Mertz wins it in Miami with 90th-minute goal
(Sept. 16, 2023) — Robbie Mertz scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute, and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds extended their lead atop the Eastern Conference with a 2-1 win tonight over Miami FC at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami.
The timely goal couldn’t have come at a more important time for the Hounds (16-5-9) or for Mertz, the Pittsburgh native whose last goal was March 11 at Birmingham. Albert Dikwa scored his league-leading 17th goal from the penalty spot to take a 1-0 lead in the 63rd minute.
Miami (7-14-8) battled back to tie the match in the 88th minute with a goal by Ryan Telfer, and they did so playing down a man after midfielder Bolu Akinyode was sent off for his second yellow card.
The match began at 7:50 p.m. after a 45-minute lightning delay pushed back kickoff.
First half
Chances were scarce for both teams through the first 45, as each side managed just one shot on goal.
Junior Etou was the most dangerous creator in the first half, sending in five crosses just in the first 27 minutes alone. The last of those five wasn’t cleared by the Miami defense and fell for Marc Ybarra, who put a strong shot on net, but it was close enough to Miami goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas for him to make the save.
Moments later, Gabriel Cabral took a free kick from nearly 30 yards for Miami and curled a shot on net, but Hounds goalkeeper Jahmali Waite dove to his right to push the ball wide.
Second half
JC Obregón entered the match as a halftime substitute, and it didn’t take him long to make a massive impact on the game.
Obregón got a half step on Miami defender Paco Craig in the penalty box in the 62nd minute, and the Hounds striker drew enough contact from Craig to earn a penalty kick as he hit the ground. Dikwa stepped up and converted the kick with a low shot to the left of Zendejas, who dove the correct way but didn’t keep the ball out.
The goal, Dikwa’s 17th in USL Championship play, pushes him to third on the Hounds’ single-season scoring list behind only Thiago Martins (22 in 2003) and Rob Vincent (18 in 2015).
Things looked bleak for Miami after Akinyode received his second yellow card in the 76th minute for fouling Ybarra from behind, but desperate to stay in the playoff hunt, Miami pushed players forward. It paid off in the 88th minute when a cross from Cabral on the left made it through all the traffic in front of goal and to Telfer, who scored with an open shot at the back post.
But the Hounds trailed for just two minutes. Luke Biasi took a throw-in deep in Miami territory and received the ball back to play Danny Griffin toward the end line. Griffin kept the ball in play and cut a pass back to the front of goal, where Mertz ran through unmarked and finished with one touch.
Heineken Man of the Match
Danny Griffin helped create the game-winning goal with his assist, and he was all over the large playing surface in Miami. The midfielder connected on 64 of 70 passes (91.4 percent), had a team-high 78 touches on the ball and won possession of the ball 12 times — the most on either team.
What’s next?
The Hounds return to Highmark Stadium for their final two home games of the regular season, the first of which is Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m., when the team hosts New Mexico United (10-13-6). It will be only the second meeting between the clubs, who played a 1-1 draw last season in Albuquerque, and the first meeting in Pittsburgh.
Riverhounds SC lineup (5-3-2) — Jahmali Waite; Junior Etou (Illal Osumanu 72’), Nate Dossantos, Joe Farrell, Arturo Ordóñez, Dani Rovira (Tola Showunmi 84’); Kenardo Forbes (Robbie Mertz 61’), Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra; Edward Kizza (JC Obregón 46’), Albert Dikwa (Luke Biasi 72’)
Miami FC lineup (4-2-3-1) — Adrian Zendejas; Aedan Stanley, Paco Craig, Ben Ofeimu, Mark Segbers; Bolu Akinyode (sent off 76’), Gabriel Cabral; Florian Valot, Claudio Repetto (Ryan Telfer 61’), Joaquin Rivas (Christian Sorto 72’); Michael Salazar (Kyle Murphy 72’)
Scoring summary
PIT — Albert Dikwa 63’ (penalty)
MIA — Ryan Telfer 88’ (Gabriel Cabral)
PIT — Robbie Mertz 90’ (Danny Griffin)
Discipline summary
MIA — Joaquin Rivas 9’ (caution – reckless foul)
MIA — Bolu Akinyode 17’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Junior Etou 28’ (caution – reckless foul)
MIA — Paco Craig 62’ (caution – tactical foul)
MIA — Mark Segbers 68’ (caution – dissent)
PIT — Dani Rovira 74’ (caution – tactical foul)
MIA — Bolu Akinyode 76’ (sent off – second caution; reckless foul)
PIT — Danny Griffin 84’ (caution – tactical foul)
