August 6, 2015 Toronto FC II--preview of Toronto FC II vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds game (from torontofc.ca)
Match Preview: TFC II vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds Reds look to bounce back from 3-2 loss on Saturday August 6, 2015 Anthony Campos torontofc.ca Toronto FC II finish up their 8-game home stand against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday at 8PM. The Reds are looking to bounce back from a tough 3-2 loss at the hands of Louisville City FC. TFC II was up early on but three second half goals propelled Louisville to a 3-2 victory over the Reds. The positive for TFC II is that they have finally managed to produce goals. The team had been struggling offensively last month, going four games without a goal until their 1-0 win against Charleston Battery on July 24. With the loss on Saturday TFC II fall to 11th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 10-4-3 on the season. The Opposition Pittsburgh is coming off a 3-0 victory against last place in the Eastern Conference Wilmington Hammerheads FC. With Saturday’s victory, the Riverhounds snapped a three-game losing streak and improved their record to 8-4-4 on the season. The Riverhounds have had TFC II’s number this season, winning both meetings thus far. Their first meeting was a 5-1 drubbing of TFC II on April 25. The most recent match between the two clubs was Toronto’s home opener at the Ontario Soccer Centre on July 8th. Pittsburgh spoiled the festivities, taking home three points in a 2-0 win. Players to Watch Game plan: cover Rob Vincent. Vincent has been one of, if not the best, offensive threat in the USL this season. He has 16 goals, tying him for the league lead with OKC Energy FC’s Danni Konig. Vincent was named USL Player of the Week after scoring a hat trick and leading Pittsburgh to victory this past weekend. Kevin Kerr has been the other star offensive threat for the Riverhounds this season. Kerr is on level with LA Galaxy II’s Raul Mendiola for the league lead in assists with 8. He also has 4 game winning goals for Pittsburgh. Roberts Solid As Last Line of Defense TFC II goalkeeper Quillan Roberts has been a bright spot in a tough season for the young Reds. Roberts sits second in the league in save percentage (.823), first in saves per game (5.67), and is tied for tenth in shutouts (4). What’s misleading about his position in league leaders in shutouts is that he has played far less games than the other top goalkeepers. If you look at shutouts per game, Roberts sits third with an average of 0.44, nearly a shutout every other match. TFC II takes on Pittsburgh Riverhounds this Saturday, August 8th at the Ontario Soccer Centre at 8:00PM ET. Follow along on Twitter @TorontoFCII using the hashtag #TFCLive and watch the action via livestream at torontofc.ca/live
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