The Pittsburgh Riverhounds [5-5-4] will face the New York Red Bulls II [6-5-4] in an important match with playoff implications on Saturday evening at Highmark Stadium, and they will do so with less than a full side.
Defender Willie Hunt, midfielder Danny Earls, head coach Mark Steffens and assistant coach Niko Katic will all miss Saturday’s match while serving one-game suspensions handed down by the United Soccer League on Wednesday.
All of the suspensions are as a result of actions taken last Saturday, when the Riverhounds lost a 1-0 match on a controversial 78th-minute penalty kick awarded to the Rochester Rhinos. Rhinos forward Alex Dixon appeared to dive on the play.
Steffens and Katic were sent off shortly after the penalty went against the Riverhounds for arguing the referee’s decision.
Earls, the Riverhounds captain, was given a yellow card for a dangerous challenge in the 80th minute that started a fracas.
In stoppage time, defender Anthony Arena was booked for a hard tackle and Hunt was given his second yellow card of the game when he booted the ball away after the referee’s whistle. Hunt had already earned a yellow card earlier in the game, so he was sent off in the 93rd minute.
Steffens, Katic and Hunt will serve their one-game suspensions for their ejections. Earls’ yellow card was his fifth of the season, and he will serve one game for accumulation of yellow cards. Arena’s yellow card was his fourth this year.
The Riverhounds will face a red-hot Red Bulls team that has won three matches in a row and allowed only one goal against in that span. The Red Bulls have 22 points and are in fifth place in the USL Eastern Conference, one spot ahead of the Riverhounds, who have 19 points. The top six clubs in each conference will qualify for the USL playoffs.
The Riverhounds lost their one and only matchup against the Red Bulls, who are an expansion team this year, by a 3-2 score in at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. on May 3. Red Bulls midfielder Anthony Wallace scored in the 94th minute to break a 2-2 tie and give New York the win. Rob Vincent had a brace for the Hounds.
Saturday night’s kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Photo credit: Brian Mitchell
