PRESENTED BY TRAVELERS
Date: Saturday, August 26th, 2023
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Location: Trinity Health Stadium, Hartford, Connecticut
Match Day Promotion: It’s our fifth annual Match for a Cause! The players will be wearing special alternate jerseys. Fans can place a bid on their favorite players game-worn jersey here, and all proceeds from the auction go to KNOX Gardens in Hartford.
Streaming: ESPN Plus or WTNH.com
HARTFORD ATHLETIC (4-17-4) vs EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC (9-10-5)
Hartford Athletic host El Paso Locomotive FC in the final match of their three-game home stand on Saturday night, looking to salvage a victory after dropping their last two matches.
LAST TIME OUT
Hartford Athletic are coming off a 4-3 loss to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Wednesday. Albert Dikwa scored twice in the early stages of the first half, as Pittsburgh had complete control over the game out of the gate. Marc Ybarra scored in the 52nd minute for the Hounds, giving them a 3-0. Right when the game seemed completely out of reach for Hartford, they rattled off three goals in under ten minutes. Sheldon headed in Hartford’s first goal in the 78th minute, Barrera tallied one in the 81st, and Antoine Hoppenot tied the game in the 86th minute. The incredible comeback was spoiled by former Hartford striker Juan Carlos Obregón Jr. two minutes later, when he rocketed a shot into the top right corner of the net.
BARRERA STANDS ALONE
With his 16th goal in a Hartford Athletic uniform on Wednesday, Danny Barrera now stands alone atop the club leaderboard in goals scored. He was tied with Juan Carlos Obregón Jr. at 15 goals apiece, and it was only a matter of time before Barrera tickled the twine to grab sole possession of the franchise record. Barrera, the most tenured player in club history (this is his fifth season) also leads the club in assists with 30.
SUPER SUB
19 of Antoine Hoppenot’s 23 appearances this year have been starts, but he was awfully bright coming off the bench for Hartford on Wednesday night. He provided a spark for the home side in the final third, skillfully beating defenders, playing the ball forward, and putting pressure on Pittsburgh overall. His assist on Danny Barrera’s goal and the equalizing goal he scored himself brought Hartford back to life, and he served as their offensive engine throughout the comeback effort. While Hoppenot has been a starter for the majority of his USL Championship career, he is no stranger to the “Super Sub” role. In his time in MLS with the Philadelphia Union (2012-2015), he registered four goals and one assist in 817 minutes played and earned the nickname “Super Sub” because of his performance off the bench. He registered four goals and one assist, all as a substitute.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Hartford and El Paso have matched up just once before in June of 2022. They played to a 1-1 tie at Southwest University Park, with goals from Diego Abarca (El Paso) and Peter-Lee Vassell (Hartford).
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ABOUT THE OPPONENT
El Paso Locomotive are in the midst of a five-game losing streak, most recently falling 3-2 to Indy Eleven last Saturday. Despite the five-game skid, El Paso are still in playoff form at eighth place on the Western Conference table and hold 32 points. They’ve struggled with inconsistency, as they’ve picked up impressive results against Pittsburgh (W 2-0), Louisville (W 3-0), and San Antonio (T 2-2), but have also been on the wrong side of lopsided results against RGV (L 5-2), Miami (L 4-0), and Phoenix (L 5-0). They are a strong team on the road, holding a 5-3-3 record away from Southwest University Park. Locomotive FC are led by Luis Solignac, who has nine goals on the season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Hartford Athletic: Danny Barrera, MF #10
Danny Barrera has had a quality second half to the season, looking comfortable in the midfield and recording his first goal of the season last game. He is second to only Edgardo Rito in total chances created for Hartford this year (28), and has been effective both as a starter and as a substitute this season. Barrera has also been more aggressive as of late, taking seven shots in the last three games.
El Paso Locomotive: Marc Navarro, DF #2
Marc Navarro is coming off a stellar performance against Indy Eleven last week, recording a top-class goal and assist for his side. He fed a perfect cross to Eric Calvillo for El Paso’s first goal, and blasted a bullet past Indy keeper Tim Trilk for their second. The 27 year old defender has one of the biggest pedigrees of anyone in the Championship, having played in La Liga for Espanyol and in the English Premier League for Watford.
INJURY REPORT
Hartford Athletic
Out: Edwards (hamstring),
Questionable: Méndez (concussion)
El Paso Locomotive FC
Out: Ander Eguliz (ACL), Eder Borelli (calf), Luis Solignac (leg), Yuma (leg)
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
For live updates, follow along on twitter using the hashtag #HFDvELP
