The boys will finish up their preseason this Wednesday evening (7pm @ CMU) competing in a three team round robin with Duqensne and CMU.
Showing posts with label preseason. Show all posts
Showing posts with label preseason. Show all posts
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds traveled to California University last night for a preseason friendly. The Hounds dominated the game, winning 5 nil. This brings the preseason totals to a staggering 4-0 with 12 goals scored and none conceded. Reigning rookie of the Year Jeremy Deighton led the way with a brace before limping off with an ankle injury late in the second half. The Hounds midfielders controlled play throughout a physical match. Other goals were scored by CB Kyle Veris and rookies Neil Shaffer and Matt Fondy. Keepers Hunter Gilstrap and Derek Yobbi shared the clean sheet.
Well, not much to report I am afraid...the match was kind of sloppy. The Hounds didn't do too much in the first half and guys look tired, probably from training so hard over the first four days of camp! It's a bit insane to think that they've only been in camp for 4 days and have had 2 games, but they're up against the start of the season and need to get into game shape fast...
1st half lineup looked like this (classic 4-4-2)
GK - Hunter
RB - Seth
CB - Rolko
CB - Veris
LB - Flunder
RM - Gray
CM - Shin
CM - Shaffer
LM - Tuttle
RF - Severs
LF - Boyzzz
Seth played decent at RB, I've underestimated the kid. He looked smooth and composed but had a few vision problems missing Tommy's runs, instead looking to go across the pitch to Tuttle. Neil Shaffer played the entire game at CM. Shin was a beast as usual, but he and Neil didn't have much chemistry which is understandable. I thought that Neil got better and better as the game progressed. Tommy Gray made a few nice runs through the RMU defenders in the 1st half, only to see that final ball fail. Boyzzz and Severs didn't do too much up top in the 1st half aside from a nice volley that Boyzzz almost scored on (keeper made a great save). Tuttle and Boyzzz were closer to being on the same page as opposed to Sunday vs Pitt. Rolko and Veris were solid. Flunder looks a bit slow and out of shape at this point but I am not worried. He was strong down the left flank last season.
We attacked more in the 2nd half and had some quality chances. Deighton continues to be our biggest threat so far in the pre-season. He came on with another new forward who we couldn't identify, might have been the new kid from FCD. Regardless, those two played well off each other and created more than the guys in the 1st half. Horner came on for Shin in the 2nd half and did okay. Shaffer took more control of the midfield in the 2nd half which was nice to see. Niko came on to play CB and Shin dropped back as his partner. There was a young kid playing LW who looked a bit tentative, he didn't do much. On the RW we had a fast kid who I didn't recognize. He had pace and made a few nice plays.
I left a bit early, at that point it was still nil to nil. Not sure how it ended up. I'll update the score as soon as I get the official word.
1st half lineup looked like this (classic 4-4-2)
GK - Hunter
RB - Seth
CB - Rolko
CB - Veris
LB - Flunder
RM - Gray
CM - Shin
CM - Shaffer
LM - Tuttle
RF - Severs
LF - Boyzzz
Seth played decent at RB, I've underestimated the kid. He looked smooth and composed but had a few vision problems missing Tommy's runs, instead looking to go across the pitch to Tuttle. Neil Shaffer played the entire game at CM. Shin was a beast as usual, but he and Neil didn't have much chemistry which is understandable. I thought that Neil got better and better as the game progressed. Tommy Gray made a few nice runs through the RMU defenders in the 1st half, only to see that final ball fail. Boyzzz and Severs didn't do too much up top in the 1st half aside from a nice volley that Boyzzz almost scored on (keeper made a great save). Tuttle and Boyzzz were closer to being on the same page as opposed to Sunday vs Pitt. Rolko and Veris were solid. Flunder looks a bit slow and out of shape at this point but I am not worried. He was strong down the left flank last season.
We attacked more in the 2nd half and had some quality chances. Deighton continues to be our biggest threat so far in the pre-season. He came on with another new forward who we couldn't identify, might have been the new kid from FCD. Regardless, those two played well off each other and created more than the guys in the 1st half. Horner came on for Shin in the 2nd half and did okay. Shaffer took more control of the midfield in the 2nd half which was nice to see. Niko came on to play CB and Shin dropped back as his partner. There was a young kid playing LW who looked a bit tentative, he didn't do much. On the RW we had a fast kid who I didn't recognize. He had pace and made a few nice plays.
I left a bit early, at that point it was still nil to nil. Not sure how it ended up. I'll update the score as soon as I get the official word.
Update - Apparently we scored late and won the game 1 to nil. Might have been rookie Matt Fondy credited with the goal. So, the guy playing up top with Deighton must have been Fondy.
As the inaugural USL-PRO season draws near, Pittsburgh Riverhounds manager Justin Evans is doing everything he can to field a competitive side in the vastly improved league.
Last week saw the return of fan favorite Boyzzz Khumalo after a two year stint with DC United. Boyzzz can play forward or wing, has tons of pace and has excelled at this level in the past. His experiences with DC United saw him feature in both MLS and CONCACAF Champions League matches.
