Jamaicans Forbes, Lambert score crucial goals in USL

TAMPA, Florida (CMC):

Jamaican midfielder Kenardo Forbes scored one of two second-half goals to power Pittsburgh Riverhounds to a 2-0 win against Rio Grande Valley FC in the United Soccer League (USL) Championship on Saturday.

Fellow Jamaican midfielder Kevon Lambert also scored a second-half goal, and Phoenix Rising FC came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with Monterey Bay.

Backed by a sell-out crowd of 5,092 at Highmark Stadium, Albert Dikwa netted a team-leading fourth goal of the season in the 49th minute, and Forbes, wearing the captain’s armband, added the second in the 64th minute, and the Hounds picked up their second win of the season out of six matches to ease into fourth on nine points.

The match started slowly, as the two teams, meeting for only the second time in the League, tried to figure out each other.

The two sides lacked precision, and the score was 0-0 at halftime, after Dikwa forced a save from RGV goalkeeper Tyler Deric in the 19th minute before a Hounds free kick from 20 yards out, taken by Tony Lopez, struck the crossbar in the closing stages of the first half.

The Hounds stayed on the front foot in the second half, and they got their goal from Dikwa after a good play by Luke Biasi on the left side.

Biasi maintained possession all the way to the goal-line before sending a hard cross to the front of goal, which Dikwa needed only to redirect into the net with his chest.

Forbes doubled the lead when he found space in the box to receive a cross from Dani Rovira on the right side for a headed finish that helped him earn the Player-of-the-Match award.

Lambert scored Rising’s goal in the 67th minute on a pass from Erickson Gallardo at 38th Street/Washington Stadium.

After falling behind in the 63rd minute when Hugh Alexander Dixon scored a penalty to give the visitors the lead, Rising pressured Monterey, and earning a corner kick four minutes later.

Gallardo sent in the cross from the left flank, and Lambert used his six-foot-three-inch frame to his advantage, rising up to meet the ball and redirect it past Monterey’s net-minder Carlos Herrera to level the scores.

Rising had dominated possession in the first half of the match, with Danny Trejo being blocked by Herrera in the fifth minute, Gabi Torres hit the upright with a header in the 10th minute, Manuel Arteaga headed wide on half-hour, and Gallardo shot over the crossbar in the 39th minute.

Monterey created its best chance of the match in the 60th minute when Dixon combined with Morey Doner on the right side of the area.

Dixon received the return pass and tried to beat Phoenix goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo low at the near post, but the Argentine got down to make a diving save to his left side.

On the ensuing corner, referee Katja Koroleva pointed to the spot after Alejandro Fuenmayor collided with Monterey’s Hugh Roberts.

Dixon converted the penalty kick, sending Novo to his right side and driving a hard shot low to the middle of the goal before Forbes responded immediately for the hosts.