NYCFC vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC preview: Back in the U.S. Open Cup | OneFootball

New York City FC is back in the U.S. Open Cup!  After a year away, in which the majority of Major League Soccer teams did not participate, the Pigeons are one of 16 MLS sides competing in this year’s edition.  They will face Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the Round of 32, which is also their first game.

This will be the first meeting between NYCFC and the USL Championship side.  Funny enough, both teams have been struggling to score goals and are in the middle of their respective Eastern Conference tables.  Hence, it will be intriguing to see whether the Boys in Blue score more than once.  Ideally, they will score multiple goals and beat the Riverhounds in style.

Also, fans should hope that Pascal Jansen rotates the lineup while still putting out a strong Starting XI.  Yes, the next month will be hectic with eight games, and if the Bronx side wins, nine matches will be played.  Still, it would be nice to see the team go on a run.

Of course, they have to win the first game.  So, here is a preview of NYCFC’s U.S. Open Cup match against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

NYCFC vs Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC preview

Date

NYCFC and Pittsburgh will face off on Wednesday, May 7.

Time

The fixture will start at 7:00 PM ET.

Location

The match will take place at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

How to watch

Fans can watch the game on the CBS Sports Network on TV and stream on Paramount+.

Weather

Thankfully, the rain in the area is ending for now, so NYCFC and Pittsburgh will have a nice night for football.  It will be around 71 degrees and mostly cloudy.  The humidity will be below 50% while the winds should be around 5 mph.

Injury report

TBD, but Jacob Arroyave (knee), Mitja Ilenič (leg), Malachi Jones (leg), and Kevin O’Toole (leg) were previously unavailable for Sunday’s match.  Fans should expect Keaton Parks to be added to the list.

Players to watch

It is unknown who Jansen will rotate in the U.S. Open Cup match.  Therefore, fans should watch the head coach to see what he does.  Truthfully, it would be a good idea to rest Maxi Moralez, and fans should assume Parks will not play.  Julián Fernández should start again since he scored on Sunday, but he needs to be better with the ball.  Then, it would be great to see some of the younger Homegrowns and bench players get the call.

On the Riverhounds, fans should watch Danny Griffin.  The midfielder leads the team with three goals in all competitions and has played every single minute.  His team has only scored seven goals in all competitions, so this makes him the most threatening player at this time.

The Pigeons have lost in the U.S. Open Cup to lower division teams before, so they cannot take this match lightly.  As long as they play like they are playing any other team, then NYCFC should cruise into the next round with a 3-0 win.  They will outplay the Riverhounds in almost every statistic, especially the offensive ones.