On Saturday, two of the top teams in the USL Championship will meet as the Pittsburgh Riverhounds clash with Louisville City FC on CBS at 3 p.m. One of the most successful clubs in USL history, Louisville have looked to find its footing under manager Simon Bird after Danny Cruz departed to take an assistant role with Minnesota United after the season kicked off. Granted, Louisville are still fourth in the Eastern Conference, so the fact that this is even a conversation shows just how high standards are at the club, but these are two teams with essentially championship or bust aspirations.How to watch Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs. Louisville City FCDate: Saturday, July 18 | Time: 12 p.m. ETLocation: Highmark Stadium — Pittsburgh, Pa.TV: CBS | Live stream: Paramount+
Odds: Pittsburgh Riverhounds +210; Draw +240; Louisville City +115
Louisville won the Players’ Shield last season for the highest regular-season points total, while Pittsburgh won the USL Championship final on a penalty shootout. It doesn’t get much more star-studded than this. Rob Vincent took over and led an epic run to the first title in club history, and now, with Albert Dikwa back with the club, the Hounds are looking to do the improbable and go back-to-back. There’s no better way to announce those intentions than by defeating a squad like Louisville, but it’ll be far from an easy task.
Pittsburgh’s taken a step back from their defensive dominance of last season, while Louisville are getting goals from everywhere, so they will bring the pressure. With 25 goals this season, only two teams in the league have outscored Louisville, but Pittsburgh will also want to rebound after falling to Sporting Jax during midweek play. It was Sporting’s first victory of the season and a match where Pittsburgh seemed disjointed, something that Vincent will want to fix. He’ll have the advantage of returning home to play in Highmark Stadium, one of the toughest venues for visiting teams in the league, and that’ll help turn the tide in their favor.
Prediction
Dickwa will open the scoring early for the Hounds as they play a back-and-forth clash with Louisville. It won’t be an easy one as this turns into an open match, but Pittsburgh will hold on by the skin of their teeth for a win. Score: Pittsburgh 3, Louisville 2
