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Inside the Match: New York Red Bulls II vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

ITM25

New York Red Bulls II will travel to face Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday, August 20, at Highmark Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET with coverage available on ESPN+.

Match Notes

Another Chapter in the Rivalry – New York and Pittsburgh will meet for the 20th time in their history, which is the most for New York against current USL Championship clubs. Pittsburgh holds a 11-7-1 advantage in the all-time series, and took the most recent meeting, 3-0, on July 1 at MSU Soccer Park.

Strong Offensive Opponent – Pittsburgh’s Russell Cicerone is tied for 9th in USL Championship with 11 goals on the campaign. Additionally, the club has three players that rank in the top ten in the league for assists (Kenardo Forbes, Alexander Dixon, and Robbie Mertz). During its seven-match unbeaten streak, Pittsburgh outscored its opponents 14-3.

Climbing into the Top Five – In the 84th minute of New York’s match against the Charleston Battery on August 12, Hassan Ndam passed Jared Stroud for fifth in club history for minutes played across the regular and postseason. He is 20 minutes away from moving into fourth, which is currently held by Jordan Scarlett (5,221).

Last Time Out

New York fell to the Charleston Battery, 3-1, on Friday, August 12, at MSU Soccer Park. Zach Ryan scored his first USL Championship goal in second half stoppage time, and Giannis Nikopolidis tallied six saves.

Pittsburgh fell to Memphis 901 FC, 2-0, at Highmark Stadium on Saturday, August 13, spanning a seven-match unbeaten streak. Pittsburgh was shut out for the first time since June 18 despite having 10 more shots than Memphis.

Important Numbers

2 – John Murphy has tallied an assist in back-to-back matches for Red Bulls II and is now tied with O’Vonte Mullings for the team lead.

8 – New York and Pittsburgh have met eight times since the beginning of the 2020 season.

14 – Giannis Nikopolidis is 14 minutes away from passing Wallis Lapsley and moving into seventh in club history among goalkeepers.