The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have a tough road ahead for them, even if they are opening the new Highmark Stadium. Even if they are able to surpass the rest of their (third-tier) league's contenders, they still need to drum up enough fans and support from the city to be able to expand, otherwise it would be a fruitless endeavor, no matter how good the team may or may not perform on the field.

The Steel City is known as a sports town, with past stars like Roberto Clemente and Terry Bradshaw more widely celebrated locally than Andy Warhol or August Wilson. The Steelers, the Pirates and (more recently) the Penguins dominate a cultural landscape that is black and gold. That the United States men’s national team has never played here is perhaps the strongest evidence that soccer is, at best, an afterthought. So it may be a surprise that the nationwide trend for soccer stadiums has come to this proudly blue-collar city.

Read More on goal.blogs.nytimes.com