On the Pitch
Open Cup
On the Pitch
On the Pitch
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Victorious in First Intra-Pittsburgh U.S. Open Cup Clash Since 1957
Defending USL Championship title-winners withstood late push from USL League Two’s Steel City FC to close out First Round
Defending USL Championship title-winners, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, secured a narrow 2–1 victory against USL League Two and fellow Pittsburgh-based side Steel City FC on a cool night in downtown Pittsburgh to close out the First Round of the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
At a packed Highmark Stadium on the banks of the Monongahela River, an intra-Pittsburgh U.S. Open Cup fixture was played for the first time since 1957. The last time two Pittsburgh-based sides faced off in the Open Cup was 69 years ago, when a pair of eventual Open Cup champions, Harmarville Hurricanes and Morgan Strasser, clashed at Harmarville's Consumer Field.
The contest favored the Hounds early and often but missed opportunities for the hosts, along with a late conversion from the spot for the visitors, resulted in a tight contest in the latter portion of the second half.
The hosts got the action started early, as captain Danny Griffin scored the 18th goal of his 195-match Pittsburgh career in the 6th minute, smashing in a bouncing ball feet away from the goal. The Hounds proceeded to rip off seven more shots in the first half, while Steel City was limited to just one blocked shot through the opening 45 minutes.
The second half proceeded in a similar fashion to the first. 23 -year-old second-year professional Charles Ahl scored Charles Ahl scored his first goal of the season with a cool, top-corner finish from just inside the penalty area in the 66th minute.
The visitors were able to answer just 10 minutes later, though, as current medical school student and Steel City captain Nick Graeca capitalized on an opportunity from the penalty spot, slotting the ball to the left of the goalkeeper to halve the deficit. The push to find the equalizer ultimately went unanswered for SCFC, as the visiting League Two side was held without a shot for the remainder of the contest and reduced to 10 men in the 86th minute.
