The Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan, Ontario – home of Toronto FC II – has only been open for a month, but the Pittsburgh Riverhounds have already claimed two victories on their Eastern Conference rival’s home ground.
The Hounds helped open the stadium with a 2-0 victory on July 8 and did the double on Saturday with a 3-1 win over the Reds.
Midfielder Rob Vincent got the scoring started off in the 11th minute when he took a short flick from Stephen Okai and fired one of his trademarked left-footed bombs from outside the penalty area past the outstretched arms of Toronto goalkeeper Quillan Roberts.
The goal was his 17th of the season, breaking a tie with Danni Konig of Oklahoma City for the USL lead.
The Riverhounds added to their lead in the 30th minute when Kevin Kerr pounced on a Toronto turnover in their own third and quickly fed Lebo Moloto, who bent a left-footed strike around Roberts and just inside the left post for his third tally of the campaign.
Kerr’s assist was his ninth of the season, which also leads the USL.
Canadian forward Miro Cabrilo made an appearance in his home country, as he came on in relief of Okai in the 72nd minute, and quickly made in an impact.
In the 79th minute, Cabrilo went up for a contested header in the box on a service from Kerr. He couldn’t control the ball, but it went right to Moloto, who made it a move to his left around a defender and slotted it right back toward Cabrilo, who pushed in to the right side of the net to give the Hounds a commanding 3-0 lead.
With regular starter Ryan Thompson sidelined with a knee injury, Mexican goalkeeper Jose Gonzalez made his Riverhounds debut and nearly earned a clean sheet, turning aside 11 Toronto shots before Raheem Edwards scored with a wicked strike from outside the penalty area in stoppage time.
With the win, the Hounds moved into sole possession of sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 31 points, and they are just one point behind Richmond and New York, who are tied for fifth and both lost on Saturday.
Starting XI: GK Gonzalez; D Anthony Arena, Willie Hunt, Matt Dallman and Fejiro Okiomah; M Moloto, Vincent, Kerr, Danny Earls; F Michael Green
Substitutions: 79’ Cabrilo for Okai; 80’ Boris Zivanovic for Moloto; 86’ Tyler Pasher for Kerr and Seth C’deBaca for Green; 89’ Sidney Rivera for Vincent
Cautions: Dallman 66’, Cabrilo 75’
Next match: Saturday, August 15 vs. Charlotte Independence at Highmark Stadium
Photo credit: Ontario Soccer Association
