The Riverhounds were spared from having to play in unsettling, harsh winter conditions on Tuesday, as the anticipated US Open Cup First Round match vs local USL League Two entity, Steel City FC, was postponed until next Wednesday.
Now, the Hounds will have a reprieve of sorts when they travel south to much warmer climate on Saturday (7:30 p.m.) to face the Tampa Bay Rowdies in what should be a very good Eastern Conference test early the season for both clubs.
The match serves as the Rowdies’ 2026 home opener at Al Lang Stadium.
Pittsburgh enters the pitch as the defending USL Championship winners, while a revamped Tampa Bay side is desperate to prove they belong back in the elite tier after a rare postseason absence last year.
The Hounds got back into training sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, then will use Friday as its travel day, as Rob Vincent’s squad should be mostly healthy, with almost every player available for selection, with one potential exception. Eliot Goldthorpe has been listed as questionable (lower leg) for the third straight match to start the season.
Next week will bring two matches at Highmark Stadium for the Hounds. First is the awaited Open Cup tilt at mid-week (technically a road match as Steel City are the designated home team), then the official home opener for the season, when they host expansion side, Jacksonville.
If you missed, we had lots of coverage leading up to the Steel City match before it was postponed (at 2 p.m. ET) on Tuesday. Since we waited for 69 years for this match-up between two Pittsburgh area teams in the Open Cup, what’s another week?
The Open Cup’s second round schedule window is the following week, which would put the Hounds in a predicament where they could potentially be playing four matches in 14 days.
While it won’t be as much of an issue on Saturday in St. Petersburg, the Hounds roster depth will be put to the test in the coming weeks.
Danny Griffin surpasses 15,000 minutes played with Riverhounds — approaching ‘standard-bearer’ Kenardo Forbes
Hounds captain Danny Griffin is reaching rarified air.
In the Hounds’ 3-2 victory over Loudoun United last Saturday, Griffin became only the fourth player in USL Championship history to surpass 15,000 regular-season minutes played for a single club.
The 27-year-old midfielder has missed only two league matches since his professional debut in 2020, solidifying his reputation as the league’s current ultimate Ironman.
How rare is this accomplishment?
Griffin joins a club that also includes former teammate Kenardo Forbes, who logged 15,490 regular season minutes for Pittsburgh in his career. Ahead of Forbes and Griffin are only two other players: Sean Totsch (21,577 minutes) and Taylor Mueller (16,567 minutes).
Griffin credits Forbes with making his transition from a college prospect to a professional veteran seamless. He viewed Forbes not just as a teammate, but as the blueprint for his own captaincy — opening up about their relationship on Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast last December after winning the USL Championship title.
“Having a captain like Kenny… made that transition from college to professional easy for me. Obviously, Kenardo especially—the kind of teammate he is, the kind of player he was… to take that next step and be a leader myself and transition to being a captain, Kenny was certainly a guy that was there for me.”
Perhaps the most poignant part of the interview describes the immediate aftermath of the 2025 Championship win. While the city was beginning to celebrate, the two captains—one active, one retired/coaching—shared a quiet moment of reflection that perfectly captured their Ironman mentality.
“Even just thinking about the game and after we won the championship, Kenny and I were sitting on the couch and really, really taking it all in. Obviously to finally bring a championship to Pittsburgh… you enjoy, you celebrate, and then quickly the thought is like, ‘All right, now we have to get here again.’ That’s quickly the thought right after the game.”
Griffin revealed that the physical proximity between the two never changed, even after Forbes moved into a coaching role. Their partnership remained the bedrock of the team’s travel and preparation.
“On the bus ride to the championship game and on the bus ride afterwards, it was Kenny—everyone had their own seat—but it was me and Kenny in the seat next to each other. Just talking to him afterwards… it’s something we’ve always wanted to do for the club. 26 years has been a long time in the making.”
At the end of last season, Forbes’ contract expired and is not back with the club this season as a coach.
Tussle in Tampa
The Riverhounds head into Saturday’s match looking to reestablish its defensive identity, the first two matches of the season still working out the rust in implementing its game-plan with slow starts and allowing four goals.
Meanwhile the Rowdies have spent the offseason aggressively rebuilding their roster.
For the Hounds, this is another tough test of their title defense on the road; for the Rowdies, it’s a chance to make a statement in front of the home fans with a retooled roster.
While the Riverhounds are evolving under Rob Vincent, the Tampa Bay Rowdies have undergone a total transformation. After missing the playoffs in 2025, the club handed the keys to new head coach Dominic Casciato, who arrived with a reputation for high-octane, record-breaking offenses at Union Omaha.
