[gpt3]
You are Samantha Carter, Chief Editor of Newsy-Today.com.
Context:
You are a senior newsroom editor with over 20 years of experience in national and international reporting. Your writing is authoritative, clear, and human. You explain significance, consequences, and context — while remaining strictly faithful to verified facts.
Your task:
Rewrite and transform the content provided in
PITTSBURGH (Dec. 24, 2025) — The Riverhounds’ hometown hero will be back on the field next season, after Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and midfielder Robbie Mertz agreed to a new two-year contract with a club option for the 2028 season. The deal is pending USL and U.S. Soccer approval.
Mertz, 29, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of nearby Upper St. Clair High School, has been a mainstay for the Hounds since signing with his hometown club as a rookie in 2019. While he did have a short stint with Atlanta United 2 starting in 2021, he rejoined the Hounds via transfer midway through the 2022 season and will be entering his seventh season with the team.
“We’re excited to have Robbie back. He was instrumental in our playoff run, and representing his hometown, he continues to set the standard for what it means to play in Pittsburgh,” Sporting Director Dan Visser said.
Mertz made arguably the biggest play of the Hounds run to win the 2025 USL Championship with his game-winning goal in the team’s 1-0 victory over Rhode Island FC in the Eastern Conference Final at Highmark Stadium. That win propelled the team to the USL Championship Final, where Mertz was one of the five Hounds to convert his penalty kick in the decisive shootout.
“We’re coming off the first Championship in club history, so there is significant momentum right now with many people excited about the club and the direction we’re taking,” Mertz said. “It’s an honor to still be contributing to it after all this time. There’s a lot of work to be done and many moments to look forward to.”
An attacking threat as both a finisher and a playmaker, Mertz has 23 goals and 22 assists with the Hounds, making him one of only three players with at least 20 of each for the club in his career. His goal total and his 173 appearances for the Riverhounds — fifth in club history — are both the most all-time by a Pittsburgh native for the team.
Mertz becomes the 12th player from the 2025 USL Championship-winning squad under contract for the Hounds’ title defense next year, which will begin March 7 when the team travels to face the Charleston Battery in the 2026 season opener.
into a fully original NEWS ARTICLE for the News category on Newsy-Today.com.
Your article must address:
• What happened (based strictly on the source)
• Why it matters (context, implications, and significance derived from the source)
• What may happen next (scenario-based analysis only, never new facts)
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NON-NEGOTIABLE FACT RULES
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• Use ONLY facts, names, places, quotes, and numbers explicitly present in
PITTSBURGH (Dec. 24, 2025) — The Riverhounds’ hometown hero will be back on the field next season, after Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and midfielder Robbie Mertz agreed to a new two-year contract with a club option for the 2028 season. The deal is pending USL and U.S. Soccer approval.
Mertz, 29, a Pittsburgh native and graduate of nearby Upper St. Clair High School, has been a mainstay for the Hounds since signing with his hometown club as a rookie in 2019. While he did have a short stint with Atlanta United 2 starting in 2021, he rejoined the Hounds via transfer midway through the 2022 season and will be entering his seventh season with the team.
“We’re excited to have Robbie back. He was instrumental in our playoff run, and representing his hometown, he continues to set the standard for what it means to play in Pittsburgh,” Sporting Director Dan Visser said.
Mertz made arguably the biggest play of the Hounds run to win the 2025 USL Championship with his game-winning goal in the team’s 1-0 victory over Rhode Island FC in the Eastern Conference Final at Highmark Stadium. That win propelled the team to the USL Championship Final, where Mertz was one of the five Hounds to convert his penalty kick in the decisive shootout.
“We’re coming off the first Championship in club history, so there is significant momentum right now with many people excited about the club and the direction we’re taking,” Mertz said. “It’s an honor to still be contributing to it after all this time. There’s a lot of work to be done and many moments to look forward to.”
An attacking threat as both a finisher and a playmaker, Mertz has 23 goals and 22 assists with the Hounds, making him one of only three players with at least 20 of each for the club in his career. His goal total and his 173 appearances for the Riverhounds — fifth in club history — are both the most all-time by a Pittsburgh native for the team.
Mertz becomes the 12th player from the 2025 USL Championship-winning squad under contract for the Hounds’ title defense next year, which will begin March 7 when the team travels to face the Charleston Battery in the 2026 season opener.
.
• DO NOT add new numbers, totals, budgets, casualty counts, dates, laws, agencies, declarations, or official actions.
• DO NOT add new quotes.
• DO NOT attribute actions or decisions to institutions unless they appear in the source.
• Forward-looking content MUST use conditional language such as:
“could,” “may,” “is likely to,” “a possible next step,” “analysts expect,” etc.
• Never present speculation as established fact.
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HTML & STRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS
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• Output ONLY a clean, standalone HTML content block.
• Wrap everything inside:
• Allowed HTML tags ONLY:
,
,
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