivan, who would have become the youngest goal scorer in known US Open Cup history, had a dangerous shot go wide left as the Union continued to press aggressively in the second half. It was also the first time that he and his brother Quinn both started for the Union in the same game. 

Jovan Lukic added a late second-half insurance goal for Philadelphia to secure the dominant win at home. 

The Sons of Ben and other Union faithful brought the noise and passion all night long and Union coach Carnell thanked the fans post-game for supporting the club in the conditions, “First I’d like to thank the fans. It’s never easy coming to Chester when it’s raining and miserable. Credit to the fans who came out. We really appreciate that.”

 

Filed Under: 2025 US Open Cup, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Central Tagged With: 2025 US Open Cup, Philadelphia Union, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

2025 US Open Cup Round 4: Roberto Ydrach of Pittsburgh Riverhounds voted TheCup.us Player of Round

May 19, 2025 by Josh Hakala

Graphic: Phil Naegely | Photo: Ed Thompson, Pittsburgh Soccer Now

With seconds remaining, the crowd at Highmark Stadium was building to what they hoped was a crescendo as the hometown Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC set up for a corner kick. The game against Major League Soccer’s New York City FC was scoreless and seemed destined for extra time.

Pittsburgh’s Robbie Mertz delivered a corner kick to the far post where it found Roberto “Beto” Ydrach, who headed the ball across the goal and into the back of the net. Moments later, after a wild celebration that saw Ydrach rip off his shirt, the referee blew for full time. This meant the Riverhounds had won 1-0 and delivered their fans a third MLS upset in the last three years, with two of them coming at home in the Steel City.

Ydrach, a rookie who has been a mainstay for the Riverhounds all season, came off the bench in the 77th minute. His roughly 13 minutes of work, including that game-winning goal, was enough to earn him TheCup.us Player of the Round honors.

The award is voted on by TheCup.us staff, a select panel from the North American Soccer Reporters and select backers (those that pledge $10 or more) from TheCup.us’ Patreon team.

He beat out Brandon Vazquez of Austin FC who scored two goals and assisted on another to help the Verde and Black overcome a 2-0 halftime deficit and edge the El Paso Locomotive (USL Championship) 3-2. Orlando City teenager Gustavo Caraballo, whose two goals sparked the Lions to a 5-0 road win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies, finished third.

The game-winning goal by Ydrach was extra special because it was his first professional goal. For the former Akron University standout, waiting to score that first goal and to rip his shirt off was a long time coming.

“It’s been since probably I was three years old, since I started playing soccer,” said Ydrach. “That’s a requirement for a goal like that, right? I had to do it.”

For Ydrach, who was recently called up by the Puerto Rico national team, it was being in the right place at the right time and executing.

“Our assistant coach Rob (Vincent) put me in that position and I just read it in the air, the flight of the ball,” said Ydrach. “The defender stepped up a little bit, so I snuck behind him and just headed it in.”

The celebration that followed was a new experience for the former Big East Defender of the Year.

Roberto "Beto" Ydrach of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal against New York City FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Chris Cowger - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Roberto “Beto” Ydrach of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds celebrates after scoring the game-winning goal against New York City FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Chris Cowger – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

“I blacked out,” he said. “The only thing on my mind was to take the shirt off. I’m not one to typically score that many goals in my career, so whenever I do, it’s typically a blackout scenario where I just run to the corner and have the whole team celebrate with me but it was a great moment for me, you know, we all work really hard for moments like that. To be  able to do something like that in your career is something special.”

Ydrach becomes the first Riverhounds player to be named TheCup.us Player of the Round. 

Filed Under: 2025 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Central Tagged With: 2025 US Open Cup, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Player of the Round

2025 US Open Cup Round 4: Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ last-second winner stuns NYCFC

May 7, 2025 by Colton Coreschi

PIttsburgh Riverhounds players celebrate after scoring a goal against New York City FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Chris Cowger - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
PIttsburgh Riverhounds players celebrate after scoring a goal against New York City FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Chris Cowger - Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
PIttsburgh Riverhounds players celebrate after scoring a goal against New York City FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Chris Cowger – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

When the final whistle blew on Wednesday night, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds fans were treated to a familiar sight — their home team taking down a visiting MLS team at Highmark Stadium for the second time in three years in the US Open Cup.

It came in the most dramatic fashion. With New York City FC reduced to 10-men for a DOGSO (Denying Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity) red card late in the second half, the Riverhounds seized their chance in stoppage time mere moments before the final whistle. Rookie defender Beto Ydrach headed home a corner kick from Robbie Mertz with the penultimate touch of the game to snatch another famous victory for the Hounds in Cup play, this time 1-0 over New York in Round 4.

