The Riverhounds opened their title defense against a familiar foe in the Charleston Battery, and from the opening whistle there was no mistaking the intent. With a mix of new faces and one very familiar one in forward Albert Dikwa, the Hounds came out with purpose, pressing high and trying to dictate the early tempo.
Charleston, however, grew into the match quickly. The Hounds conceded a corner in the 9th minute, though the threat was erased by a Battery foul. A second corner moments later nearly produced the opener—Pittsburgh were forced to clear off the line before goalkeeper Nico Campuzano made another strong save to deny the follow‑up. The Battery’s long balls over the top were causing real problems, pinning the Hounds deep and forcing them to chase possession.
A welcome hydration break in the 17th minute offered Pittsburgh a moment to reset, but the run of play remained tilted toward Charleston. Even so, the Hounds’ defensive shape held firm, absorbing pressure and limiting clear chances.
Pittsburgh earned a free kick in the 23rd minute, but the delivery into the box was halted by an offside flag. Another free kick in the 28th minute came to nothing as the Battery dealt with the service comfortably. By the half‑hour mark, though, the Hounds began to settle, finding more composure on the ball and pushing higher up the pitch.
Their best chance of the half arrived in the 33rd minute when midfielder Charles Ahl directed a sharp header toward the near post, only to be denied by a strong save from Charleston goalkeeper Luis Zamudio. Pittsburgh earned another free kick in the 44th minute, but once again the Battery cleared their lines.
Charleston closed the half with a flurry of corners in stoppage time. The first was deflected out for another, and the second proved costly: former Hound Sean Suber rose to meet the delivery and powered home the opener. The Battery took a 1–0 lead into halftime, capitalizing on their sustained pressure in the final moments.
Charleston picked up right where they left off, carrying their first‑half momentum straight into the second. Just three minutes after the restart, Wilmer Cabrera tested Nico Campuzano with a driven right‑footed effort from outside the box, but the Hounds’ keeper held firm, gathering the shot cleanly at the center of goal.
Cabrera wasn’t done. In the 52nd minute, the Battery midfielder found space in the heart of the box and curled a left‑footed strike into the bottom‑left corner, doubling Charleston’s lead and putting Pittsburgh in a difficult spot at 2–0.
To their credit, the Hounds responded with composure. They began to control more of the ball, pushing Charleston deeper and forcing mistakes. Their pressure paid off in the 62nd minute when a dangerous sequence in the box led to a Battery own goal, cutting the deficit to 2–1 and breathing life back into the match.
Charleston nearly restored their two‑goal cushion in the 71st minute, breaking through the Hounds’ back line, but Campuzano produced a spectacular save—arguably his best of the night—to keep Pittsburgh within striking distance.
From there, the Hounds committed numbers forward in search of an equalizer. Their high press created moments of chaos but also left them exposed, allowing Charleston to absorb pressure and counter with relative ease. In stoppage time, Pittsburgh nearly forced a second own goal and earned a late corner, but the Battery cleared their lines. A slip at the back from the Hounds almost gifted Charleston a third, but the danger passed.
The final whistle sealed a 2–1 defeat for Pittsburgh—an opening‑day setback despite a spirited push in the closing stages.
The Hounds return to action next Saturday on the road against Loudoun United, looking to regroup and claim their first points of the season.
