In a matchup steeped in significance for Hartford Athletic, the Green & Blue closed out their regular season with a hard-fought 1–0 loss to Louisville City FC on Saturday night.
This match was also historic as it marked the first time in USL Championship history that two current trophy holders have faced off.
Louisville, captured the Players’ Shield, an annual award given to the team with the best regular season record in the league. Louisville also entered the game with a 128-day unbeaten streak and the chance to become just the fourth team in league history to finish a season with only one loss.
Hartford, winners of the USL Jägermeister Cup and making the playoffs for only the second time in club history (first since 2020), came out determined to take away three points to secure a home playoff game.
The Athletic came out pressing high and physical, with Adrian Diz Pe setting the tone early. In the 6th minute, Diz Pe muscled off a Louisville attacker to prevent a breakaway, then moments later cleared another dangerous chance out of the box.
Despite both teams ranking among the top three offenses in the league, the opening 20 minutes were tight, with just one shot recorded as both sides traded possession and stayed strong on defense.
The first and only goal of the match came in the 39th minute when Phillip Goodrum found the back of the net. After a scissor move by Aiden McFadden to beat his defender, McFadden sent a cross into the box that Goodrum redirected off the post. The rebound fell back to him, and he slotted it past goalkeeper John Berner to give LouCity the lead.
Just moments later, Louisville threatened again in the 41st minute, but Hartford’s back line stood tall. Diz Pe made a crucial sliding tackle, and Sebastian Anderson blocked a dangerous cross to deny a second goal.
Louisville came out firing after halftime, earning a series of four corner kicks within the first five minutes of the second half. Hartford survived the storm thanks to a standout save from Berner, who made a thigh stop right on the goal line to keep it 1–0.
The hosts continued to press but TJ Presthus made a vital denial in the 52nd minute amid chaos in the box. A minute later, Louisville served another cross into the box and found Kevon Lambert, whose effort hit the post before Berner recovered the loose ball to preserve the scoreline.
As the match entered its final stretch, Hartford showed renewed energy, particularly through Hadji Barry and Michee Ngalina.
In the closing moments, Berner continued his heroic performance, leaping to tip a long-range effort over the crossbar in the 85th minute. Two minutes later, Presthus came up big again with a sliding tackle to prevent what looked like a sure goal.
Hartford’s defensive resilience kept them in contention until the final whistle. Louisville walked away with all three points, but Hartford’s late fight and Berner’s brilliance ensured the scoreline stayed close.
FAST STATS
| HARTFORD | LOUISVILLE | |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 0 | 9 |
| Shots On Target | 0 | 2 |
| Corners | 1 | 11 |
| Fouls | 7 | 7 |
| Offsides | 2 | 1 |
| Possession | 43.6% | 56.4% |
| Passing Accuracy | 66.1% | 69.8% |
| Saves | 1 | 0 |
SCORING SUMMARY
| HARTFORD | LOUISVILLE |
|---|---|
| 39′ – Phillip Goodrum |
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
| HARTFORD | LOUISVILLE |
|---|---|
| 44′ – Sebastian Anderson (Yellow) | |
| 90′ – Jack Panayotou (Yellow) | |
| 90+4′ – Joe Farrell (Yellow) |
LINEUPS
| HARTFORD | LOUISVILLE |
|---|---|
| 13 (GK) John Berner | 1 (GK) Damian Las (C) |
| 15 (DF) Joseph Farrell (C) | 7 (DF) Ray Serrano (Niall McCabe, 85′) |
| 22 (DF) TJ Presthus | 13 (MF) Amadou Dia (Jake Morris, 77′) |
| 2 (MF) Sebastian Anderson (Jack Panayotou, 78′) | 4 (DF) Sean Totsch |
| 30 (DF) Adrián Diz Pe | 2 (DF) Aiden McFadden |
| 19 (MF) Emmanuel Samadia | 25 (MF) Jansen Wilson |
| 94 (MF) Marlon Hairston (Jonathan Jimenez, 69′) | 24 (MF) Josh Jones (Manny Perez, 64′) |
| 8 (FW) Junior Moreira (Owen Presthus, 61′) | 17 (MF) Taylor Davila |
| 10 (MF) Samuel Careaga | 32 (FW) Kyle Adams |
| 71 (FW) Kyle Edwards (Hadji Barry, 61′) | 31 (FW) Kevon Lambert |
| 11 (FW) Michee Ngalina | 9 (DF) Phillip Goodrum (Brian Ownby, 77′) |