Tampa Bay opened their 2026 campaign with a gritty 1-0 road victory over Birmingham Legion FC on March 7. Despite a 90-minute lightning delay and a slick, rain-soaked pitch, the Rowdies showcased a level of defensive organization that eluded them last season.
Super-sub Marco Micaletto provided the winner in the 57th minute, firing home a ball that fell to him following a long throw-in by Brian Schaefer. Most impressively, the Rowdies’ revamped backline—led by former Hound Nathan Dossantos—held Birmingham to zero shots on target for the entire match. It was a tactical masterclass in limiting high-quality looks, precisely the kind of stability Casciato was hired to instill.
Pittsburgh South Connection
One of the most interesting subplots of this week’s match between the Riverhounds and Rowdies is the influx of former Pittsburgh talent now calling Florida home. Numerous former Pittsburgh area soccer fan favorites are now wearing the green and gold of Tampa Bay.
The Rowdies’ wholesale roster rebuild this winter relied heavily on players who previously flourished in the Steel City.
Here is a breakdown of the familiar faces returning to haunt—or be hunted by—the Hounds:
Russell Cicerone (Forward): A fan favorite who enjoyed a prolific two-year run in Pittsburgh, leading the team in goals in both 2021 and 2022 before a stint in Sacramento.
Jahmali Waite (Goalkeeper): The Jamaican international was the Hounds’ reliable primary wall in net for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Nathan Dossantos (Defender): A versatile mainstay of the Pittsburgh backline from 2022–23, he joined Tampa Bay via Charleston this winter.
Austin Pack (Goalkeeper): After spending the 2019 season with the Riverhounds, Pack has established himself as a league veteran and regular starter.
Louis Perez (Midfielder): He launched his professional career in the Steel City in 2021 before a breakout performance with North Carolina FC.
Karsen Henderlong (Forward): While a newer addition to the pro ranks, he was a vital piece of the West Virginia University College Cup squad in 2023 and provides a physical presence up top.
Yanis Leerman (Defender): Though he didn’t play for the Hounds, the Pitt Panthers standout and All-American is a local legend for leading the university to the College Cup.
Hounds Statistical Deep Dive: The Vincent Effect
After two matches, the data confirms that Rob Vincent is indeed taking the shackles off.
It’s just two matches, but the Hounds look fundamentally different on paper than they did a year ago.
The team has moved away from the defensive slugfest style toward a more expansive, possession-oriented approach.
Possession (51.7%): This represents a significant jump from the sub-45% average of the previous regime. Under Vincent, the Hounds are actively looking to dictate the tempo and control the ball.
Expected Goals (2.85 xG Total): The attack has found a new gear. In their recent 3-2 win over Loudoun, the Hounds posted a 2.82 xG, a figure that would have ranked in the top three single-match totals for the entire 2025 season.
Fouls Conceded (2.5 per match): Perhaps the most startling change. While the 2025 squad averaged 12–15 fouls per game to disrupt opponents, the 2026 Hounds are defending with their “feet and brains,” prioritizing shape and interceptions over physical play.
Passing Accuracy (82%): Composition in the buildup has improved drastically, with Guillaume Vacter emerging as a key distributor, averaging 77 passes per 90 minutes.
The data does show one red flag for the defending champs. While the xG is up, the Expected Goals Against (xGA) is also climbing. By pushing the wingbacks (Etou, Viera and Barnes) so high to create that 2.82 xG, the Hounds have conceded two goals in each of their first two matches.
In the 2025 playoffs, the Hounds didn’t concede a single goal.
On Saturday, we’ll see if the Hounds can keep former teammate Russell Cicerone from exploiting the space that this new, aggressive style naturally leaves behind.
Pittsburgh Soccer Now will provide updates and in-match commentary — plus our colleague Amadeo Eichberg will provide updates and get reaction from St. Petersburg as he’s done in previous seasons.
John Krysinsky has covered soccer and other sports for many years for various publications and media outlets. He is also author of ‘Miracle on the Mon’ — a book about the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, which chronicles the club, particularly the early years of Highmark Stadium with the narrative leading up to and centered around a remarkable match that helped provide a spark for the franchise. John has covered sports for Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, DK Pittsburgh Sports, Pittsburgh Sports Report, has served as color commentator on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC broadcasts, and worked with OPTA Stats and broadcast teams for US Open Cup and International Champions Cup matches held in the US. Krysinsky also served as the Head Men’s Soccer Coach at his alma mater, Point Park University, where he led the Pioneers to the first-ever winning seasons and playoff berths (1996-98); head coach of North Catholic boys (2007-08), associate head coach of Shady Side Academy boys (2009-2014).
