On Saturday evening, the USL Championship crowned a new league champion. Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, who outlasted the West’s top seed FC Tulsa for 120 minutes before winning in a penalty shootout.
A First Trophy
This trophy is Pittsburgh’s first in their 26 year history which has seen them play in the USL A-League, USL Second Division, USL Pro and current Championship.
In 2023, despite winning the Supporters Shield for the best record in the league, the ‘Hounds suffered a shock upset in the first round. But 2025 would prove to be their year, as they finished 5th overall, and 4th in the Eastern Conference.
Pittsburgh became the first team in any USL division to win a title without conceding a single goal during the playoffs. Three of their four post season matches ended in 0 – 0 draws, with the ‘Hounds winning on kicks from the spot. In the Nov. 15th semi-final they topped Rhode Island with a 1 – 0 victory. All told, Pittsburgh went 643 minutes without conceding a goal, going all the way back to Oct. 11 against Indy Eleven.
Defense the Key
Unsurprisingly, the man of the match (and the playoffs, really) was goalkeeper Eric Dick. His five saves in open play added to his previous tally of ten over the prior three matches, and kept his side in the game. In the shootout, he saved Stefan Lukic’s kick and his teammates stepped up to drain all five of their penalties to give Pittsburgh their first title in soccer.
Offensively, Pittsburgh were somewhat woeful throughout the campaign. Only 8 of their 41 shots were on frame. Although they averaged 58% possession in their first three games, that lack of finishing could have hurt them. But from the spot, the ‘Hounds were merciless. They were perfect against Hartford and Tulsa, and their only blemish was when Robbie Mertz’s effort was saved by Detroit City’s Carlos Santaña.
