The Pittsburgh Riverhounds opened the season with an interesting twist to their attack, with Kevin Kerr – a midfield selection to the 2015 USL All-League Team – joining 2016 All-League Forward Corey Hertzog in the front line against the New York Red Bulls II.

Using Kerr as a forward was something Head Coach David Brandt had experimented with this preseason, with the duo of Hertzog and Kerr starting the team’s opening preseason contest against North Carolina FC. On the face of it, the move was a success too, as players found the score sheet against the Red Bulls II and Hertzog’s brace earned him the USL Player of the Week award.

Digging a little deeper into the numbers, though, it seems that at least for Kerr, there’s going to be an adaptation period if his becomes a permanent role for the veteran. Kerr only completed 11 out of 20 passes in the contest, and arguably settled back into a midfield role for much of the game as he had only four touches of the ball inside the Red Bulls II penalty area. His heat-map for the contest shows a similar story.