Pittsburgh Riverhounds News Release - www.riverhounds.com
Friday, July 24, 2009
PITTSBURGH, PA -- Both the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and the Western Mass Pioneers came into their first of two matches this weekend desperate and hungry for a win. However, in a rough, hotly contested match in the United Soccer Leagues Second Division, they had to settle for a 1-1 draw.
Each had their share of scoring opportunities in the first half but neither side could put the ball in the net, despite 11 shots on goal; six by the visitors.
In the 65th minute, Pittsburgh had a pair of chances on one lightning-fast play as the ball was headed by Jeff Hughes from the left but stopped by Western Mass’ netminder Bobby Shuttleworth. It ricocheted to Pittsburgh’s Randolph Jerome just to the right of the goal. He headed it again. This time Shuttleworth slapped it away for a Riverhounds corner kick. Pittsburgh could not convert and the match remained scoreless and chippie.
Then in the 69th minute, the Pioneers’ Almir Barbosa played the ball to the right to defender Neil Krause who sneaked into the Pittsburgh end of the pitch. Krause sent it back to Barbosa who flew up the middle and beat Riverhounds’ keeper Danny Waltman one-on-one to put Western Mass ahead 1-0.
In the 79th minute, Tony Labudovski one-timed a sidewinder on a cross from Allan Brown and again Shuttleworth was in the right spot, stabbing it with both hands at eye level stopping the shot.
A hotly contested affair, the Riverhounds lost veteran Justin Evans to a red card in the 79th minute and the Pioneers’ Federico Molinari was ejected in the 84th. The hard play continued as Niko Katic and Neil Krause got into a shoving match to the right of the Riverhounds’ area. Katic received a caution, but Krause was the third player of the night to be ejected.
With 6 minutes of stoppage time added onto the second half, Pittsburgh used the time to tie the match at 1-1. Defender Ed Hayden, who did not come in until the 85th minute, played the ball from left-to-right across the box to Jeff Hughes who turned, carried it, then blasted a shot that beat Shuttleworth.
Pittsburgh tried to finish off a late attack, but Labudovski’s strike went just above the crossbar, seconds before the officials blew the whistle to end the contest in a 1-1 tie.
The Hounds are 4-8-4 (16-points). The Pioneers are 5-7-5 (20-points). Both are fighting for their playoff lives. The two sides battle again on Sunday afternoon at 3:05 p.m. at Chartiers Valley Stadium. Tickets will be available at the gate.
