Riverhounds complete perfect week with win over New York Red Bulls II
The Riverhounds completed their best week of the season Saturday when they beat New York Red Bulls II, 3-0, on the road.
The Riverhounds’ Ropapa Mensah scored just before halftime, then Robbie Mertz scored his fifth goal of the season to tie Steevan Dos Santos for the team lead in the 58th minute. The Riverhounds also got a little help from New York as the home team scored an own goal in the 51st minute. Danny Vitiello also recorded one save for his second clean sheet in as many games.
The two teams had met twice this season and had split the series. New York (3-7-0) won the first time the Riverhounds (8-3-1) made the trip to Red Bull Arena, but the Riverhounds now have won two in a row. The Riverhounds extended their lead in Group F to nine points.
“It’s a big run for us,” coach Bob Lilley said. “Hopefully with the rest, we’ll have a little more time to get ready for
another big game against Hartford next Saturday. We battled well in the first half. The goal before the half was a big
moment for us. I felt we had a good second half, and guys were up for it. It was one of the better 90-minute
performances we’ve had. Hopefully, this will help us going into the last four games with the momentum we have.”
Mensah scored his fourth goal of the season in the 45th minute Saturday when Ray Lee sent a long ball up the field and Mensah out muscled a New York defender for possession and dropped a shot into the side netting of the right post.
MAN ON FIRE ? #UNLEASH #NYvPIT pic.twitter.com/i1xYSl1T7F
— Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (@RiverhoundsSC) September 5, 2020
Mertz scored his goal in the 58th minute in typical fashion. Dos Santos won possession of the ball around the top right corner of New York’s 18-yard box and delivered a pass into the box that leaked through three players before finding Mertz’s foot on the back post. Mertz tapped the ball in for the Riverhounds’ third goal.
Like goals? We have them. ? #UNLEASH #NYvPIT pic.twitter.com/BmublMlXqB
— Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (@RiverhoundsSC) September 5, 2020
The Riverhounds play one game a week for the rest of their season and face Hartford Athletic next Saturday at Highmark Stadium.
Greg Macafee is a Triblive contributing writer.
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