Riverhounds lose heartbreaker in El Paso
On a steamy night near the United States-Mexico border, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds went from believing they could return to the Steel City with three points, to hoping to salvage a point, but coach Rob Vincent’s club came away with a defeat after the El Paso Locomotive FC scored a stoppage-time goal for a 2-1 victory on Wednesday at Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas.
The loss snaps the Hounds’ two-match winning streak. Pittsburgh was unbeaten in four contests this month and had only conceded one goal, but will return home for Saturday’s match against Tampa Bay (13-3-5) with its first setback in August. The Rowdies lead the USL Championship league in points with 44.
The showdown against Tampa Bay at F.N.B. Stadium is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. The Rowdies blanked the Hounds, 3-0, on March 21 in St. Petersburg, Fla.
The Riverhounds (10-9-3) remain in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings with 33 points, which would allow them to host at least one playoff match at F.N.B. Stadium, but Louisville City (9-8-4) trails the defending USL Championship league winner by two points and has a match in hand.
The Locomotive (11-7-4) came into Wednesday’s match on a four-match winning streak, and the home club showed why in the first half, as it tested Pittsburgh keeper Mike Sheridan in the 27th minute when Amando Moreno received a high, diagonal pass to the back post and nearly had an easy touch for the goal, but Sheridan got a glove on the ball and knocked it away from the goal line.
The Hounds pleaded for a penalty in the 38th minute when Robbie Mertz was tripped up at the top of the box, but referee Elton Garcia didn’t call an infraction, and El Paso countered through Moreno, who found some space on the left side and carried the ball into the box prior to Sheridan diving to his left to make his second save in the first 45 minutes.
The Locomotive had a 6-0 advantage in shots the opening half, including two on target.
Despite the disparity, Pittsburgh and El Paso were level at halftime, and the Hounds found themselves with a 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute following a beautiful sequence of passing that was finished off by Mertz.
The Pittsburgh native, who was playing in his 200th match for his hometown club, finished off a give-and-go with Charles Ahl as his right boot from the center of the box went to the left corner and beat Pedro Cruz.
Six different Hounds had a touch on the ball after Jackson Walti won possession at midfield. Mertz sent a touch wide to Perrin Barnes, who fed Ahl in the top corner of the box prior to the score.
Mertz’s first goal this season was his 24th during his tenure with Pittsburgh. He is tied with Jos茅 Angulo in the No. 10 spot on the club’s all-time list for tallies.
Vincent discussed Mertz’s impact on the team the last several seasons.
“Certainly from my perspective this year, Robbie’s been a massive part of what we try to do as a staff and group, and he has a big influence with the guys,” Vincent said. “His service to the club these last few years… 200 is a milestone not many players reach with one club. We talked about it with the guys before the match. Robbie’s put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the club, and it was great to see him get the goal, unfortunately we couldn’t quite get the result.”
The Riverhounds were a victim of an unfortunate bounce, as a deflection tied the match in the 57th minute. El Paso’s Arturo Ort铆z struck a shot from nearly 30 yards out, and the ball clipped the backside of Eric Calvillo, which changed the course of the shot to put it behind Sheridan.
“Obviously on one hand, you don’t like to concede so quickly,” Vincent said. “You would like to get through the next 5-10 minutes ahead and be able to make your changes for the last 25 minutes to see the match out.
“On the other hand, I don’t think it was a breakdown on our part, so it’s not really something you can try to correct. It was just a bit of misfortune on our part; he hits a shot from distance, and it takes a wicked deflection into the net. That’s not one you can really place blame on.”
Pittsburgh was outshot, 15-4, but Eliot Goldthorp forced Cruz to make a save when he directed a header from the center of the box to the top center of the goal, but the El Paso keeper snagged the ball before it could go into the net. The Hounds’ Beto Ydrach set-up Goldthorp’s opportunity with a cross.
The home team’s Gabi Torres had his shot hit the outside of the post in the 86th minute, and it appeared both clubs were going to earn a point.
Pittsburgh’s Yu Tsukanome forced Cruz to make his second save as stoppage time began.
If there were buzzer beaters in soccer, the Locomotive accomplished that in the third minute of stoppage time when Zyen Jones sent a cross into the box from the right side and Noah Dollenmayer crept up from his defensive position and sent a header into the bottom left corner of the net.
The match carried into the fourth minute of stoppage time, but the Hounds were too late to muster any kind of attack, and the home crowd of 5,099 celebrated when the final whistle sounded seconds later.
“I thought we settled back in after they tied it, and both teams had their chances near the end, but they were able to find a late winner,” Vincent said. “It’s a tough one to take, but we have to be ready to get after it against Tampa on Saturday.”
Mertz received praise for his tally, but the Pittsburgh midfielder had a solid performance otherwise in winning 7 of 9 duels and all three of his tackles to be selected as the Modelo Man of the Match. Mertz connected on 7 of 9 passes in the final third on a night where the Hounds struggled to find their offense.