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Match Preview: Maryland Bobcats FC @ Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC - US Open Cup Second Round

The Bobcats travel to the Steel City to take on USLC side in Open Cup action
Published Apr 5, 2022

April 5, 2022 (Pittsburgh, PA) - The Maryland Bobcats FC travel to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania to take on USL Championsip team Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The Open Cup - a knockout cup competition in men's American soccer and the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States - pits every professional club across the country in a knockout tournament along with amatuer sides that have qualified through their league or open qualifying. The Open Cup has it's biggest ever field in the 2022 edition. 

This marks the first time that the Bobcats have played in the US Open Cup proper. Head Coach Sylvain Rastello is excited for the opportunity and knows it's a good measuring stick for the players and club as a whole: "It's a nice opportunity to give visibility for the club," Rastello said. "It's a great expirience for the players. They havve a chance to play against a team that plays in the USL Championship and players that have a lot of pro expirience. It gives us a chance to give the opportunity to players to get visibility and compare where they are at compared to players at the USL Championship level."

It will be a tough task against a strong Pittsburgh side who have a history of success on and off the field. Founded in 1999, the Riverhounds plays in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. Since 2013, the Riverhounds have played their home games at the 5,000-seat Highmark Stadium where the game will be taking place tonight.

The match will kick off at 7pm EST and will be streamed live on ESPN+. Follow along with the match action on Twitter at @MDBobatsFC.