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What2Watch4: Tampa Bay - 6/22

By Anthony Picardi, 06/20/17, 12:15PM EDT

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The Riverhounds (4-6-4) return to Highmark Stadium after a two-match road stint. Most recently falling to Louisville City FC, Pittsburgh looks to bounce back against the Tampa Bay Rowdies (6-3-6) at 7 p.m. this Thursday. This meeting will mark the first in USL play between the two clubs, as well as the first time since going head-to-head in the Third Round of the 2015 U.S. Open Cup, where the Hounds prevailed 1-0 at Highmark Stadium. 

The Rundown

Shorthanded

The Hounds defense will be shorthanded on Thursday, as Taylor Washington will be suspended for the match after he cumulated his fifth yellow card this past weekend against Louisville City FC. Washington has appeared in all 14 games and ranks third on the team with 1,181 minutes. Pittsburgh will have to reshuffle its backline once again heading into its match against Tampa Bay.

Climbing the ladder

This past weekend against Louisville City FC, Kevin Kerr appeared in his 114th career game with the Hounds, which moves him into a tie with Nathan Salsi for sixth most all-time. Look for Kerr, the only Hounds player yet to miss a minute played this regular season, to break into the top five this Thursday, as he needs just one more cap to move himself into a tie for fifth with Randy Dedini.

Up to speed

After signing on with the Hounds this past May, Romeo Parkes has become a mainstay in the starting lineup. Parkes has started the past four games for Pittsburgh and played a full-90 minutes in the past three matches. The striker is averaging three shots in games that he plays the full allotment of minutes. Parkes should continue to factor in scoring opportunities moving forward.

By the numbers: 8

Tampa Bay is third in the Eastern Conference with a plus-eight goal differential. The Rowdies field an explosive attack, which is led by Georgi Hristov. The Tampa Bay striker leads the team with six goals and averages one point per game this season. The Hounds will need to zero in on Hristov come Thursday.

Key to victory: Rebound on offense

After recording a combined 34 shots and 15 shots on goal in its two prior matches to the Louisville City FC game, Pittsburgh had a rough go last time out and tallied six shots and one shot on goal. The Hounds will need to up the offensive pressure back to its previous level against Tampa Bay.