PITTSBURGH – The Charlotte Independence maintained their undefeated record all-time against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC as a first-half goal by Irvin Parra and a gutty defensive display after being reduced to 10 men earned a 1-0 victory at Highmark Stadium on Saturday night. The shutout was Independence goalkeeper Brandon Miller’s 40th regular-season clean sheet of his career in the Championship, moving him into a tie for second all-time in league history.

The Hounds had the first effort on target as Albert Dikwa’s first time finish was comfortably gathered by Miller, but the first big chance came the visitors’ way in the ninth minute. A long ball forward into the penalty area was misjudged by goalkeeper Danny Vitiello, who was unable to gather allowing Clay Dimick to gain possession, only for the angle to prove too narrow from the right side of the penalty area for the midfielder to slot into the open net.

Vitiello made up for his error in the 15th minute, though, as he bailed out a mistake at the back for the Hounds, first making a leaping save to deny Brandt Bronico as he tried to lob the goalkeeper at the edge of the penalty area before recovering to cover a rebound effort by Charlotte’s Jake Areman. Vitiello had to be sharp again midway through the half as Kevin Riascos got free on a free kick delivered from the left to the back post and headed on target, forcing a save, before Vitiello recovered to stop the rebound chance from Bronico.

The Independence struck first in the 34th minute, however, as a ball into the right channel was kept in by Dimick just before the goal line to deliver a looping cross to the top of the six-yard area where Irvin Parra was on hand to head home his third goal of the season. Pittsburgh almost hit back two minutes before halftime as Todd Wharton played a good ball into the right channel that Russell Cicerone controlled only for his shot to the near post to be parried wide by Miller.

Pittsburgh came out more brightly to start the second half, and almost found an equalizer seven minutes in as a corner kick by Cicerone found Preston Kilwien for a header that was cleared off the line by the left post by Bronico. Danny Griffin also fired a shot wide from distance, but with 25 minutes to go the Independence were reduced to 10 men as Christian Dean received his second yellow card of the contest.

The man-advantage allowed the Hounds to ratchet up the pressure quickly, and Mekeil Williams almost found an equalizer soon after Dean’s dismissal as a low cross from the left caromed to him for a shot that was blocked by Dimick before it could find the right corner of the net. Pittsburgh continued to press, and both Williams and Louis Perez saw efforts go wide, but when Miller denied a close-range header by Dikwa deep in stoppage time it proved the last chance for the hosts as the Independence picked up their second consecutive win.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Brandt Bronico, Charlotte Independence – Bronico recorded one of the Independence’s key goal-line clearances on the night, had two shots on target and recorded three interceptions and eight recoveries for the visitors.

Scoring Summary
CLT – Irvin Parra (Clay Dimick) 34’

Full Box Score