The words from Wigan Athletic manager Owen Coyle could not have been more true.
Wigan Athletic finished their U.S.tour with a 4-1 win over USL PRO side Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Over 4,000 passionate fans turned out to see the FA Cup Champions take on their local team. The game had a great atmosphere: a beautiful new facility, the skyline and the rivers as a backdrop, and fireworks for the fans afterwards.
Simply put, this is a thriving soccer market. That’s not easy, considering this area is the home of American football. Something’s happening and that something is the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and the beautiful game.
The start of the match was delayed about 15 minutes due to severe weather passing through the area., but it was the Riverhounds who struck first when the action finally started. Jose Angulo launched a strike from distance in the 3rd minute, catching Latics keeper Lee Nicholls by surprise. Coyle called the score a “wonder goal,” which was certainly justified.
But the home team’s lead was extremely short-lived.
Ohio State product Roger Espinoza equalized 8 minutes later, which was just the beginning for the Wigan attack. James McArthur, whose great speed caused the Pittsburgh defense fits all night long, got credit for the assist.
Emerson Boyce made it 2-1 in favor of Wigan in the 28th with an assist from Ben Watson. It was a beautiful sequence of events, Watson with a brilliant free kick that found the head of Boyce, who put it past the Pittsburgh keeper with ease. It was a textbook play executed to perfection.
2-1 would be the score at halftime as both sides headed for the locker room.
Wigan didn’t let up in the second half with Jean Beausejour setting up Grant Holt to further their lead to 3-1 minutes just three minutes into the second half.
The biggest moment came roared in the 81st minute when CEO Jason Kutney entered as a substitute. It was just his third appearance of the 2013 season, which is understandable considering all of his front office responsibilities. The crowd roared for the veteran midfielder, who surely hasn’t seen the field as much as he would have liked.
“He has to be the busiest man in America,” Riverhounds goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap stated. “Jason is the heart and soul of the franchise. He is the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.”
The 88th minute saw the score change again to 4-1 thanks to a Jordi Gomez strike. This would be the final score as the match ended just moments later.
The score could have been much worse, but the Riverhounds kept things reasonable. That’s all you can really ask for.
The Pittsburgh players knew the quality they were up against, but continued to play their hearts out. There was certainly a mutual respect between the two sides that made the match that much more enjoyable.
“We’d come back in a heartbeat,” Coyle commented. “I have no doubt about it. We certainly know there is quality in the U.S.”
The journey back to the EPL began in the U.S. as the Latics built fitness and prepared themselves for a marathon of a season, a season that could include 60+ games.
“We will use our experience and expertise to make sure we get through that,” Coyle added. “Will it be tough? Absolutely. The goal is to be back in the EPL, where everyone wants to be.”
Coyle is bringing in reinforcements to make that goal a reality, including bringing in at least 4 more new players in the very near future. He has already signed 7 new players to add to the remnants of last year’s squad. Espinoza, McArthur, and James McCarthy all seemed to benefit from the U.S. tour; hopefully their success in the States will translate to some playing time back in the Championship.