“I thought we had a pretty good first half,” said Riverhounds coach Bob Lilley, who won his 24th Open Cup game as a coach, which now ranks 5th most in the Modern Era (1995-present). “And then to win it like that, at the death, and not have to play another 30 minutes, was great.”

While New York City largely dominated the first half in terms of possession, each team managed to get off several shots, with the Riverhounds taking the two more dangerous attempts of the first 45 minutes of play.

The Hounds found their first good chance on target in the 10th minute, as a loose ball in the box off a Robbie Mertz free kick wound up falling to Bertin Jacquesson. The Hounds forward managed to pull off a tough, spinning half-volley, sending it towards the net but also straight at NYCFC goalkeeper Tomas Romero.

The best opportunity of the half came the Hounds’ way as well, again through Jacquesson. This time, a three-on-two counterattack was spearheaded by the pacey forward, who opted to keep the ball himself with runners on either side — firing a blocked shot but ending up with his own rebound. His subsequent right-footed effort was on-target and forced a diving save out of Romero in goal.

Ultimately, neither side was able to find the breakthrough in the first half and entered the locker rooms still level at zero.

The second half started out as a cagier affair for the hosts, as NYCFC ramped up the pressure. Led by Julian Fernandez and Hannes Wolf, City forced the Hounds defense deeper and deeper with more crucial saves, punches and step-ups from goalkeeper Eric Dick.

But everything turned on its head in the 78th minute. A long clearance upfield from the Riverhounds bounced in the NYCFC defense, and as centerback Strahinja Tanasijevic waited for his chance to control it, Bradley Sample aggressively pressed and forced the turnover. Tanasijevic had no choice but to drag the Hounds midfielder down as the last man, earning the red card and reducing City to ten.

Bertin Jacquesson of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds looks for the ball against New York City FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Ed Thompson - Pittsburgh Soccer Now
Bertin Jacquesson of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds looks for the ball against New York City FC in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Ed Thompson – Pittsburgh Soccer Now

Despite that, NYCFC had two great chances to win it before the end. In the 83rd minute, Agustin Ojeda rang the crossbar from 20 yards out on a ripped shot off a rebound. He then set up Julian Fernandez on the counter just five minutes later, with the latter inexplicably missing a wide-open net.

Finally, it was the Hounds turn to respond, and they took full advantage. With a late burst of pressure, the Hounds earned a corner in the final moments of added time. Mertz took it centrally from the far corner, where Ydrach was lurking. The rookie defender scored not only the first goal of the night, but the first goal of his professional career and the Hounds first set piece goal of the season, to send the crowd into a rapturous thunder.

“I think we needed a result like this,” Ydrach said. “It was gritty until the last minute, but we dug it out, and hopefully we can take that into league play and get a result on the road this weekend too in Louisville.”

NYCFC barely got a chance to kickoff again before the final whistle blew with the Riverhounds triumphant. The Hounds advance to the Round of 16, while New York City FC suffers an unfortunately familiar early exit to a lower-division foe.

 

Filed Under: 2025 US Open Cup, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Central Tagged With: 2025 US Open Cup, New York City FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

2025 US Open Cup Round 3: Danny Griffin’s early goal enough for Pittsburgh Riverhounds to get past Columbus Crew 2

April 15, 2025 by Nathan Forsthoefel

Players from the Pittsburgh Riverehounds celebrate after scoring a goal against the Columbus Crew 2 in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Saif Greco - Riverhounds SC
Players from the Pittsburgh Riverehounds celebrate after scoring a goal against the Columbus Crew 2 in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Saif Greco - Riverhounds SC
Players from the Pittsburgh Riverehounds celebrate after scoring a goal against the Columbus Crew 2 in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Saif Greco – Riverhounds SC

Despite fresh faces in the starting XI and fatigue from travel, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds did just enough. In the Arch City, Pittsburgh scored early to defeat Columbus Crew 2, 1-0, in the Third Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup at Lower.com Field on Tuesday. 

A curling corner kick from Jorge Garcia took a deflection before being flicked towards the net by Pittsburgh captain Danny Griffin. Columbus goalkeeper Luke Pruter was unable to secure the loose ball, giving the Riverhounds a lead in the 28th minute representing the only score of the match. 

Griffin said that the direction of Garcia’s corner allowed him to put the ball out of reach of Pruter. 

“I know that Jorge can play crosses with either foot so obviously he was going to go with an in-swinging ball. He can go either left or right no matter what side he is on,” Griffin said. “I knew that he was going to whip one hard. My job was just to get in front of the man and once I saw it hard and low I knew I just had to redirect it. I was fortunate to get it into the corner where it was harder for the keeper to save.”

