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WHEREAS, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Soccer Club has brought extraordinary pride and achievement to the City of Pittsburgh on and off the field, and captured the 2025 USL Championship title, defeating FC Tulsa 5-3 in a penalty kick shootout after a hard-fought 0-0 draw in the championship match; and
WHEREAS, with this victory, the Riverhounds secured the first league championship in the 26-year history of the club- the oldest continuously operating professional soccer club in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania-while completing a historic postseason run as the first team in USL Championship history to win the title without conceding a goal, ending their season with an extraordinary 632 consecutive shutout minutes; and
WHEREAS, goalkeeper Eric Dick, through heroic play including five saves in the championship match and an additional save during the decisive penalty kick shootout, was rightfully named Most Valuable Player of the USL Championship; and
WHEREAS, Acting Head Coach Rob Vincent, at just 35 years old, became the youngest coach ever to lead a team to a USL Championship title, exemplifying leadership, determination, and tactical brilliance; and
WHEREAS, the Hounds advanced to the championship final as Eastern Conference champions, defeating Rhode Island FC 1-0 thanks to a Pittsburgh native Robbie Mertz who scored the only goal of the conference final; and
WHEREAS, the Riverhounds' supporters delivered their own historic achievement as 6,745 fans filled Highmark Stadium for the Eastern Conference Final, establishing a new stadium attendance record and underscoring the city's growing passion for the sport of soccer; and
WHEREAS, in addition to their league triumph, the Riverhounds achieved national distinction in 2025 by advancing to the Round of 16 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, becoming the only non-Major League Soccer team in the nation to reach that stage of the tournament; and
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City o...
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