The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have made plenty of roster moves leading up to their preseason practices. The team will face the reigning USL champions, the Rochester Rhinos, on April 2, but they will do it with a practically all-new squad.
The team will also face the Rhinos without two long term Riverhounds players.
Rob Vincent, a midfielder who has been with the team for three years, is now a member of the MLS team D.C. United. Vincent, who starred in 88 games, scoring 28 goals, impressed D.C. United staff members and was offered a contract before the beginning of the season.
Also not coming back this season is the longest tenured Riverhounds player, Sterling Flunder. Flunder announced his retirement on Feb. 25 after spending six seasons with the Riverhounds. The defender, who made 123 appearances, will now be taking over the role of Academy East’s, in Scottdale, Pa., training program. Flunder will also be training local coaches from local soccer associations.
However even with the two big losses the Riverhounds still managed to find some talent for their roster. The team signed Romeo Parkes, a Jamaican striker. The striker most recently spent time with the El Salvador club Isidro Metapán, where he made 68 appearances and scored ten goals. Since 2012, he’s made four appearances, and scored one goal, for the Jamaican Men’s National Team.
The team also re-signed valuable players Willie Hunt and Mike Green. Hunt has made 30 appearances for the Riverhounds while Green has made 88 appearances in his five years with the squad. Hunt is a key member of the defense while Green is a vital part of the midfield.
The Riverhounds will kick off their season on April 2, but the team has some pre-season matches. Their opponents will include Penn State University, Ohio State University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Akron soccer teams.
Photo Credit:Pittsburgh Riverhounds
