The Pittsburgh Riverhounds opened the season with an interesting twist to their attack, with Kevin Kerr – a midfield selection to the 2015 USL All-League Team – joining 2016 All-League Forward Corey Hertzog in the front line against the New York Red Bulls II.

Using Kerr as a forward was something Head Coach David Brandt had experimented with this preseason, with the duo of Hertzog and Kerr starting the team’s opening preseason contest against North Carolina FC. On the face of it, the move was a success too, as players found the score sheet against the Red Bulls II and Hertzog’s brace earned him the USL Player of the Week award.

Digging a little deeper into the numbers, though, it seems that at least for Kerr, there’s going to be an adaptation period if his becomes a permanent role for the veteran. Kerr only completed 11 out of 20 passes in the contest, and arguably settled back into a midfield role for much of the game as he had only four touches of the ball inside the Red Bulls II penalty area. His heat-map for the contest shows a similar story.

Hertzog, meanwhile, was much more effective as he took up wide positions to act as an outlet for the defense, and drove toward the penalty area from out to in as has become somewhat of a trademark for him. His 15 touches in the penalty area and 68 percent completion percentage of his passes in the Red Bulls II half had all the hallmarks of someone given the opportunity to play his best role.

This isn’t to say that the combination of Kerr and Hertzog can’t be a successful one – while the Red Bulls II defense has changed from last year, it’s still one that should be solid this season, and getting three goals in any contest is nothing to sniff at. It could, however, take a little more time for Kerr to become the true second striker the Riverhounds will need him to be to take attention away from in increased attention Hertzog is likely to get in the attacking third.

REARGUARD ACTION: San Antonio FC rolled out a back four that was three-quarters new to the club on Sunday, and while Sebastian Ibeagha earned selection to the Team of the Week, it was very much a collective effort that allowed the side to emerge with a 1-0 victory against Rio Grande Valley FC.

Making his SAFC debut, Ibeagha led the way with 10 of the team’s 36 clearances against the Toros, while returning center back Stephen McCarthy also made eight clearances after coming on as a first-half substitute for newcomer Cyprian Hedrick. According to Opta’s average position map, Ibeagha got the task of taking care of dangerous Toros forward Ruben Luna, and he did so in fine fashion as Luna was limited to only one shot on goal for the game.

Another newcomer, Ben Newnam, also had a solid display at right back, making 13 tackles as he matched up against winger Christian Lucatero – whose five crosses were all met by a San Antonio defender – for the opening 70 minutes. The latter stages of the contest might have seen the San Antonio defense bend against the Toros’ pressure, but the fact it emerged with a clean sheet will have been a welcome start for Head Coach Darren Powell.