Nothing swells the pride in the chest of Pittsburghers quite like a sports hero. Countless sports heroes, such as Mean Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jerome Bettis and Sidney Crosby, have made the city of Pittsburgh proud. These are men who will never have to buy a drink in Pittsburgh ever again, or at the very least shouldn’t have to.
However, not one of these great men actually came from this city, yet through our love of competitive sports we adopted them as our own all the same. Sometimes, though, a player needs no adoption. It’s rare, but it does happen. Robbie Mertz is that player for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and for the city of Pittsburgh itself.
Mertz grew up just south of the city, going to school in Upper St. Clair. His work ethic and intelligence on the field made him a star on the USC varsity team. His coach at USC, Uwe Schneider, fondly remembers coaching Mertz, and recalls just how composed he was right from the start.
“I remember an episode from his freshman year,” Schneider said. “Robbie was on varsity at the end of the season. We had a strong team, won the WPIAL championship and made it all the way to Hershey, the state finals.”
In the semifinals against State College, the match was tied at the end of regulation and overtime, and the two teams had to go to a penalty shootout. After the first five kicks the score remained tied, and Schneider had to look for players willing to take a penalty kick since the Panthers had exhausted all their regular penalty kick takers. Mertz, a freshman, hadn’t played a single minute of the game, but he was on the roster and eligible to take a penalty kick.
“In the seventh round we were desperate to find somebody willing to step up to the spot,” Schneider said. “All of a sudden, out of nowhere, Robbie comes, takes the ball and places it on the penalty spot. He calmly converts his attempt and we take the lead. State College misses the next shot and we are on the way to Hershey.”
The turn of events left Schneider speechless. “It takes a tremendous amount of guts and self-confidence to do what Robbie did in this moment, especially as a freshman,” Schneider said. “To me, this little episode shows why Robbie was successful as a player in college and is successful now at the pro level. Many players have talent and many might be physically stronger but it is the mental strength that sets Robbie apart and makes him who he is today.”
Mertz also remembers his time at USC fondly. “I would say that I was very fortunate to play on a team at Upper St. Clair that was extremely talented for all four years, really,” he said. “I would say that I was definitely a leader on that team, but we had other guys who were exceptional high school players.”
Mertz mentioned several of his teammates — Joel Hart, Troye Kiernan, Shayne Sibley, Hayden Bernhardt and Doug Hapeman.
“There’s a ton of names,” Mertz said. “So many people contributed to our success during those years, and those were some of the tightest teams I’ve ever been on. So many of those guys remain close friends of mine. It was just a special time. I think a lot of my development came from my work ethic off the field, away from some of the team training, perhaps.”
Mertz went to Riverhounds games as a child and has been involved with the United Soccer League club since he was a child as well. Following his time in college playing for the University of Michigan, Mertz began his first spell with his hometown pro team in 2019, staying just two seasons, and racking up 40 appearances and 11 goals.
Bob Lilley, who has been the Hounds’ coach since 2018, said he had a very talented team during Mertz’ rookie year. “Very few rookies were playing week in and week out,” he said. “Robbie was one of very few rookies playing consistently at that time. He put up really good numbers his first year.”
After two seasons playing professionally in his hometown, Mertz transferred to another USL team: Atlanta United 2. Mertz became a mainstay for Atlanta, even often wearing the captain’s armband. After two solid seasons there, making 48 appearances for them, Mertz decided to return to the Riverhounds in the summer of 2022.
Mertz characterized his return to Pittsburgh as a homecoming. Although the roster had plenty of new faces, he said that in many ways, the club had good continuity from 2019 and still has it to this day.
“The players themselves, the personnel have largely changed,” he said. “But in terms of the staff, the way the club operates and everything, it’s a very similar operation. And I think that was really appealing to me, in terms of coming back here for a second stint from Atlanta because I knew what I was getting into. I had a lot of familiarity with the organization, which was good.”
Back home, Mertz started building relationships with teammates and incessantly training, both of which he is wont to do. Danny Griffin, the current Riverhounds captain, described the way Mertz builds relationships with his teammates.
“It’s amazing, because to me he is more than just a teammate,” Griffin said of Mertz, whom he chose to serve as a groomsman in his January wedding. “To me he is a brother.
“He’s a vocal person, and a good leader on the team as well. He’s also someone I can always confide in and talk to. He shows great resilience on the field and he’s a wonderful player for us to have and a great teammate.”
Mertz fits into the current Hounds side like a glove, occasionally even wearing the captain’s armband, much to the delight of the Steel Army, the Riverhounds’ biggest support group at games. Mertz speaks highly of the players he has a chance to play next to in black and gold.
“Kenardo Forbes is one of the best players I’ve been with, so I’ve become close with him after five years as teammates,” Mertz said. “Danny Griffin is our club captain, right now. He came in 2020, which was my second year. So I definitely have a great relationship with him, I room with him on the road, even.”
Mertz also singled out Dani Rovira, who came in with Mertz as a rookie in 2019. “You’re always close with guys in your rookie class,” he said. “Pat Hogan, Luke Biasi are guys who I’ve definitely created good relationships with off the field as well. Those are just a few, but I would say this year in particular I feel like I have a lot of great friends off the field.”
Mertz, ever a pragmatist, knows the weight of responsibility that comes with being a professional athlete from Pittsburgh playing for a team in Pittsburgh. Lilley also is well aware of that.
“I think you can’t love a club any more than you love your hometown club,” he said. “So I think he brings a unique element – that he was born and raised here, and he watched lots of Riverhounds games growing up.”
Mertz, a serious and dedicated man, is known by his teammates and coaches for his zeal and vigor in training and games. He even mentioned that he stopped listening to music before games as a way to get ready. “Trying to sort of ground myself and focus and remain present in the moment and with my teammates before the match starts,” he explained
Lilley spoke highly about Mertz’ work ethic, “Robbie is that player who never takes a day off, even in the off-season,” he said. “He’s always trying to better himself and get himself ready for matches.
“And I think that is the mark of a good pro. There are so many things that he does for us that serve as a wonderful example for the younger players. I think the only thing that both he and I want to see is for him to continue his growth as a player and continue to find his rhythm in the team.”
Mertz has been playing quite well and regularly this season so far in his fifth year with the club. With 34 matches played in the 2024 season thus far — with about 2,500 minutes of playing time — and 3 goals and 5 assists from midfield, he leads the team by a great margin with 57 chances created this season.
Now, as October gives way to November, the Hounds managed to not only win their last four games, but also qualify for the USL playoffs. Pittsburgh enters as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference and is 9-1-6 over its last 16 games. Mertz helped key the run with a goal and four assists over those last four games.
The Riverhounds open their playoff run Saturday at No. 2 seed Charleston. As always, it’s a safe bet that the Steel Army and the Riverhounds supporters will be behind the team that represents their city. And Pittsburghers will always be so proud of those from the ‘Burgh who make it to those teams. For this reason, for his determination and his cohesiveness in the middle of the field, Pittsburghers will always be behind Robbie Mertz.
Photos Courtesy of Pittsburgh Riverhounds
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