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But it does have the club solidly in second place and well on their way to a post-season berth as the league moves into its second half of the regular season.

“It’s not an accident they have only lost one time,” said Fury FC head coach Nikola Popovic. “When they get a one-goal lead, they close the (passing) lines.

“We tried to do it our way. But Pittsburgh is a very good team. Once they scored, they closed the lines they wanted to use to attack.

“The game was very close. We expected that. We knew one set play could be the game.”

The good news is the Fury finally have a down week with six days to prepare for a visit by Penn FC next Saturday afternoon. Penn FC just happens to hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, four points up on the Fury.

That match, combined with their two legs in the Canadian Championship Series against the Toronto FC, kicks off a run of five games in 14 days, though four of them are home dates.

Popovic was pointing fingers at the schedule-maker for the 1 o’clock start against Pittsburgh in the heat after a stretch of eight games in 26 days.

“I’m not sure who did the schedule, but it’s crazy,” fumed the coach.

Heat or no heat on the TD Place turf and regardless of afternoon or evening start, Pittsburgh was always going to be a load for the Fury to overcome.

The Riverhounds have a remarkable total of points in 16 of 17 matches and they went on the attack from the get-go, looking for that all-important first marker. And it didn’t take long for a reward.