Another former MLS player, defender Kyle Veris, looked solid this past Sunday when the Hounds took on the University of Pittsburgh in a preseason friendly. Kyle was selected in the 3rd round of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft by the LA Galaxy. He made 18 league appearances, including 10 starts throughout the 2007 season. After a stint in Norway, Veris featured at USL clubs Puerto Rico and Miami FC over the last few seasons pilling up 38 league appearances. The 6' 4" center back looks to have great composure on the back line and will add a threat on set pieces.
Just today we received news that striker Jason Yeisley has officially signed. Jason spent last year with FC Dallas. He was drafted in the 3rd round of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft following a stellar senior season at Penn State. He played in 5 contests, all as a sub, logging 39 minutes. The 24 year old Hershey native has good size and will compete for playing time with a talented group of forwards.
The addition of these three players, all of whom have MLS experience, is a step in the right direction for the club. The league is going to be more competitive this season requiring a talented, deep squad if we're to reach post-season play.
PITTSBURGH- The University of Pittsburgh men’s soccer team has announced its 2011 spring schedule. This spring will mark the unveiling of the Petersen Sports Complex, the new state-of-the-art homes for the Panthers' men’s and women’s soccer, baseball and softball teams. The complex is located on 12 acres on Pitt's upper campus.
The Panthers will first see action in the new facility on March 20, against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds with a noon kickoff.
UPDATE - March 22nd, 2011
The Hounds won a mostly uneventful game by the score of 1 to nil. 2010 USL2 Rookie of the Year winner Jeremy Deighton found the back of the net in the 2nd half to give the Hounds a pre-season victory. The new soccer complex was brilliant! Seeing a nice, wide pitch with only soccer lines in this city is always something that puts a smile on my face. There was only one stand with limited seating but plenty of standing room around the near goal and opposite sideline.
The Riverhounds FC improved their preseason record to 3-0-0 with a convincing win over Slippery Rock University last night. The Hounds have now scored eleven times in three games while conceding a single goal. This is a measured improvement over the 2008 and 2009 preseason contests where the Hounds struggled to find offense. The six to nil drubbing of SRU looks to be a culmination of a new approach taken by the club in 2010.
The Riverhounds took major steps to improve their organization this past off-season by naming Evans gaffer, promoting Gene Klein to Director and adding Meghan Arrico to perform Public Relations duties. John Rotz was also named as an assistant coach, rounding out an impressive staff which also includes football gurus Paul Child and Jeroen Walstra.
After solidifying the front office, attention was focused on improving the on-field performance of a club that missed post-season play for the second straight year in 2009. The Riverhounds made a major splash in 2010 by signing high-scoring forward Chad Severs away from rival Harrisburg City. Following that was the acquisition of Japanese defensive midfield standout Shintaro Harada, who most recently starred for Crystal Palace Baltimore. However, the Hounds were just getting started. Veteran keeper Hunter Gilstrap was brought in along with young, attacking talents Alex Weekes and Matt Baker. Steel Army favorite, Travis MacKenzie, returns to the club where he started his pro career in 2008. There are also a slew of young, hungry players competing for roster spots as we get closer to the April 17th opener at Real Maryland.
The 2010 campaign started with a bang and has been running on all cylinders ever since. Will this momentum carry us to glory? Perhaps...but right now I am enjoying the prospects of a long run in the US Open Cup and post-season play.
The only thing sweeter than Pioneers coach Leszek Wrona's buttery, bald head was watching Riverhounds winger Jeff Hughes carve up the asses' defense for 87 minutes on Sunday afternoon. In contrast to Friday night's debacle, the Hounds attacked from the opening whistle with Bill Brindley providing a spark in the midfield. It could have easily been two or three nil before center back Nathan Salsi converted an off-balance pass by Jerome in the closing seconds of the first half. Jerome buried two PKs in the second half. The Hounds had something like 17 shots vs only 3 by the Pioneers. It was as lopsided a win as I've seen in two seasons. Jerome had the big day statistically, but Hughes was clearly man of the match and weekend. On Friday night his last minute heroics evened up the score saving us from a total meltdown.
Hopefully this performance will give the lads the shot of confidence they're going to need to run the table from here on out. We've got three games at home and need all nine points plus a little help to make the playoffs.
I'd like to now toss a special shout out to Western Ass' middy Anthony Augustine...hey bitch, I hope that vagina injury you suffered heals up soon ;p
Hopefully this performance will give the lads the shot of confidence they're going to need to run the table from here on out. We've got three games at home and need all nine points plus a little help to make the playoffs.
I'd like to now toss a special shout out to Western Ass' middy Anthony Augustine...hey bitch, I hope that vagina injury you suffered heals up soon ;p
It’s been a rocky preseason for my beloved PRFC. Only able to manage two draws in four games vs. local college teams is like being kicked squaw in the nuts. I’m struggling to find the Salsi-headed lining to this stormy cloud, but it’s becoming increasingly more difficult as the results roll in from GTS09.com (yes, KC gets the scores posted rather quickly).