Griffin’s goal served as the game winner as the Hounds backed up his effort with stout defense. They did not concede a single Columbus shot during the first half of play, much to the relief of goalkeeper Jacob Randolph in his season debut. Randolph made three crucial saves in the second half to maintain Pittsburgh’s advantage. 

The netminder was grateful to earn his first career win with the Riverhounds. 

“It’s huge. Last year I played in a few games and got my first career shutout. This is my second one but more importantly it is my first win,” Randolph said. “I take great pride in that. Especially in such a historic competition like the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.”

The rotated Pittsburgh squad earned just the fifth road victory in the club’s 21 Cup appearances. Tuesday’s match was the second of four consecutive road fixtures. 

With the victory, Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley earned his 23rd career US Open Cup win as a coach. He now moves into a tie for fifth place on the Modern Era’s coaching wins table with Adrian Heath. Lilley said the extended road trip is already a challenge for his team. 

“We had to be selective when we pressed with some guys. We would not have been able to make it with our five subs for even 90 minutes if we did not manage this game for some players,” said Lilley. “We had a balance of some experienced players today that also played in Charleston. It is a bit of a sacrifice because now we have to wonder how much they will have in their legs for Saturday in Loudon (Virginia), who is in first place. 

“The league is very important to us as well. It is difficult how they schedule these weeks. It would be easier if we had a couple of home games but when they are all on the road, it is a challenge.” 

Pittsburgh Riverhounds goalkeeper Jacob Randolph plays the ball against Columbus Crew 2 in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Saif Greco - Riverhounds SC
Pittsburgh Riverhounds goalkeeper Jacob Randolph plays the ball against Columbus Crew 2 in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Saif Greco – Riverhounds SC

Pittsburgh endured a major blow late in the second half as Midfielder Junior Etou suffered an injury and was substituted off the pitch in stoppage time.   

Lilley said that the club did not have an official update yet but initial evaluations were not positive. 

“It does not look good. I think he is probably going to be out for a while,” Lilley said.

The Pittsburgh victory ends Columbus’ first venture into the 111-year-old tournament. The Capybarras finish the tournament 2-1-0 while Pittsburgh improved its all-time Cup record to 18-18-3. 

Tuesday’s fixture was not the first time the Riverhounds have eliminated a Columbus team from the tournament. Pittsburgh hosted Columbus’ First Team in 2023, defeating them by the same scoreline of 1-0.

Pittsburgh awaits their Round of 32 opponent which will be decided via draw on Thursday as all 16 MLS sides will enter the tournament. The Round of 32 will take place May 6-7. 

Filed Under: 2025 US Open Cup, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Central Tagged With: 2025 US Open Cup, Columbus Crew 2, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

2024 US Open Cup Round 4: FC Tulsa into Round of 16 for first time after late winner at Pittsburgh

May 7, 2024 by Colton Coreschi

Phillip Goodrum of FC Tulsa (left) battles for the ball against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Ed Thompson - Pittsburgh Soccer Now
Phillip Goodrum of FC Tulsa (left) battles for the ball against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Ed Thompson - Pittsburgh Soccer Now
Phillip Goodrum of FC Tulsa (left) battles for the ball against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Fourth Round of the 2024 US Open Cup. Photo: Ed Thompson – Pittsburgh Soccer Now

On an unexpectedly pleasant Tuesday evening at Highmark Stadium, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds played host to fellow USL Championship side FC Tulsa in the former’s 2024 U.S. Open Cup debut, but the visitors advanced to the Round of 16 and a date against the winner of USL League One’s Union Omaha and MLS side Sporting Kansas City.

Phillip Goodrum scored the game-winning goal, taking a throw-in that landed near his feet before the always-dangerous forward neatly placed the ball through traffic and inside the back post to give Tulsa the 1-0 win in the 88th minute.

It’s the first time FC Tulsa advanced past the Fourth Round of the Open Cup in team history. After six unsuccessful attempts, it marked the first time the club had won a game on the road in the tournament.

While the weather thankfully avoided a dreary forecast, it was a tough first half for both sides that featured heavily rotated lineups. Each squad, many members of whom were making their starting debuts in 2024, took a healthy amount of time to feel each other out, with some scattered chances few and far between and unconverted by either side.

