USL PRO Feature
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
The Pittsburgh Riverhounds began a new era in 2013 with a beautiful new stadium, a re-tooled squad, and a higher visibility in the city’s sporting landscape.
For the first few weeks of the season, however, things just wouldn’t quite click. The side went winless in its opening seven games, six of which were on the road, and only scored three goals.
Then, Jose Angulo found his stride.
“As a team, we started a bit slow in the beginning, even individually, but eventually I got to know the guys, I got to know the staff, and everything started feeling comfortable,” Angulo said recently. “After that, it just started working out, the team started jelling, and individually I started scoring goals.”
Making his return to USL PRO after a stint with the New York Red Bulls, Angulo scored both goals in the Riverhounds’ first win of the season, a 2-1 victory against Phoenix. The win triggered a strong run of form that saw Pittsburgh go undefeated in USL PRO through May and June and helped propel the side into the postseason.
At the center was the goal-scoring of Angulo and his partnership with winger Matt Dallman. Both set USL PRO records in 2013, with Angulo sharing the league’s Golden Boot with Orlando City’s Dom Dwyer after scoring 15 goals and Dallman setting a new assists record with 12. The chemistry between the two was evident throughout as they combined for not only the first goal in Highmark Stadium history, but five goals in their first season together as Angulo claimed the league’s Most Valuable Player award.
“He’s just one of those guys that just thrives off getting assists, you know?” Angulo said of Dallman. “He’s always looking for assists, always looking for the runs, always has his head up, and that’s always good for a striker when you have a guy like that on your team. We have a great relationship on and off the field.”
The Riverhounds are hoping that relationship continues to thrive this season as the side looks to build on the momentum it built in 2013. With an early start to preseason, a new partnership with the Houston Dynamo and the addition of more proven quality to the squad such as 2013 All-League selection Joseph Ngwenya, Angulo believes the side will get off to a faster start this season and be in contention at the end.
“I think this year with the people coming back, the core of the team back, it’s not a new team anymore,” Angulo said. “A lot of the guys, we all know each other, we all hang out, and I think that helps to translate onto the field. I think we’re definitely a contender for the top three.”
Should the team reach its goals for the season, the attention being paid in the local community will also continue to grow. Thanks to the investment of new owner Tuffy Shallenberger and the visibility provided by Highmark Stadium, the Riverhounds are becoming minor local celebrities in their own right.
“You can already tell from last year to this year, every time we’re just going to the store or walking around Pittsburgh, people recognize us as the Riverhounds now, and I think it’s becoming a household name in Pittsburgh,” Angulo said. “That’s a step forward for the club and it’s becoming a really good name here in Pittsburgh, and hopefully that will become contagious to the rest of the area and the country.”
If he continues to perform in the manner of 2013, Angulo will likely get his fair share of attention. As the season approaches, though, Angulo has a singular focus.
“As a striker, you always want to be the best at what you do, and score the most goals as you can, but I go into every season game by game,” he said. “My goal right now is to do my best against Orlando on the 29th of March.”