5 things to watch for as Riverhounds take on Loudoun United

The Riverhounds are heading to Virginia on Wednesday for the first time this season to take on Group F opponent Loudoun United.

Pittsburgh (4-3) is coming off a 1-0 setback on Saturday, its third loss of the season and its second to Indy Eleven. Loudoun United (1-3-1) is coming off a 2-0 loss to Louisville City FC this past weekend.

As the black and gold head south for their second match in five days, they are looking to take advantage of a matchup with a team that hasn’t been too successful this season.

Here are five things to watch as the Riverhounds hit the midway point of their season.

1. Move fast, pass faster

After Indy Eleven took the lead Saturday in the 13th minute of the game, Lilley noticed that his team wasn’t getting creative enough with its ball movement to move up the pitch. They held just over 55% of the possession in the contest, but according to Lilley, their ball movement and creativity wasn’t enough to get behind Indy’s defense.

“You either need to get in around the edge or that ball needs to be switched,” Lilley said. “We circulated the ball too slow, they dropped deep, and we played the ball wide. If we aren’t getting in, the ball should be rotated to the other side of the field as quickly as possible, and it seemed like we were playing a 10-yard pass, then three touches, then a 10-yard pass over and over. You’re not going to stretch a team if that ball is not zipping around at a faster tempo.”

When Pittsburgh takes the field against Loudoun United, look for the Riverhounds to move the ball quickly, pass it from side to side and get creative with how they enter the attacking third.

2. Taking advantage

With three games in seven days, Wednesday’s match against Loudoun gives the Riverhounds a chance to put players on the field who may not normally have the opportunity.

Lilley touched on the possibility earlier this week when asked how the Riverhounds can manage the workload for their core group of players like Robbie Mertz, Kenardo Forbes, Jordan Dover and Ryan James.

“Having some new players introduced against Loudoun I think is important,” Lilley said. “They’ll bring energy, and there are guys that are chomping at the bit, who haven’t started a lot of games that are waiting for the opportunity and now they could get a chance. It will be important for those guys to step up and do their part.”

Look for players like Anthony Velarde, Lukas Fernandes or Mark Forest to make an impact, either in a starting role or off the bench, on the offensive end. Velarde has three goals this season and Fernandes has scored one.

Defender Mark Lindstrom earned his first minutes of the season Saturday and could see more time Wednesday. Dakota Barnathan and Hunter Ashworth could also play a big role against Loudoun.

3. Offensive explosion

Although the Riverhounds haven’t played against Loudoun United this season, they have fared well against teams at the bottom of their group.

In two games against Philadelphia Union II, the Riverhounds have scored 10 goals. They have also scored three or more goals in two other games.

Through seven games, the Riverhounds are ranked second in the USL Championship in goals scored with 18 and also have 10 players who have found the back of the net. Four of those players have scored multiple goals, including Steevan Dos Santos with four.

After a game where they weren’t able to find the back of the net, the Riverhounds could be in for a strong offensive showing.

4. One-man attack

During their five games this season, Loudoun United hasn’t mustered too much of an offensive attack. They’ve only scored four goals and have created 34 chances. When the team has threatened, Loudoun United’s attack has been focused around 6-foot-2, 165-pound striker Elvis Amoh.

The Accra, Ghana native has scored three unassisted goals and tallied 13 shots this season. If the Riverhounds can quiet the center of Loudoun’s attack, they will be in good position to come away with a victory.

5. Trap game

These are the type of games where favored teams need to be wary of dropping down to the level of their opponent. Against a team like Loudoun that has only tallied four points this season and has a goal differential of minus-6, look for the Riverhounds to pounce on the opportunity to gain three points.