While there's been a lot of attention paid to another pre-professional women's soccer team in the Pittsburgh area -- Riveters SC, who made their debut last week, Steel City FC's women are taking another step forward as a club this year, as they move from UWS into the USL W-League -- where they'll compete in the same division as Riveters SC.

Steel City FC will kick off their 2025 campaign this coming week, when they travel north to take on Erie Sports Center on Saturday (6 p.m.).

Looking ahead to a new season, co-captains Emily Graeca and Helena Locateli along with Head Coach Tom Ovenden joined John Krysinsky on the latest episode of the Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast.

It will be an unprecedented moment in professional soccer landscape in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, when the Pittsburgh Riverhounds travel to Chester to face Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup's Round of 16 (7:30 pm kickoff at Subaru Field).

This match-up provides an excellent opportunity for the two managing editors and site founders, John Krysinsky from Pittsburgh Soccer Now and Matt Ralph from Philadelphia Soccer Now to come together on a special edition of Sounding Off on Soccer Podcast to preview the match between two teams going in different directions in their respective leagues.

John and Matt take a look at the match-up and discuss a number of topics:

• Finally -- a Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh pro soccer match-up
• Taking a look at Pennsylvania's soccer landscape and various professional rivalries that have come and gone
• Throw out records and where teams stand in their respective leagues
• Another facinating tactical match-up between Bob Lilley vs MLS coach who's relatively new to his club
• Thoughts on lineup selections for both squads
• Can the Hounds navigate their way against Philadelphia's high press

In the latest episode of Sounding Off on Soccer, Pittsburgh Soccer Now's John Krysinsky is joined by Steel City FC's Head Coach Dan Brower to talk about the club's newest challenge as they begin a new season in a new league.

Steel City FC kick off a new campaign coming off winning back-to-back NPSL Great Lakes Conference Championships, bringing back many key contributors, but also having said goodbye to some others who have either retired (Nicky Kolarac and Garret Watson) or have moved on to even higher levels (Michael Sullivan with MLS's Toronto FC)