PRESENTED BY TRAVELERS
Date: Saturday, October 7th, 2023
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Location: Lynn Family Stadium, Louisville, Kentucky
Streaming: ESPN Plus or WTNH.com
HARTFORD ATHLETIC (4-23-5) at LOUISVILLE CITY FC (14-11-7)
LAST TIME OUT
Hartford Athletic are coming off a 2-2 draw against RGV FC Toros this past Wednesday at home. It’s a positive for Hartford, who snapped a nine-game losing streak with the result. They got out to an early lead in the 5th minute when Kyle Edwards connected with Prince Saydee for a goal. RGV responded with back-to-back goals to take the lead, one from Christiano François and the other from Christian Pinzón. Saydee responded for Hartford by drawing a penalty inside the RGV box, then buried his PK try to tie the game 2-2. The match tightened up in the second half, as there were only three shots on target and few significant scoring threats.
SAYDEE CEMENTS HIMSELF
With his brace on Wednesday, Prince Saydee moved into sole possession of third all-time in goals scored in club history. The pair of goals brought his total to 13 in Green and Blue, having scored four last year and a team-leading nine this year. He is not far behind the second most goals in club history (15), held by former Hartford striker Juan Carlos Obregón Jr. Current Hartford midfielder and captain Danny Barrera holds the franchise record for most goals with 16. The Liberian striker also holds the second-most assists in club history with 11.
HOPPENOT REACHES 1500 MINUTES
Nine-year league veteran Antoine Hoppenot reached 1500 minutes played in the USL Championship on Wednesday, subbing on in the 71st minute of the match. The milestone adds to the long list already achieved by the 32 year old in his storied career, as he has been one of the best dual-threat creators and finishers in the league’s history. Most notably, he became one of the four members of the 40-40 club (40 goals and 40 assists) when he scored the 40th goal of his career against New Mexico United back in August. Hoppenot has made 227 appearances in the Championship, and needs just three more assists to reach 50 on his career.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Hartford Athletic are 0-5-1 against Louisville City FC all-time, dating back to their first matchup in 2019. The two clubs met in June of this year at Trinity Health Stadium and played to a 0-0 tie, one of Hartford’s two clean sheets on the year. They played a tight match in the last game of the 2022 season at Lynn Family Stadium also, as the game entered stoppage time tied 1-1 and was capped off by a game-winning PK from LouCity’s Cameron Lancaster.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Louisville City FC currently sit in fifth place in the eastern conference with an overall record of 14-11-7. With 49 points, they have secured a playoff position for the USL Championship postseason. In their last five games, Louisville are 2-3 and are coming off a 2-0 loss to New Mexico United. Defensive play has been a highlight for Louisville this season. Led by goalkeeper Oliver Semmle, Louisville is second in the league in clean sheets with 12. This team is also very active on the offensive side, recording 423 shots on the season (13.2 per game) which is third in the entire league, but are unable to convert many of these to goals, recording just 38 on the year (19th in league).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Hartford Athletic: Beverly Makangila, MF #6
Beverly Makangila has been a reliable and more than capable midfielder for Hartford Athletic in the 2023 season. The Congolese international is a highly efficient passer, coming in second on the team in passing accuracy with 88.3% this season. Defensively, Makangila is a disciplined and reliable player. Although being aggressive and quick on the ball, Makangila has only been carded three times this season in 14 appearances for Hartford Athletic. The midfielder has scored one goal this season against New Mexico United, a glorious strike from outside the box.
Louisville City FC: Wilson Harris, FW #14
Since his arrival in 2022, Wilson Harris has been the number one scoring threat for Louisville city FC. The young striker led the team in scoring for the 2022 season with 15 goals and three assists. This year, Harris once again leads the team in goals with nine in 26 appearances for Louisville. The forward’s goal scoring ability can be attributed to his powerful shot, game IQ, and intensity. Harris seems to constantly be in the right place at the right time waiting for an opportunity, but also creates chances for himself by causing turnovers and making interceptions.
INJURY REPORT
Hartford Athletic
Out: Niall Logue (ankle), Edgardo Rito (hamstring)
Louisville City
Out: Amadou Dia, Kyle Morton, Ramzi Qawasmy, Jordan Scarlett
