FELICITY. WELL, CHANDI 26 YEARS, 772 GAMES. THAT’S HOW LONG THE RIVERHOUNDS AND THEIR FANS WAITED TO GET THAT VERY FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP. ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE, THIS IS THE CITY’S FIRST PROFESSIONAL SPORTS CHAMPIONSHIP SINCE THE PENGUINS LAST WON THE CUP BACK IN 2017. IT’S ANOTHER LONG AWAITED TROPHY ON THE SHELF FOR THE CITY OF CHAMPIONS. A BIG STEEL CITY WELCOME HOME FOR THE 2025 USL CHAMPION RIVERHOUNDS. FRESH OFF THEIR OVERTIME WIN IN TULSA SATURDAY, THE GUYS BELIEVED ALL YEAR LONG AND JUST FOUGHT FOR EACH OTHER, STAYED TOGETHER. AND YEAH, IT’S JUST UNBELIEVABLE TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS FOR THE PLAYERS. IT CEMENTS THEM INTO HISTORY AND INDUCTS THEM INTO THE CITY OF CHAMPIONS. ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE WAS YESTERDAY. THAT’S ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL FOR NATIVE PITTSBURGHER ROBBIE MERTZ. HE HOPES THIS PLAYOFF RUN BRINGS MORE FANS TO THE SPORT AND THE TEAM. I HOPE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT KIND OF CEMENTS SOCCER AND THE RIVERHOUNDS PLACE, KIND OF IN THAT ECHELON OF PITTSBURGH SPORTS TEAMS THAT HAS SO MUCH RICH TRADITION. AND FOR THE FANS WHO DROVE 18 HOURS TO SUPPORT THEM, IT’S A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE, SOME EVEN GETTING TO HOLD THE TROPHY AND CELEBRATE TOGETHER WITH THE PLAYERS. ELECTRIC. I MEAN, I IT’S HARD TO IT’S HARD TO PUT INTO WORDS REALLY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU DON’T EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN. YOU DON’T EXPECT IT TO, YOU KNOW, YOU TO BE ABLE TO BE THERE WATCHING. AND THE EXACT MOMENT I STARTED CRYING RIGHT AS ERIC SAVED THE PENALTY KICK. FOR THE TEAM NOW, LOOKING AHEAD TO THE OFF SEASON AND ESPECIALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WEARING THAT SPECIAL STAR ON THEIR JERSEY NEXT SEASON. COVERING ALLEGHENY COUNTY AT HI
‘Who’s next to win:’ City of Pittsburgh to hold rally to celebrate Riverhounds championship
Updated: 5:57 PM EST Dec 3, 2025
After a hard-fought season, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds have become USL champions, and the city will honor them with a rally.RELATED VIDEO: Riverhounds return to Pittsburgh after first USL Championship win in club history Danny Griffin, the Riverhounds team captain, said he was happy to bring another championship to the steel city saying, “And yeah, obviously, to bring a champion, a championship to Pittsburgh and the city of champions, you know, is something that we’re really, really happy about.” The team survived several penalty shootouts in their last couple of matches, with Beto Ydrach scoring the winning penalty kick to seal the win over FC Tulsa in the championship game.Griffin said there was no doubt in his mind that this team could get it done.”We’re confident in the way we were playing and knew that, you know, going in the playoffs, it’s, it’s going to go home. And we just had the mentality that we weren’t going home and we were doing whatever it took to bring that trophy home,” Griffin said.Arianna Lower, Steel Army president and longtime Riverhounds fan, traveled to Tulsa to witness the championship match firsthand. She believes the title reemphasizes the Riverhounds’ place in Pittsburgh sports, saying, ” it gives us that extra oomph. You know, we are the most recent now winning team in the City of Champions. And we are a city of champions. And this just, you know, puts us on that new pedestal,” Lower said. A rally celebrating the team’s win will be held on Grant Street outside the City-County Building in downtown from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, December 4.Fans will also have the option to take pictures with the team and the championship trophy from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.The rally will close Grant Street between Fourth Avenue and Forbes Avenue from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. Griffin added that he is hopeful that Pittsburgh’s other major teams will soon join them in the championship circle soon. However, once the dust settles, Griffin emphasized the team is not done yet, stating, “This team is going to do everything they can to get back there. And, like I said, Pittsburgh’s a City of Champions. So, you know, it’s something we want to do. It’s a requirement for us that we keep winning, and something that we plan to do.”Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel
PITTSBURGH —
After a hard-fought season, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds have become USL champions, and the city will honor them with a rally.
RELATED VIDEO: Riverhounds return to Pittsburgh after first USL Championship win in club history
Danny Griffin, the Riverhounds team captain, said he was happy to bring another championship to the steel city saying, “And yeah, obviously, to bring a champion, a championship to Pittsburgh and the city of champions, you know, is something that we’re really, really happy about.”
The team survived several penalty shootouts in their last couple of matches, with Beto Ydrach scoring the winning penalty kick to seal the win over FC Tulsa in the championship game.
Griffin said there was no doubt in his mind that this team could get it done.
“We’re confident in the way we were playing and knew that, you know, going in the playoffs, it’s, it’s going to go home. And we just had the mentality that we weren’t going home and we were doing whatever it took to bring that trophy home,” Griffin said.
Arianna Lower, Steel Army president and longtime Riverhounds fan, traveled to Tulsa to witness the championship match firsthand.
She believes the title reemphasizes the Riverhounds’ place in Pittsburgh sports, saying, ” it gives us that extra oomph. You know, we are the most recent now winning team in the City of Champions. And we are a city of champions. And this just, you know, puts us on that new pedestal,” Lower said.
A rally celebrating the team’s win will be held on Grant Street outside the City-County Building in downtown from noon to 1 p.m. on Thursday, December 4.
Fans will also have the option to take pictures with the team and the championship trophy from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
The rally will close Grant Street between Fourth Avenue and Forbes Avenue from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Griffin added that he is hopeful that Pittsburgh’s other major teams will soon join them in the championship circle soon.
However, once the dust settles, Griffin emphasized the team is not done yet, stating, “This team is going to do everything they can to get back there. And, like I said, Pittsburgh’s a City of Champions. So, you know, it’s something we want to do. It’s a requirement for us that we keep winning, and something that we plan to do.”
Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel