Josh

In the global soccer ecosystem, some of the most storied clubs in the world (Leeds, Schalke, Sampdoria) play in their respective 'second divisions.' It doesn't make them 'minor league'—it makes them part of a professional ladder. Here in Pittsburgh, pro soccer (I.e. Riverhounds) is no longer or ever has been a developmental project; they have evolved into a community-based pillar over 25 years in the making. Comparing the @RiverhoundsSC to a 'minor league' farm team is factually incorrect. Unlike Triple-A baseball or the AHL, the Hounds aren’t a reserve squad for a parent club. They are an independent franchise that signs its own players, owns its own stadium, and competes for its own trophies. In soccer, 'Division 2' is a tier of competition, not a lack of professionalism. They wear the Pittsburgh crest for Pittsburgh—not to get called up to another city Dismissing them as not 'major' because of the 'D2' label suggests a fundamental misunderstanding of how 90% of the world's sports are structured. This is a narrative barrier maintained by those who refuse to see past the big three. When legacy media dismisses the Riverhounds, they aren't just ignoring a team—they are ignoring the global structure of the world’s game. Full community support is how you build a club from a local fixture into a global presence. Soccer is being played at a very high level in Pittsburgh and the RIverhounds have won a Championship at this level. Numerous media members continue feeding its audience an outdated script and refuse to acknowledge the professional reality that’s already happening at Highmark Stadium. If you haven't taken the time to understand the soccer pyramid, you haven't taken the time to cover Pittsburgh sports fairly and objectively.