Playing sensibly should stoke drive for second-year midfielder Mertz

In the buildup to Riverhounds SC’s season opener against Louisville City FC last week, coach Bob Lilley gave midfielder Robbie Mertz some advice.

There were too many moments in training when Mertz tried to be creative instead of sensible, losing possession rather than maintaining it, looking for the stellar play as opposed to the standard one. As Mertz prepared to begin his second season as a pro, Lilley thought the Upper St. Clair native was trying to do too much, getting away from the traits that made his rookie year so special.

Mertz’s response — which included a goal in the Riverhounds’ 3-1 win Sunday — sets the groundwork for how he wants to approach things, starting with Saturday’s road match against Philadelphia Union II.

There are opportunities for Mertz to be a playmaker. But more often than not, as he builds on his breakout campaign, showing he can do the basics will lead to greater chances.

“I was trying to make plays maybe a little bit too much for my position, where [Lilley] just wants to see me control the game, do the things that I’m good at, passing the ball, keeping the ball for my team,” Mertz said. “Not to say that I can’t do the other things, but that’s what he wants to see first.”

As a rookie, the former Michigan star bagged seven goals and four assists in 28 appearances, pushing his way into the Riverhounds lineup on a consistent basis.

Even then, as a newcomer to the squad, Lilley noticed his natural leadership qualities.

And after offseason turnover saw four players who each featured in more than matches depart, Mertz’s role is expanding, a 23-year-old with a strong voice of his own and a key role.

“Now that he’s had a good first season under his belt, I think you’ll always see his fire competitively,” Lilley said. “And he’ll talk. He doesn’t go mute. He doesn’t hide in the middle of big games.”

For the first 30 minutes of Sunday’s season opener, Louisville put the Riverhounds under the cosh, snatching the lead and threatening for more. Lilley implored his squad to push up the field during that initial barrage, and with Mertz higher up the pitch, the turnaround happened.

Moments after the second half began, the Riverhounds pressured deep into Louisville’s defensive third and forced a turnover. A quick squaring pass found Mertz streaming up field, the ball coming his way.

In the split second that followed, Mertz focused on two things. With the ball on his weaker left foot, he just wanted to make solid contact. And because the goalkeeper shifted from his left to right, Mertz wanted to direct it back to the shot-stopper’s left.

Aided by a slight deflection, Mertz’s attempt sailed past Ben Lundt’s dive to deliver the Riverhounds a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. And it began Mertz’s second season on a positive note.

“He’s always working hard, and we had some good talks leading into the Louisville game,” Lilley said. “Happy to see him get the goal. … Guy’s trust him. He’s good in possession. He’s just a good player, and he hasn’t quite hit his top form yet, but I think he’s going in the right direction.”

After the ball rippled the back of the net, Mertz ran toward the corner flag and dropped into a knee slide. Then he lost his balance, tipping forward and capping it off with a somersault, tumbling into a sitting position.

That’s not the first time his knee slide has gone awry, happening once before while at Michigan. He didn’t really mind the result, though.

“I’m thinking about making it a permanent thing,” said Mertz, who was named to the USL Championship’s team of the week on Tuesday. “I’m not sure yet.”

He’ll have to score more goals for that to happen.

But as he builds on his strong rookie season, those moments will likely come about so long as he listens to Lilley — finding the standard play rather than the standout one, letting the game come to him.

“I’m trying to kind of find that balance; I don’t want to be trying to do too much,” Mertz said. “I want to continue to do a lot of the same things I did last year, because that’s what gave me success, and it’s also what I think helped the team have more success.”