Victor Souto named to USL’s Team of the Week

By Rachael McKriger

It’s been quite a week for Victor Souto.

The Brazilian-born midfielder for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds has just been named to the USL’s Team of the Week for the first time in his career.

The nod came after Souto scored his first professional goal against Toronto FC II on May 3. Souto’s shot was a rocket sent toward the upper corner of the net. The goal occurred in the 22’ minute, and was the lone tally for the Riverhounds.

After the match, Souto, a defensive midfielder who normally looks to pass, said he just felt right taking the shot.

“I was just lucky to hit it,” Souto said. “It hit the back of the net. The most important thing is that we got the win, back-to-back, that’s the most important thing. For me my main job is to go back and pass to the guys in front of me. Today, I just felt something different and I was going to hit this one. I was lucky to just score the goal.”

This season, Souto had appeared in eight matches for the Riverhounds, totaling 675 minutes. In his eight appearances, Souto has started seven matches.

Souto isn’t just an offensive playmaker; Souto helps the defense out, and currently leads the club with the most tackles (29) and passes (460). In his 460 passes, Souto has completed 76.5 percent successfully.

The 24-year-old joins Corey Hertzog and Joseph Greenspan as players to have been named to the USL’s Team of the Week this season.

The Riverhounds are currently in fifth place in the USL’s Eastern Conference, sitting with 11 points. The Riverhounds will face the Ottawa Fury FC on Saturday, in Ottawa, with the match beginning at 2 p.m. Ottawa is currently in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with six points.