THE TEAM

In the end, good play on the field will lead to warm and fuzzy feelings in the stands among all fans, old and new. In the past few games, the team has come out of the gates guns ablaze, only to relinquish the lead later in the game. The high-tempo game the Hounds have been playing in the midfield has been virtually non-existent, and the forwards look stagnant at the end of the game. Furthermore, communication breakdowns are happening with more and more frequency inside the penalty area between the defense and the keeper, regardless of who is in net. These players are not in the majority, but it looks like a handful of players are ready to check-out for the season, cash in their last paychecks, and look ahead to August.

THE COACH

The first mistake that Justin Evans made at the beginning of the season was allow the captaincy to be determined by a player vote. From all information leaking out from individual players, it seems as though there are factions developing, cliques being formed, and bitter resentment from individual players. The team had an abysmal outing for the first weeks of the season, and it took much longer than it should have for the team to start putting together 3-point outings. The FO office did their part in spending a bit more money than usual to acquire their “target” players, and it is the coach’s job to mesh individual strengths into a well-oiled machine. “Motivation” tactics have been reduced to yelling at halftime and calling out individual players for their mistakes on the field. If the losses continue to stack up, perhaps the FO should explore a coaching change to send a message to the team.

THE FRONT OFFICE

There is no doubt that Jason Kutney as an individual is extremely supportive of a winning culture in Highmark Stadium. It seems, however, that several of the other cogs in the machine do not see things as he does. It starts with marketing. Instead of focusing on marketing the team as a “winner,” the individuals hired by the FO to market the team focus on cheezy giveaways, redundant e-mail newsletters, and other nonsensical updates regarding the team. Furthermore, the individuals hired by Kutney to maintain communication between the team and the fans have utterly failed in that department. From articulating expectations of the fans in the supporters’ section to promoting tickets to matches, the marketing department of the Hounds has failed. There has not been a formalized meeting between the Army and the FO since before the season. The executives at Highmark seem to have a completely different vision than Jason as to where the club should go, and the security team in the stadium is receiving convoluted instructions from management. Most importantly, the cooperation between the Riverhounds, the Highmark suits, and the contracted security company looks to be almost non-existent.

THE FANS

There seems to be a lack of a desire for a “winning” atmosphere in Highmark Stadium. There is NOTHING wrong with wanting to sit down, watch a soccer match from the stands, and not yell or cheer. But, it does seem as though Highmark Stadium is marketing itself as a “night out” in the similar way the Washington Wild Things do as a minor league baseball team. Ordinary fans seem outright annoyed at the fact that a supporters’ section even exists. Even when prompted by unpaid interns to sing, stand, and chant, 80% of fans in the stadium choose to continue to sit like zombies and provide nothing in support of their team. On the flip side, there has been a growing sense of entitlement in the supporters’ section. People are beginning to think that the Steel Army should have divine right in the general admission section and should be coddled by the FO. Some behavior has been intolerable. Fans — both diehard and casual — need to recognize that they represent the collective effort of the club to move forward. The adversarial attitude of both sides has been unacceptable and has contributed to a diminished atmosphere inside the Highmark.

STARTING XI:

Blum, Costanzo, Green, Marshall, Flunder, Kerr, Vincent, Motagalvan, Dallman, Amoo, Angulo

GOALS

Angulo (21′)

SUBS

C’deBaca (62′, for Dallman), Arteaga (63′, for Amoo), Kinne (77′, for Vincent), Lundberg (77′, for Kerr)

CAUTIONS/EJECTIONS

Marshall (Caution, 68′), Motagalvan (Caution, 92′)

STARTING XI:

Lopez Alvarez, Momeni Azandaryani, Pizarro, Russell, Garcia, Hall, Jock, Pettys, Turner, Horton, Woszczynski

GOALS

Jock (64′), Fondy (89′)

SUBS

Fondy (45′, for Petty), Davis (45′, for Horton), Perez-Bernal (67′, for Momeni Azandaryani), Miller (83′, for Garcia)

CAUTIONS/EJECTIONS

Miller (Caution, 95′)

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The Riverhounds currently sit 10 out of 13 in USL PRO, 2 spots out of the playoffs.

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@THE_AlphaHounD1’s JUICED Meter

The Hounds are currently showing a 2 OUT OF 10 on the #JUICED meter…

Even though Angulo came through with is “goal of the game,” the dichotomous nature of the team’s play lead to them blowing a 1-0 lead at halftime. A playoff contender does not do that. This team needs to decide if it wants to be a winner, or just a crowd entertainer.