PRESENTED BY TRAVELERS
Date: Friday, October 13th, 2023
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Location: Trinity Health Stadium, Hartford, Connecticut
Streaming: ESPN Plus or WTNH.com
HARTFORD ATHLETIC (4-23-6) vs FC TULSA (9-15-9)
Hartford Athletic will finish out the season in front of their home crowd tomorrow night against FC Tulsa.
LAST TIME OUT
Hartford Athletic are coming off a 1-1 draw to Louisville City FC on the road last Saturday. A hard-earned point on the road, the Green and Blue staved off 24 shots from LouCity and got just their third result after conceding first this season. Louisville threatened to score several times in the first half, including one shot off the post from Oscar Jiménez. They forced three saves from Joe Rice in the half, and took ten shots total. The home side broke through with a goal from Rasmus Thellufsen in the 58th minute, but Luke Merrill responded for Hartford about 20 minutes later. Antoine Hoppenot fed Elvis Amoh in the box, and Amoh laid the ball off for Merrill at the top of the box. He took one touch, then blasted his shot to the bottom left corner through traffic. The score remained tied the rest of the way.
MERRILL MAKES HIS MARK
Luke Merrill scored his first professional goal on Saturday, adding an exclamation point to a quality first season for the 23 year old. The versatile midfielder/defender has made 25 appearances and 13 starts this year, and has shown promise despite his lack of experience at the professional level. He’s proven to be a reliable defender, making 42 tackles and winning 106 duels. He does not shy away from physicality, as he frequently tangles himself with the opposition to win possession back for his team. He has played this season mostly as an aggressive wingback, consistently playing balls forward and crossing balls into the box. A great find by the Hartford Athletic staff, Merrill was signed after attending the club’s invitational combine in preseason. He attended tryouts shortly after finishing his senior season at the Division II Westminster University in Utah.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Hartford Athletic are 2-1 against Tulsa all-time, including two memorable victories for the Green and Blue in 2022. At ONEOK Field last August in the two clubs’ first ever matchup, Hartford escaped with a 2-1 victory thanks to a miraculous block on the goal line from defender Tulu in the final minutes. The teams met again on September 10th, 2022, at Trinity Health Stadium, and it was all Green and Blue at the opening. Hartford exploded for three first half goals, including a stunner from Prince Saydee that will live in the club’s highlight reel for years to come. Tulsa put forth a second half comeback effort, but fell short 3-2. This year on July 15th, Tulsa got their revenge with a 3-2 victory of their own, capped off by a stoppage time winner from Phillip Goodrum.
GOING OUT WITH A BANG
Although 2023 has been a season Hartford Athletic would like to forget, the club’s supporters are helping to end the year in grand fashion. Trinity Health Stadium is set to hold the largest crowd for a Hartford Athletic match in its history on Friday night, as a standing room only sell out is expected. The Green and Blue faithful have shown out this year, as this would be the sixth sell out of the 2023 season.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
FC Tulsa currently sit in tenth in the eastern conference, and have been eliminated from playoff contention for the 2023 USL Championship season. In their last five games Tusla has recorded a record of 1-4-1, most recently falling to Indy Eleven 2-1. Tulsa has been a highly efficient passing team this season. Top five in the league for both passes made (15,299) and passing accuracy (80%), Tusla’s high level distribution allows them to create quality chances and hold possession. Defensively Tulsa have struggled, conceding the fourth most goals in the league (53) and fouls (468). FC Tulsa is led by head coach Blair Gavin, assisted by Richie Ryan, Matt Watson, and Donovan Ricketts.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
FC Tulsa: Phillip Goodrum, FW #10
Forward Phillip Goodreum has been the number one offensive asset for FC Tulsa in the 2023 season. A highly intelligent player, Goodrum constantly finds open space and is able to expertly receive and finish for goals. Goodrum leads his team in both goals (12) and shots (67) in 30 appearances for the team. The young striker has been active recently, tallying three goals in his last four appearances for FC Tulsa, two of them coming by way of penalty kicks. Although very effective offensively, Goodrum this season has frequently been booked and leads the USL championship in yellow cards received (13).
Hartford Athletic: Prince Saydee, FW #7
With the final game of the season for Hartford Athletic, forward Prince Saydee has the chance to join Danny Barrera for most goals scored in club history. With 13 goals under his belt, Saydee will need three more to tie the record of 16. Equipped with lightning quick feet and a booming shot, Saydee is an exciting player to watch that can score from anywhere on the field. Leading the team in goals, the forward has been a shining light to look to for fans despite the season’s results. This season, Saydee has had several multi-goal performances most recently against Rio Grande Valley where his two goals secured the tie for Hartford.
INJURY REPORT
Hartford Athletic
Out: Niall Logue (ankle)
FC Tulsa
Questionable: Eric Bird (lower body)
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
For live updates, follow along on twitter using the hashtag #HFDvTUL
