Sierra Leone International Augie Williams and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds won the USL Championship, their first league title in 26 years, by defeating FC Tulsa 5-3 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw at ONEOK Field.
Goalkeeper Eric Dick earned the Most Valuable Player award for making five saves during the match, including a critical stop against Tulsa’s Stefan Lukic in the shootout. This was his 16th shutout of the season, a team record.
Bertin Jacquesson, Robbie Mertz, Chase Boone, Sean Suber, and Beto Ydrach successfully converted their penalty kicks.
The Riverhounds made history by winning the title without conceding a goal in the playoffs, ending the year with 632 minutes of scoreless play.
The match began with plenty of action. Luke Biasi almost scored with a shot that hit the crossbar. Charles Ahl set up Augie Williams, who was denied by Tulsa’s Tyler Deric.
Tulsa had several chances, outshooting the Riverhounds 17-6. Dick made a crucial save against Kalil ElMedkhar in the 40th minute. Williams had one last chance before halftime but missed the target.
After the recess, Tulsa pressed hard in the second half, nearly scoring after a defensive mistake, but Griffin saved the day. A dangerous cross led to more scrambles, but Dick secured the ball.
Extra Time and Penalties
In extra time, neither team could find a breakthrough. During the shootout, after the Riverhounds went ahead 2-1, Lukic’s shot was saved by Dick. Ydrach then ended it with a shot down the middle as Deric dove to the side.