A look at the goal that won us the match and sends us to the Round of 16#ForTulsa | #PatinaGreenCountry pic.twitter.com/oRks1XdHqP

— FC Tulsa (@FCTulsa) May 8, 2024

The Riverhounds largely had the better of the chances, primarily coming from the play of forward EJ Johnson along the left wing. His first opportunity would come in the 5th minute, as a shot from the left wing seemed an easy save for Tulsa goalkeeper Joey Roggeveen, but slipped through his legs and very fortunately went wide of the net.

Johnson would continue to apply the pressure, generating another pair of chances in the 20th and 25th minute. The first came as his run behind the defense was found from midfield. Johnson ran towards the byline and fired in a dangerous cross that unfortunately beat everyone, including his onrushing teammates.

His second would come in similar fashion, with a more concentrated run straight towards goal and right at the last line of Tulsa’s defense. He’d generate a bit of space for his left foot, but would ultimately fire wide of the goal. That counter would also generate the first yellow of the night for Tulsa’s Rashid Tetteh for dragging down Babacar Diene and stopping his run cynically.

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Support TheCup.us and its coverage of the US Open Cup by purchasing a “We Want The Cup” shirt in your team’s colors. Visit THECUP.US SHOP

Tulsa’s best chance would come just prior to half, as a missed interception by Pittsburgh’s Jackson Walti left the midfield badly exposed. The numerically advantaged Tulsa attack was able to generate a shot, but it was blocked by a well-positioned Hounds defense and went out for a corner – taken and cleared as the whistle blew.

The second half started much like the first, slowly and with difficulty, but it was Tulsa who found the first substantial chance this time. A corner just prior to the hour mark was placed nicely into the box and headed home by Milo Yosef for the visitors, but the assistant referee was quick to raise the flag and wave the goal off for offsides.

The Hounds responded quickly, substituting on usual starters Junior Etou and Danny Griffin, who rapidly changed the pace of play. The fresh legs generated several turnovers and key passes, leading to multiple chances in the box for their teammates — specifically with potential chances for Langston Blackstock and Bradley Sample blocked by Tulsa defenders.

Despite several late flurries and a lot of stoppage time, the Hounds found themselves unable to answer back, and the Riverhounds faithful watched their run come to an end in much quicker fashion than their 2023 effort. They now prepare for a league rematch with Tulsa on the road Saturday.

Filed Under: 2024 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup, US Open Cup Central Tagged With: 2024 US Open Cup, FC Tulsa, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

2022 US Open Cup Round 3: Alvaro Barreal’s OT brace leads FC Cincinnati past Riverhounds

April 21, 2022 by Brandon Gee

FC Cincinnati Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2022 US Open Cup Luciano Acosta

FC Cincinnati Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2022 US Open Cup Luciano Acosta
Luciano Acosta of FC Cincinnati dribbles against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Third Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: FC Cincinnati

Riding the momentum of a strong start to their USL Championship campaign and a convincing win in their Second Round U.S. Open Cup match due to a brace from Toby Sims, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds traveled to face FC Cincinnati hoping to upset an MLS team that’s still working to find success at the top level. However, it was Alvaro Barreal’s turn for a brace that ended up dispatching the Hounds as Cincinnati won 2-0 after 120 minutes of play.

“I needed it,” he said. “Luckily, I’ve been able to get back on the pitch and I was able to score two goals tonight. It’s been a while without a goal, a while without playing.
“I hope this is the beginning of a new season in the best way.”

This is FC Cincinnati’s ninth win through 14 Open Cup matches and its first USOC win in their current home, TQL Stadium.

A brace from @alvarobarreal00 to help us advance. Things we love to see. 👏 pic.twitter.com/p2vWujRFMy

— FC Cincinnati (@fccincinnati) April 21, 2022

With both teams fielding a number of players making either their first starts of the season or earning some of their first significant playing time of the year, neither team could generate much in the way of offensive rhythm early on. Towards the middle of the period, the Riverhounds aimed to control possession rather than to play defensive against their top-tier counterparts. Despite improved pace, neither side would score in the half.

FC Cincinnati We Want The Cup shirt US Open Cup
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“I thought the first half, we were too often when we won the ball playing negative, and we weren’t able to advance with the ball with any kind of numbers advantage,” said FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan. “I thought we were a little too safe, and they’re organized, credit to Bob and their team, they do a very good job of staying organized and being tough to break down.”

As the second half kicked off, FC Cincinnati mounted their best offensive pressure thus far but Pittsburgh’s keeper Jahmali Waite, in only his second pro start, stepped up to hold off a flurry of challenges and keep his squad in the game. Cincinnati’s Allan Cruz found himself alone near the penalty spot but rang his shot off the right post. Minutes later, Waite handily made a save off a header from just outside the goal area to keep Cincinnati at bay.