Could these results be an aberration? I hope so, because it feels like death is looming over the horizon for this coming season! I made it out to the fixture vs. Pitt last week and left asking myself if I’ve gone completely mental these past few years. Yes, there were bright spots: the massive Croatian CB wearing my favorite number (4) kicked someone so hard in the thigh that we could hear the slapping noise up in the stands. SJK (Super Jason Kutney) looked lightning-quick and played several crosses into the area. The only thing Eddie Hayden can do better than pick up women is play ball. Actually, the entire back line looked real good.
Now, let me point out some things that were missing: There was absolutely nothing up top, nobody making runs and very few shots on goal. The trialists just couldn’t link up with Evans and the midfield play was generally sloppy. There were more turnovers than…than…eh, I can’t think of anything clever at the moment. It seems like goals are going to be tough to come by this season. The one guy, Jerome, who has scored a few, is former filthy Cleveland scum. How can I root for a guy who smashed into our keeper to steal points from us last year at the away opener?
At this point, after losing to WVU last night, the only direction is up. Let's hope the gaffer can pull the squad together and figure out the winning formula before next week’s league opener.
Could these results be an aberration? I hope so, because it feels like death is looming over the horizon for this coming season! I made it out to the fixture vs. Pitt last week and left asking myself if I’ve gone completely mental these past few years. Yes, there were bright spots: the massive Croatian CB wearing my favorite number (4) kicked someone so hard in the thigh that we could hear the slapping noise up in the stands. SJK (Super Jason Kutney) looked lightning-quick and played several crosses into the area. The only thing Eddie Hayden can do better than pick up women is play ball. Actually, the entire back line looked real good.
Now, let me point out some things that were missing: There was absolutely nothing up top, nobody making runs and very few shots on goal. The trialists just couldn’t link up with Evans and the midfield play was generally sloppy. There were more turnovers than…than…eh, I can’t think of anything clever at the moment. It seems like goals are going to be tough to come by this season. The one guy, Jerome, who has scored a few, is former filthy Cleveland scum. How can I root for a guy who smashed into our keeper to steal points from us last year at the away opener?
At this point, after losing to WVU last night, the only direction is up. Let's hope the gaffer can pull the squad together and figure out the winning formula before next week’s league opener.
The Riverhounds head down route 79 tonight to take on West Virginia University in what is most likely their last major pre-season match before the USL2 season officially gets under way. In 2008 pre-season the Riverhounds beat the Mountaineers 2-1 and hope to repeat this year.
After a snowy 1-nil loss to Slippery Rock University on Monday night the Riverhounds fall to 0-2-1 for their pre-season. (Word is there might have been a win against a U-21 or U-18 side in there but let's not go there.) With Zach Varga (#0) resigned as starting goalkeeper for the Riverhounds, the squad is still trialling several keepers.
From a scoring perspective, Guyana native Randolf Jerome has been the highlight of the pre-season. Jerome (#18) has scored twice for the Riverhounds against both California University and the University of Pittsburgh. Jerome had 13 appearances and 1 goal last season for the Cleveland City Stars (booooo!). And according to Wikipedia, he's made an appearance for the Guyana national team at the age of 21. (We'll get some confirmation there.)
Sometimes to look at the pre-season realistically. Of course we'd love to see the Hounds clean up against every collegiate opponent they take on but when you stop to think the team is fielding and trying out some players just a year out of college themselves its easy to see where the team can founder in these early matches.
The Riverhounds head to Maryland in just eight days to take on the Monarchs. That's when the real action gets under way. Starts as two on the road for the Riverhounds and then we get to welcome them back to Chartiers Valley when the 2009 Hounds take on Crystal Palace Baltimore.
After a snowy 1-nil loss to Slippery Rock University on Monday night the Riverhounds fall to 0-2-1 for their pre-season. (Word is there might have been a win against a U-21 or U-18 side in there but let's not go there.) With Zach Varga (#0) resigned as starting goalkeeper for the Riverhounds, the squad is still trialling several keepers.From a scoring perspective, Guyana native Randolf Jerome has been the highlight of the pre-season. Jerome (#18) has scored twice for the Riverhounds against both California University and the University of Pittsburgh. Jerome had 13 appearances and 1 goal last season for the Cleveland City Stars (booooo!). And according to Wikipedia, he's made an appearance for the Guyana national team at the age of 21. (We'll get some confirmation there.)
Sometimes to look at the pre-season realistically. Of course we'd love to see the Hounds clean up against every collegiate opponent they take on but when you stop to think the team is fielding and trying out some players just a year out of college themselves its easy to see where the team can founder in these early matches.
The Riverhounds head to Maryland in just eight days to take on the Monarchs. That's when the real action gets under way. Starts as two on the road for the Riverhounds and then we get to welcome them back to Chartiers Valley when the 2009 Hounds take on Crystal Palace Baltimore.
To me, nothing says pre-season Riverhounds soccer than standing around on a cool Pittsburgh evening with a few members of Steel Army and cracking more than a few jokes about the footy on display.Like the empty glass I left at the Outback, what I saw on the pitch left me wishing for more.
(More to come.)
Or not.
