The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC are scheduled to begin the 2026 season with a match against one of their oldest rivals, the Charleston Battery, at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium in Charleston, S.C.
That’s where the Riverhounds will look to begin their defense of the 2025 United Soccer League (USL) championship – as long as a labor dispute that has bubbled to the surface is settled.
Though the season is scheduled to begin this weekend, the USL Players Association (USLPA) has authorized a strike unless the collective bargaining agreement between the USLPA and the USL can be reached.
The two sides have been negotiating a new deal since August 2024, which deals with improved professional standards. The previous CBA expired Dec. 31, 2025. If no agreement is reached, the start of the season could be delayed.
The Battery has finished in the top three in the Eastern Conference for the past three seasons and had the second highest point total in the USL in 2025, as well as being league’s highest scoring team.
The Battery will rely on Wilmer Cabrera, Laurent Kissiedou and Miguel Berry for continued offensive production. Both the Battery and the Riverhounds are projected to be top competitors for the 2026 championship.
The Riverhounds completed their preseason schedule with a 6-1 record. The squad split its wins between professional and collegiate opponents, with victories over the Richmond Kickers, Indy Eleven and Loudoun United, as well as Duquesne University, West Virginia University and the University of Pittsburgh. Their only loss was to Lexington SC.
During the preseason, the Riverhounds completed their roster for the 2026 season with the signings of several young players and rookies:
Defenders
Lasse Kelp (University of Maryland Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year) and Mac Hermann finalist (Top 15 college players)
Owen Mikoy (helped lead the University of Kentucky to the NCAA Tournament)
Midfielders
Sam Bassett (played for the Colorado Rapids of the MLS and Rapids II of the MLS Next Pro in 2025)
Max Viera (Helped lead Georgetown University to the Big East Championship twice and to the NCAA Elite Eight)
Forwards/Strikers
Aldi Flowers-Gamboa (Plum High School product, signed a USL Academy contract; played for Texoma FC — lower-level USL)
Goalkeepers
Mike Sheridan (Played for the Philadelphia Union II of the MLS Next Pro in 2025)
Mitch Budler (Two-time Big East Goalkeeper of the Year, third-team All-America and helped the University of Akron reach the NCAA Tournament three times and the Elite Eight last fall)
Coraopolis plays a role in Riverhounds’ success
Coraopolis is not exactly known as a hot bed of soccer, but it is home away from home for the defending United Soccer League (USL) champions – the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
On Saturday, the Riverhounds will begin their 27th season of professional soccer and their primary practice facility, AHN Montour Sports Complex in Coraopolis, played a role in the franchise’s first championship a year ago.
The Hounds moved into the newly constructed, 20,000-square-foot facility in 2022, which features three turfed, Federation International Football Association (FIFA) regulation-sized soccer fields — also known as a pitch — a full-sized indoor field and seven additional fields in various stages of construction.
The soccer campus is not only used as the Riverhounds’ primary practice facility, but it also houses the Riverhounds Development Academy, which annually trains upward of 5,000 young athletes on the 78-acre site.
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC play their home games at Highmark Stadium near Station Square and have recorded sellouts of all home games in each of the past two season.
The 5,000-seat stadium provides stunning views of Pittsburgh’s beautiful skyline, but plans are in motion to expand the stadium capacity to 15,000 seats. In addition, luxury suites and premium seating will be added, as well as club and banquet space.
The stadium expansion positions the team to meet U.S. Soccer Pro League Standards for Division One sanctioning, which requires a 15,000-seat capacity. The United Soccer League (USL) is currently the second tier of professional soccer in the United States with Major League Soccer (MLS) being the top tier.
The USL has announced plans to launch a Division One premier professional men’s league in 2028. Highmark Stadium’s increased seating would pave a path for the Riverhounds to join Division One USL or, as some in the industry have suggested, consider joining MLS in the future.
Tuffy Shallenberger has been the team’s and stadium’s owner since 2013. He has been the catalyst behind the success of the franchise and its growth in popularity in the Pittsburgh region.
Also playing at Highmark Stadium are the Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2, a pre-professional team that plays a 12-game schedule. In 2025, team ownership also started a USL women’s team known as the Pittsburgh Riveters SC, who also take to the pitch at Highmark Stadium.
The Riverhounds brought another national championship to the City of Champions in 2025, and the club is optimistic for the continued success of the franchise and soccer in the Pittsburgh area.
The Borough of Coraopolis can also claim a little of that success.
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