Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC


Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is an American professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1998 and beginning play in 1999, the club plays in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. Since 2013, the Riverhounds have played their home games at the 5,000-seat Highmark Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium located in Station Square. Their current head coach is Bob Lilley. Saint Lucian international David Flavius currently holds the club records for most appearances and goals which he set over his eight seasons with the Riverhounds between 1999 and 2006. In June 2017, the Riverhounds entered into a developmental partnership with the Ocean City Nor'easters of the Premier Development League, running through the 2018 season.
In 2013, the Riverhounds organization announced its intentions to join Major League Soccer by 2023. Highmark Stadium initially seated 3,500 spectators, though the stadium is designed to be capable of being expanded to 18,500.

History

Colors and badge

Originally, the Riverhounds' colors were predominantly red with smaller amounts of black and white. The original logo was designed by Pittsburgh-based BD&E. The firm made a strategic decision to not make the club's colors black and gold. The choice meant the Hounds would not align with the region's established professional sports identity, but would allow the soccer fans' jerseys to stand out in a Pittsburgh crowd. The club adopted new colors, predominantly blue with white and black added, before the start of the 2008 season to honor their academy and training partnership with Everton. The use of blue was also an allusion to the blue collar populace of Pittsburgh. Beginning in 2014, the Riverhounds began wearing black and gold uniforms more regularly, aligning the club with the colors representative of Pittsburgh's other professional sports teams. Blue and black kits continued to be worn as an alternate third version.
On February 16, 2018, the Riverhounds unveiled a new crest as part of its rebranding. The new crest incorporates traditional Pittsburgh sports colors with important symbols of the city such as bridges and rivers. The crest was designed by Oregon-based graphic designer Brian Gundell.

Stadium

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has played at Highmark Stadium, a 5,000 seat soccer-specific stadium in Station Square, since 2013. The stadium is owned and operated by the Riverhounds organization.

Supporters

In November 2007, the first supporters group of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds was formed, The Steel Army. The Steel Army held their first meeting at Piper's Pub in Pittsburgh's South Side. The group started as 5–10 local people interested in supporting the reorganized Riverhounds Soccer Club and to support the efforts of growing the sport of soccer in Western Pennsylvania as well.
Members are not only from Pittsburgh but also from states as close as Ohio to states as far away as Oregon and Florida. Membership in the Steel Army is now even international with members joining the group from Sunderland and Surrey in the U.K., as well as Bray, in the Republic of Ireland, and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil who will be following the Riverhounds from abroad.
The section of Highmark Stadium where the Steel Army stands and supports the Riverhounds is located at the South Gate end of the stadium. The terrace there holds 1,000 supporters. On August 1, 2015, the supporters' section was renamed the Paul Child Stand in honor of Pittsburgh soccer legend Paul Child. The Steel Army had fierce rivalries with United Soccer League clubs Penn FC and the Rochester Rhinos before both clubs moved to USL League One.

Players and staff

Current roster

Team management

Honors