Pittsburgh renewed one of the USL Championship’s longest standing rivalries on Saturday night as the Charleston Battery visited FNB Stadium. The Hounds struck immediately. Just two minutes in, midfielder Jackson Walti delivered a long, lofted ball over the top to Trevor Amann, who controlled cleanly, stepped into space, and drove a low shot from outside the box into the bottom left corner to give Pittsburgh a 1–0 lead.
Pittsburgh kept Charleston under pressure with an aggressive, well timed high line, and the approach paid off again in the 16th minute. Danny Griffin, sliding to meet a pass from Amann, tucked his finish underneath Battery goalkeeper Luis Zamudio to double the advantage, 2–0.
Charleston answered quickly, pulling one back in the 18th minute when defender Douglas Martínez finished a right footed effort from the right side of the box after being set up by Nathan Messer, cutting the Pittsburgh lead to 2–1.
The tempo settled afterward, with both sides shifting into a more possession oriented rhythm as the match grew increasingly chippy. Charleston’s Emilio Ycaza was booked in the 36th minute for a heavy challenge, and the physical play continued four minutes later when Pittsburgh forward Trevor Amann received a yellow card for a hard foul.
Just before halftime, goalkeeper Nico Campuzano preserved the Hounds’ advantage with a sharp save in the 44th minute. Pittsburgh carried the 2–1 lead into the break.
The second half opened with sustained pressure from Charleston, and the Battery nearly found an equalizer in the 51st minute. A well constructed move down the right side produced a clean look at goal, but the ensuing strike sailed high over the crossbar, keeping Pittsburgh in front.
Five minutes later, the Hounds generated a quality chance of their own. Forward Albert Dikwa drove a right footed effort from the right side of the box toward the top center of goal, but Luis Zamudio reacted sharply to push the shot away.
Pittsburgh’s pressure continued to build, and it paid off again in the 63rd minute. Defender Victor Souza rose above the pack on a corner delivered by midfielder Sam Bassett, powering a precise header into the net to extend the lead to 3–1.
Pittsburgh continued to apply pressure as the match entered its closing stages, and midfielder Junior Etou broke free behind the Battery defense before being brought down by Douglas Martínez. The foul resulted in Martínez’s second yellow card of the night and his dismissal, leaving Charleston to play the final nine minutes of regulation with ten men.
With the advantage, the Hounds shifted into a possession focused approach, managing the remaining moments confidently to secure a much needed 3–1 victory. Pittsburgh now heads on the road for its next two matches before returning home to FNB Stadium on August 29.
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