Late goal earns point for Riverhounds
Pittsburgh needs win, help to host first-round playoff match
Pittsburgh scored in the 11th hour to steal two points from Rhode Island FC in a 1-1 draw on Saturday in USL Championship play at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I.
Eliot Goldthorp’s goal in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time to salvage a point for the Riverhounds in a contest they should have lost.
“It was a weird one,” said Pittsburgh coach Rob Vincent in reference to his club coming away with a late draw. “I feel like we’d not played particularly well, it felt like we hadn’t earned it, but at the same time, you’re proud of the boys for sticking with it.”
The Hounds (12-11-6) are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings with 42 points. Rhode Island (12-11-6) has an identical record with Pittsburgh, but the table has it in fifth place due to a 4-1 edge in points this season. Hartford (9-7-13, 40 points) could overtake the Hounds if it wins and Pittsburgh drops its final match of the regular season to Birmingham Legion FC (5-11-11, 26 points).
The Riverhounds could clinch the No. 4 seed and host at least one match at F.N.B. Stadium with a victory over Birmingham and two Louisville (12-9-7, 43 points) losses in the final week of the regular season.
Pittsburgh can’t drop lower than seventh place in the standings.
Vincent wants his squad to focus on defeating Birmingham at home and letting the seeding sort itself out.
“I think we just want to try and win next weekend’s game,” Vincent said. “We don’t need to concern ourselves with who we’re facing, and we aren’t going to be in the business of finding the result that gets us the opponent we want. We know we’ll have to beat some big teams along the way, but we want to finish the season on a high and feel confident going into the playoffs.”
While Goldthorp replaced Trevor Amann in the 62nd minute and scored in the final seconds of the match, Hounds keeper Nico Campuzano stopped five shots on target, including a penalty kick to be named the “Modelo Man of the Match.”
Campuzano dove to his left to deny Leo Afonso from the penalty spot in the 55th minute. Owen Mikoy sent the potential rebound over the end line to eliminate Osman Foyo’s opportunity to score.
The home team was awarded the penalty kick after Riverhounds captain Danny Griffin had the ball hit his arm in the penalty area.
Griffin played the ball with his chest in the box, but contact from Hugo Bacharach caused the ball to hit Griffin’s arm for the handball.
“I think it certainly felt harsh from the sideline, hard to tell too, too much from where we were, and I haven’t seen a replay,” said Vincent regarding the penalty call that went against his team. “Nico, obviously, came up big in that moment, and the guys followed up well for Owen (Mikoy) to get a foot in on the second chance. It was a big moment when it felt like momentum had shifted their way.”
Rhode Island had 18 total shots, and it had 2.12 expected goals (xG), according to Opta.
Foyo put his club ahead in the 74th minute when the English forward spun toward goal from outside the right side of the box, and his low, left-footed shot across goal went into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead. Nick Scardina assisted on Foyo’s tally.
Looking to avoid a third straight setback away from home, Pittsburgh leveled the match seconds before the final whistle, as Perrin Barnes directed the ball into the box from the right side, and Jackson Walti rose to flick the ball deeper into the box with his head.
Goldthorp corralled the ball with his back to goal, turned and sent a shot falling away from goal that reached the bottom right corner of the net for his fourth of the season, and first since scoring the game winner on Aug. 2 at Oakland. Walti was credited with the assist on Goldthorp’s tally.
Despite his team not playing the most complete match of the season, Vincent was pleased with how the Hounds responded to adversity.
“I think that was the takeaway from the game,” Vincent said. “We kept chipping away, found one good look at the goal and made it count. I was happy for Eliot to be able to find it. He’s been working hard to get one. I have to shout out Nico for the penalty save and what he did to keep us in with a chance to take something from the game. Overall, we were second-best on the night, but we defended well for large parts, and when you do that, you give yourself a chance to find something late.”
As expected, chances were scarce in the first half, as both teams were cautious to not yield a dangerous opportunity on a miscue.
Mikoy had the match’s first shot on a header that was set up by a free kick in the 12th minute.
Rhode Island worked to generate offense in the final third, but didn’t test Campuzano until after 30 minutes had been played.
Campuzano stopped Afonso in the 41st minute on a shot 15 yards from goal to keep the match scoreless.
Charles Ahl retrieved a cross from Sam Bassett in the 52nd minute, but his shot on his second touch drifted across goal and wide of the post.