By @SAdyson and @KyleMcHenry
We’re just a little excited about this upcoming season.
We’ve had a few days to sift through the schedule and pick out our favorite match-ups. Granted, every match at the Highmark is going to be a blast, but there are five games that we’ll be paying very close attention to.
5. Pittsburgh vs. LA Galaxy II – Saturday, August 2nd
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don’t they help themselves.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale.
I’m interested in this match from an academic perspective more than anything. The Galaxy II are the first team of its kind in the USL, and it’s expected we’ll see a few more teams like it in 2015. There are a lot of questions surrounding how exactly Galaxy II will work roster wise, but the biggest question as far as I’m concerned is will they be competitive. There’s been a lot of talk since the announcement that the focus of Galaxy II will primarily be player development. You know what other team had that goal? Antigua…Yeah… By the time Galaxy II roll into Pittsburgh it’ll be late enough in the season to see how this experiment is going. Will they be just another punching bag? Will they play like they want to win a cup? Time will tell. On August 2nd the Hounds will either be competing against some of the best in the league, or picking up an easy three on their way to the playoffs.
4. Pittsburgh at Sacramento – Sunday, July 27th
And so he spoke, and so he spoke,
That lord of Castamere,
But now the rains weep o’er his hall,
With no one there to hear.
I find teams with a “look how awesome we are” attitude before even playing a game profoundly annoying. Sacramento enters the league this year with much fanfare and noise about wanting to get to the MLS. While saying you have plans to go to MLS is the hot thing to do now a days, they’re the ones beating the drum the loudest for anyone who’ll listen. I’m sure the owners are swimming Scrooge McDuck style in all the money they’re making from the extremely over priced tickets while patting themselves on the back. The problem is they haven’t played a game yet. Hell as of this post they’re still waiting for construction on their stadium to start with the season only 50 some days away. There’s a great example of a USL team that started strong but floundered; Rochester. The Hounds need to give Sacramento a good smack on the nose to remind the new kid that Orlando is the exception, not the rule.
It’ll also be interesting to see how their supporters group handles themselves going from non-existent to a couple hundred strong. We’ve had our issues, and were able to overcome them, but with a fraction of their numbers. We’ll have our eye on them to see if they survive or fade away like so many other supporters groups at this level.
3. Pittsburgh vs. Rochester – Friday, July 4th
There’s nothing more ‘MURICAN than soccer on the 4th of July.
Not only does this match feature one of our closer rivals (Rochester), but we have the festivities of Independence Day to look forward to.
Last year, the team let the fans stay in the Highmark for the fireworks in downtown Pittsburgh.
The team plans to do the same thing in 2014. For the price of a ticket and parking, this is the best bargain in the city for the 4th of July.
The tailgate will surely begin early (some fans even parked at the Highmark, went to the Bucco’s game, came back, and went to the Hounds match). With the World Cup in full swing this summer, patriotism will be running like ketchup out of a Heinz bottle in Pittsburgh.
Tickets will be sure to sell out fast for this one. Keep an eye out for when they go on sale so you don’t miss the boat on this unreal experience.
2. Pittsburgh at Harrisburg – Saturday, June 14th
If Harrisburg thought Three Mile Island was a disaster, just wait until we roll up en mass to Skyline Sportsplex.
Last season, the Hounds rallied from a 3-0 deficit at halftime to beat the City Islanders in front of their own fans 4-3 last summer. About a dozen of us were able to make the trip up to Harrisburg (the game was on a Friday, which prevented a lot of Steel Army members from traveling to Harrisburg).
Most of the Army held down the fort at Hough’s here in Pittsburgh, but for those of us that made the trip that evening, it was one of the most unbelievable matches we had ever seen.
The Keystone Derby has been developing into a bitter rivalry between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, and the fact that USL PRO finally realized this and scheduled the Harrisburg match on a Saturday is a testament to the intensity of the Derby.
This will probably be our biggest away trip, and will probably involve either a large, organized carpool or a charter bus. We’ve even been discussing doing an away tifo for this match. A Steel Army invasion of the Skyline Sportsplex would completely change the dynamic of this match and give an unheard of advantage to the away team.
1. Pittsburgh vs. Wilmington – Saturday, April 12th
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
And I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
There’s very little that needs to be said about why we’re looking forward to the home opener. After an off-season where Tuffy’s box of secrets regularly dropped big announcements we finally get to see the Hounds walk onto the field of Highmark Stadium. The atmosphere is going to be electric in part to the Steel Army being strong than ever. The Hounds started last season a little shaky but were able to finish strong. If it wasn’t for those first couple months I have no doubt we could have finished top 3. With the signings of players like Ngwenya and Obodai, plus whoever the Houston Dynamo send to us- we expect the Hounds to come out guns blazing. There will be no mercy for the other teams in the USL. The Steel Army also has some great plans in the works for the opener that we’re very excited about.
Highmark Stadium dazzled us last year but that new car smell is gone. This season it’s all about the team and the performance on the field. With the Steel Army at their backs the Hounds start the home campaign for the USL Cup on the most Pittsburgh of dates possible, 4-12.
#UNLEASH
