July 7, 2015 Toronto FC II--preview of Toronto FC II vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds (from Riverhounds.com)
Pittsburgh’s Playoff Push Goes North Written by: Riverhounds.com PITTSBURGH (July 7, 2015) – The Pittsburgh Riverhounds head north of the border this week for a double-header road trip against Toronto F.C. II and F.C. Montreal. Head coach Mark Steffens and his fifth-placed team provides the first opposition for Toronto at its refurbished Ontario Soccer Centre complex Wednesday night. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. The Hounds then move on to Quebec where they face F.C. Montreal at Stade Saputo on Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Fans will be able to watch a live stream of both games on Riverhounds.com. The Hounds (6-5-4, 22 points) travel to Canada in good form having dispatched New York Red Bulls II by 3-0 last Saturday at Highmark Stadium. Rob Vincent reclaimed the lead in the USL’s goals, goals-per-game, points and points-per-game categories with two superb finishes against the young Bulls. “There is not a player in the league right now that I would feel more confident in finding the net than Rob,” said Riverhounds assistant coach Josh Rife. Canadian winger Tyler Pasher notched his second Hounds goal Saturday between Vincent’s two strikes. The Elmira, Ontario native’s first goal came in Pittsburgh’s 5-1 win over his former Toronto youth team colleagues at Highmark Stadium on April 25. The Baby Reds (3-5-3, 12 points) are lagging in the USL’s Eastern Conference having played fewer games than every other team while awaiting completion of their stadium renovations. Toronto native Molham Babouli leads his side’s offense with two goals and two assists in his nine USL appearances. Jordan Hamilton notched the only goal in TFC II’s last outing to see off the Wilmington Hammerheads by 1-0 on June 27. Montreal (1-10-2, five points) props up the USL standings despite some credible results including a 1-0 win over the Charleston Battery and a scoreless tie at the Richmond Kickers. Kevin Kerr’s late winner proved to be the difference against Montreal in a 1-0 win for the Hounds at Highmark Stadium three weeks ago. Steffens will select 18 players for the trip from a full roster excluding Ryan Thompson. The Jamaican goalkeeper departed for Los Angeles this weekend to join the Jamaican national team roster for its tilt at the Concacaf Gold Cup. Captain Danny Earls and defender Willie Hunt return after serving one-game suspensions in Saturday’s win over New York. Kerr and Anthony Arena currently sit on four yellow cards apiece and will face one-game bans if they pick up another caution. The Hounds return to Highmark Stadium July 18 for what promises to be a memorable occasion against Louisville City F.C. FIFA Women’s World Cup winner and Pittsburgh native Meghan Klingenberg will be the club’s special guest. Fans will receive photo cards of the United States national team defender that they will have a chance to get signed by Klingenberg during the evening. The Riverhounds have also released a new five-game ticket plan for the team’s remaining USL home games as part of a “Push For The Playoffs” promotion. Grandstand seats are available for $60 with our cheapest package being $30 for student standing tickets. Visit the Tickets section of our website for information or call the Highmark Stadium box office on (412) 325-7241 to speak with a representative. Toronto F.C. II vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds Venue: Ontario Soccer Centre, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada Date and Time: Wednesday, July 8 at 8 p.m. EDT Referee: TBA Assistant Referees: TBA Fourth Official: TBA F.C. Montreal vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds Venue: Stade Saputo, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Date and Time: Sunday, July 12 at 4 p.m. EDT Referee: TBA Assistant Referees: TBA Fourth Official: TBA
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