As time drew on in the second and neared full time, Cincinnati upped the tempo, seemingly aiming to finish off the game before reaching extra time. Chaos ensued in front of the Riverhounds net with PRSC bunkering in to defend the attacks, eventually ending in a goal line clearance. The game reached 90 minutes still scoreless.

In extra time, Barrealstepped up. In the 95th minute, the midfielder made his way unchallenged through the left side of the box, forcing Waite to engage, resulting in a foul and penalty kick. Barreal easily put that away over the keeper’s left shoulder to give the MLS side the lead. He followed that up with another goal minutes later as a collision between opposing players left the ball to Barreal on that same left side of the box. A cross to the far-side put Cincinnati up 2-0 and on to the eventual win.

“It’s tournament play, you’ve got to find a way to win a game, and we were able to do that,” Noonan said. “Certainly you want to do it in a certain way, which I think as the game progressed, we found more ideas and more objectives that we were looking for, in how we went about winning the game.”

Filed Under: 2022 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup Tagged With: 2022 US Open Cup, FC Cincinnati, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

2022 US Open Cup Round 2: Toby Sims’ brace leads Pittsburgh Riverhounds over Maryland Bobcats

April 5, 2022 by CJ Cunningham

Toby Sims Pittsburgh Riverhounds Maryland Bobcats 2022 US Open Cup

Toby Sims Pittsburgh Riverhounds Maryland Bobcats 2022 US Open Cup
Toby Sims of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against the Maryland Bobcats in the Second Round of the 2022 US Open Cup. Photo: Chris Cowger | Pittsburgh Riverhounds

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC continued their unbeaten run to the season by defeating Maryland Bobcats FC 2-0 in the Second Round of the 2022 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The win marked their fifth game in all competitions without a loss to start their campaign. This time, the Hounds were propelled by some fresh faces as head coach Bob Lilley played a heavily rotated side that included many of the club’s young players. Leading the youthful crop was winger Toby Sims, whose two goals marked the first professional goals of his career.

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Sims broke open a cagey first half in the 37th minute when Luis Argudo got onto the end of Jesse Williams’ touchline through ball and lofted a cross for Sims to slot home just inside the post. The Englishman then doubled Pittsburgh’s lead in the 56th minute. 17-year-old Wyatt Borso drilled a cross the width of the pitch that found its way past a fallen Bobcat defender and onto the foot of Sims. Sims controlled and then curled his shot past the outstretched arm of Maryland’s keeper.

The first-year pro made the most of his cup opportunity by bagging his first goals under contract and in a Hounds shirt. Sims, a typical wingback, took advantage of Lilley’s surprise decision to play him further up the pitch.

“I found out yesterday when he released the starting 11,” said Sims, who was an All-American at Chowan University, an NCAA Division 2 program in North Carolina. “I never played that position before, so I was a bit apprehensive going into the game. I definitely got more comfortable as the game went on. I got more touches and it paid off in the end.”

Sims was one of a handful of new additions to Lilley’s squad that got a chance to prove themselves, as the experienced coach turned over his starting lineup to keep key members of the first team fresh for the upcoming west coast road trip in USL Championship league play. The crew of newly crowned professionals did not let the chance slip away and gave their boss more to think about as the season progresses.

“We want to build depth, we want to keep growing,” said Lilley, who is now tied with Bob Bradley and Adrian Heath for fourth place in the Modern Era with 19 career coaching wins in the US Open Cup. “We asked them to step up, take care of this game, and they did. That’s important for their psyche.”

Sims expressed his eagerness to squeeze out more playing time for himself, perhaps in an unexpected new position.

“Getting the opportunity was something I definitely felt like I needed to take. Hopefully further down the line it gets me more minutes, if not I’ll keep working ‘til I do.”

Both teams struggled in the first half hour of the match to create a pattern of play, leading to a stalemate on possession and no significant chances. Eventually the Hounds chipped away at Maryland’s left side of the defense, Argudo sneaking behind on multiple occasions before providing the assist to Sims that ended the deadlock.

In the second half, Lilley switched his attack plan to the right and Sims exposed the back line’s vulnerability once again. The Bobcats look lost for options at a comeback, settling for unsuccessful long balls that Pittsburgh’s stingy center backs swallowed up to kill off the game.

Jahmali Waite started in goal for the Riverhounds, making just two second half saves to earn the clean sheet in his professional debut.

The Riverhounds await to see their Third Round opponent in the 107th US Open Cup, as the draw will be announced on Friday, April 8. 

Filed Under: 2022 US Open Cup, Feature - Main, US Open Cup Tagged With: 2022 US Open Cup, Maryland Bobcats FC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

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