7 PM – Highmark Stadium
Match Officials, as assigned by PRO:
REF: Mr. John Douglas
AR1: Mr. Igor Reznik
AR2: Mr. Justin Mazzeo
4TH: Mr. Corey Yerace
Riverhounds Yellow Card Watch (5 cautions to a match ban)
Danny Earls – 3
Anthony Arena – 3
Stephen Okai – 2
Matt Dallman – 1
Willie Hunt – 1
Lebo Moloto – 1
Kevin Kerr – 1
Morning Line Odds, Via Bet365
PIT +140
DRAW +240
HAR +150
The Riverhounds have successfully navigated a tough stretch of games by winning two cup games and taking four points off of Richmond in a home-and-home series. That stretch ends today as the Riverhounds play their fourth match in 11 days, with a Keystone Derby clash against the City Islanders.
For Pittsburgh, it will be able continuing to play a solid game in every third of the pitch and limiting the mistakes against the Harrisburg side that will definitely come into Highmark Stadium tonight with something to prove. Mark Steffens may have some difficult decisions to make as some players appear to be coming off of injury and could be available for selection. It will be interesting to see who gets tapped to start up top, with Miro Cabrillo getting the start on Wednesday, while Vini Dantas could be healthy enough for selection as well. The team has not yet found a perfect answer to play up top and that lack of chemistry, especially with Kerr and Vincent playing the way they are, has been a bit frustrating to watch.
Harrisburg is coming off a very frustrating Open Cup match on Wednesday. The City Islanders were scoreless with Rochester after 90 minutes, only to score first then concede three in the additional 30 minutes to bow out of the Cup to a USL rival. Combine that result with the 5-2 spanking that served as Kerr and Vincent’s plant-the-flag contest that opened the season and Harrisburg should be looking to prove a point tonight.
Despite those two notable losses, the City Islanders have had a good season, though without having faced too many teams near the top of the USL Eastern Conference. The club is 4-2-1 (13 points) overall, but a pointless 0-2-0 against teams currently sitting in a playoff position.
Another win today would have the good guys nearly locking up the Keystone Derby Cup for 2015. They would have two wins and at least a +4 goal differential going into the two games in Harrisburg. Another big win tonight and we can probably have the cup party with us in the section when we (hopefully) travel to Island Stadium to close out the regular season.
TAILGATE
The festivities start at 4pm for the 7pm kickoff. IMPORTANT: Due to the concert at Heinz Field, you will (supposedly) need to show a game ticket to park in the lot. If you are picking up or purchasing tickets at the stadium, there is a pull-off area on the road next to the box office, use that area to pick up your tickets before attempting to park in the lot. Now, how well this is enforced is always a crap shoot with the parking personnel, but in theory, that is how it will work today.
It’s a derby day. Time to get a little pumpt!
UNLEASH
