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Championship’s Assists King Kenardo Forbes Re-Signs with Hounds

By USLChampionship.com Staff, 12/15/20, 2:30PM EST

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2020 Golden Glove-winner Danny Vitiello among five additional players returning for next season

PITTSBURGH – King Kenny is staying in the Steel City.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC announced on Tuesday it had re-signed the Championship’s all-time leader in regular season assists leader Kenardo Forbes to a one-year contract with a club option for the 2022 season. The signing is pending league and federation approval.

Additionally, the Hounds also announced they had exercised contract options on goalkeeper Danny Vitiello, defender Jordan Dover, midfielders Danny Griffin and Anthony Velarde and forward Albert Dikwa for the 2021 season.

Forbes returns to the Hounds after earning his fourth All-USL Championship selection in the past five seasons. The Jamaican veteran tallied a club-leading eight assists en route to becoming the Championship’s all-time assist leader with 39. Forbes also ranks tied for second with David Flavius in club history with 25 assists, trailing only Kevin Kerr (27).

“Kenardo has been a constant the past three years in Pittsburgh and has played a very important part in the club’s success during this time,” said Hounds Head Coach Bob Lilley. “He competes every day, and his abilities and leadership make players around him better. As we have started to build our foundation for next season, signing Kenardo was a top priority.”

A USL Championship Final-winner with the Rochester Rhinos in 2015, Forbes has made 164 regular season appearances in the league, the most by any player since he arrived in the Championship before the 2015 season. He has also recorded 13,081 minutes and recorded 17 goals, while also notching 11 appearances in the USL Championship Playoffs all-time.

Vitiello joined Forbes in being honored by the Championship this past season as he earned the Golden Glove award, which goes to the goalkeeper with the best goals-against average over the course of the regular season. His 0.50 GAA also set a single-season club record (minimum of 500 minutes played).

Joining Vitiello on the defensive side of the ball, Dover returns for his fourth season at the club after starting in 68 of his 70 appearances for the Hounds. Dover’s 6,049 minutes with the organization ranks 15th in club history, and the Canadian has made 93 regular-season appearances overall in the league while recording four goals and three assists.

Griffin is coming off a strong rookie season in which he started 13 of 16 appearances. The Wethersfield, Connecticut native posted two goals and two assists in 1,208 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Velarde will return for his third consecutive season with the team. The Reedley, California native has recorded eight goals and six assists in 40 appearances overall for the Hounds.

Dikwa returns for his second season with the club. Despite arriving with the team midseason and playing only six of 16 regular season games in 2020, the Garoua, Cameroon native racked up 15 shots, which was third-most on the club. The striker scored three goals in 245 minutes, including two game-winning tallies that occurred in the 81st minute or later.

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