Riverhounds Notebook: Despite leading group, Pittsburgh keeping its eye on the prize

The Riverhounds are back on track and they will attempt to extend their two-game winning streak this weekend in Indianapolis when they take on Indy Eleven, but it won’t be easy.

The last time the teams met, former Riverhound and current USL Championship leading scorer Tyler Pasher scored the game-winner in the 97th minute of the match to push his team past the black and gold. Indy Eleven also sits in first place in Group E, six points in front of Saint Louis FC.

Riverhounds coach Bob Lilley met with the media Tuesday via a Zoom call and discussed the game along with a few other topics heading into Saturday’s matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.

1. Eyes on the prize

With their win this past Saturday over New York Red Bulls II, the Riverhounds are now tied for first place in Group F with Hartford Athletic at 12 points apiece.

They’ve defeated Philadelphia Union II twice, split their first two matchups with Red Bulls and handed Louisville City FC a 3-1 loss in the season opener. With 10 games left in the season and a six-point lead on the third-place Red Bulls, they have a grip on a playoff spot. Lilley was asked Tuesday about how he keeps his players focused, given their position over the first six games of the season.

Lilley’s response was diplomatic and focused as he said it was still too early in the season for him to answer a question like that. He’s just trying to keep his team focused on the task at hand with over half a season still to play.

“It’s too early for me,” Lilley said. “We play Indy on Saturday. If we don’t get a result from that game, then we have three losses, Red Bull has four losses and we play at Red Bull at the end of the season.

“If you don’t focus on the game right in front of you it can flip-flop. I think New York is still very much in it. They play us again at home. They have games against Hartford, and Hartford has shown already they are much improved over last year and they are consistently getting results. I just think no one has really separated. It’s too early and there’s too much happening.”

The Riverhounds still have three divisional matchups with Hartford, three with Loudoun United, and one with both New York and Philadelphia.

2. Work in progress

Saturday’s match against New York was the second time this season where Steevan Dos Santos and Ropapa Mensah got to play alongside each other at the top of Pittsburgh’s offense.

It was what Lilley imagined when he envisioned what his offense will look like by the end of the season. Between those two games, the Riverhounds scored eight goals. Dos Santos scored two against Philadelphia, Mensah scored one against New York, and it’s just the beginning for the pair of strikers working together.

“There were moments where they have been able to play with each other, but as a whole, that is something that we’ve been working on for the last couple weeks as Steevan has gotten healthy,” Lilley said. “We think they both pose problems for teams individually, and we know they are going to be better when they start to work off each other more and we are working on that understanding.”

3. Player update

Even though they are six games into the season, the Riverhounds are still awaiting the arrival of players that could contribute down the line. They received good news this week.

“Patrick Bunk-Andersen got approved, so he’s waiting to get his passport back as of today,” Lilley said. “So, we would expect him to have his passport back in the next day, certainly the next couple days, and we’re hoping to have him here by this weekend.”

Lilley said Bunk-Andersen probably won’t travel with the team to Indianapolis but could be a factor for the Loudoun United or Saint Louis game. Mark Lindstrom is also back to training after suffering an injury before the restart. Albert Dikwa, from Garoua, Cameroon, is still awaiting his meeting as well.

“We’re hoping to have them for the last seven games and to be able to get them fit and get game minutes so that if we make it to playoffs, we have more tools at our disposal and can be stronger overall as a group.”

4. Under the radar

Over the past three seasons, Lilley has had a core group of players that includes players like Kenardo Forbes, Jordan Dover, Ryan James and others. Center back Thomas Vancaeyezeele has been there as well, and the University of Charleston alumnus has provided a presence that has been crucial to Pittsburgh’s success.

“He’s been huge for all three years, even as a rookie,” Lilley said. “He reads the game well, and he’s calm. He’s one of those players that makes the players around him better, and he’s very versatile.”

Over his three years in Pittsburgh, Vancaeyezeele has played multiple positions and has put his athleticism to work, plugging in wherever Lilley has needed him. This year, he’s settled into a permanent position at the center of the back line and has played a crucial part in Pittsburgh’s success.

“He’s a little behind the scenes. That’s just in his nature,” Lilley said. “But he’s been very important, even with all of the talented players we’ve had through here in the past three years. He’s one of the first guys I think of when I put the lineup card together.”

5. USL Championship team of the week

After his performance on Saturday, midfielder Robbie Mertz was named to the USL Championship team of the week for the second time this season. Mertz scored two goals against New York Red Bulls II. Mensah was also named to the bench of the team after scoring a goal Saturday.