The Riverhounds kick off their 16th season in Pittsburgh, their third along the Mon at Highmark Stadium, and their first under team president Richard NightingaleSaturday against Harrisburg.
Nightingale, a British-born former Nike exec with longtime professional ties to our city, was hired in January with a mandate to not only improve the team’s performance on the pitch after missing the USL playoffs last summer but also to guide it safely out of its recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
I saw the big lights on at Highmark last night and thought I’d pull into the lot and see if anyone was home. Sure enough, there were Nightingale and team owner Tuffy Shallenberger personally applying a few finishing touches on a few stadium upgrades, not least of which is a wholly rebuilt soccer-style pub that I can promise will blow people away.
Anyway, I dragged Nightingale out to the center of the pitch for a chat.
Oh, and the Riverhounds are expecting a good crowd for the opener, but it’s not yet sold out.
Be interesting to how the team does. Dutch style needs adaptable players as rather than having fixed positions players flow in out of various positions, for example if a midfielder moves in a striking position another player moves into midfield. Of course that depends on how much of the Dutch style the coach uses. As an attacking system likely to use a 3-5-2 or 4-3-3 or 4-4-2.
Steffens' default is a 4-4-2, but you're absolutely right, Joe: The Hounds will force numbers to the midfield and rotate in from the flanks. It's fascinating to watch. It's also difficult, and I have real doubt that it will work right away. So many of the Hounds' strikers are late arrivals due to other commitments.
matt.gajtka
3-26-2015, 12:49 pm
Judging by how often midfielders like Kerr and Vincent were upfield and finishing in the preseason, your assessment is right on. A shame they couldn't get a lot of training time outdoors until lately, but there were some flashes of the kind of interchangeability you talk about.
Steffens talks about "one- and two-touch plays" a good bit too. Focusing on quick ball movement above all else: http://t.co/N8RpYZabg2
Dejan Kovacevic
3-26-2015, 5:04 pm
For those who haven't heard, Matt will be the Hounds' play-by-play man this season. Congrats to Matt! It'll be great to have your voice here on the site, as well.
matt.gajtka
3-28-2015, 10:17 am
Thanks for the shout-out! Should be a blast this spring and summer.
JAL
3-26-2015, 11:59 am
especially difficult for players who long taught to stay in position and not wander. Almost a different mindset
Great video. By the time I received my email from the City Islanders, I'd already heard about the Pennsylvania Derby Cup 14 hours prior through your work.
Is there any reason they don't have a TV contract even on My Pittsburgh TV or anything? I doubt there is much revenue from it but with families and hustle bustle they have it might provide some exposure.
March 26, 2015
Morning Java: The real opening pitch
by Dejan Kovacevic • Videos • Morning Java, Riverhounds
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
The Riverhounds kick off their 16th season in Pittsburgh, their third along the Mon at Highmark Stadium, and their first under team president Richard Nightingale Saturday against Harrisburg.
Nightingale, a British-born former Nike exec with longtime professional ties to our city, was hired in January with a mandate to not only improve the team’s performance on the pitch after missing the USL playoffs last summer but also to guide it safely out of its recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
I saw the big lights on at Highmark last night and thought I’d pull into the lot and see if anyone was home. Sure enough, there were Nightingale and team owner Tuffy Shallenberger personally applying a few finishing touches on a few stadium upgrades, not least of which is a wholly rebuilt soccer-style pub that I can promise will blow people away.
Anyway, I dragged Nightingale out to the center of the pitch for a chat.
Oh, and the Riverhounds are expecting a good crowd for the opener, but it’s not yet sold out.