Own goal, shot from Williams lift Riverhounds to win

The conditions for Saturday’s USL match between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and host Pittsburgh Riverhounds couldn’t have been better, even if Joe Denardo was still around. Against a clear blue sky and 90-degree weather at kick, the pitch was perfect for the host club, which walked away with a convincing 2-1 win.

The much-needed three points kept the Riverhounds (5-6-2) in sole possession of sixth place in the Eastern Conference, with teams vying for eight playoff slots.

From the start, the Hounds pushed the attack on Rowdies (2-9-2) netminder Ethan Bandre, forcing a pair of corner kicks in the first three minutes that didn’t lead to a shot on goal but certainly set the tone for the night.

The first break of the evening went to the home club as a Robbie Mertz corner in the 15th minute sailed to the far end of the 6-yard box, finding the foot of Rowdies defender Thomas Vanceaeyezeele, who watched helplessly as it hit the back of his own net for a 1-0 Hounds lead.

Not more than 5 minutes later, the Riverhounds made it 2-0 when Augie Williams placed a well-timed header off a cross from Luke Biasi, extending the lead, much to the delight of the 5,028 in attendance.

For Williams, it was just his second goal in 2025. He was the team’s big offseason acquisition, coming from the Indy Eleven. His manager, Bob Lilley, has spoken of his struggles this year but shared praise for his efforts on this night.

“Augie has to get in more dangerous areas. I thought he had opportunities. He needs to be better at getting into spaces,” Lilley said. “This is a game where they weren’t marking Augie. I want to see guys hungry to score more. Get more clear-cut chances. I thought shot totals would be higher coming into the game. Tampa beating a good Miami team that won in Rhode Island. I was impressed with Tampa last week. They have fantastic players. That’s a good team.”

The Rowdies came into the night having just won a pair of games all season. To their credit, they didn’t quit. In the 40th minute they sliced the lead in half when attacking forward Manuel Arteaga finished a clean ball at the top of the box behind Riverhounds netminder Eric Dick, cutting the lead to 2-1.

The second half saw some back and forth between the clubs, who freely substituted players beginning in the 68th and 72nd minutes of play. The action was steady, but neither team found a serious scoring chance, including the 6 minutes of extra time.

The Riverhounds held Tampa Bay without a shot on goal in the final 51 minutes of play.

Never at a loss for words, Lilley was pleased with the effort, perhaps his club’s best offensively all season.

“I think they (Tampa) left some doors open. It was nice to exploit that,” Lilley said. “At the beginning of the game, we played square to start. I think it’s one thing to possess in the middle third, but when you put balls behind them, it leads to success. By the 33rd minute, we got stretched and they scored. We were playing to get to halftime. We had a good second half. They had moments. Erik was called on to make some big saves. We deserved to win tonight.”

Up next for the Riverhounds is a visit from Westchester SC for a Jagermeister Cup game at Highmark Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for just after 7 p.m. June 28 and can be seen on KDKA +.