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Hartford Athletic has signed forward Juan Carlos Obregón Jr., pending league and federation approval.   

Obregón Jr. is most famous for scoring the opening goal in Honduras’s 2-1 victory over Team USA in March. The loss ended Team USA's bid to qualify for the 2021 Olympic games. Honduras will compete in the Olympics this summer and Juan Carlos is eligible to participate. Obregón Jr. played two years collegiately at Siena where he was teammates with Hartford Athletic midfielder Connor McGlynn. He signed with LigaMX side Necaxa in 2017 and two years later signed with USL Championship side Rio Grande Valley FC Toros where he scored 4 goals and had 1 assist over two seasons. 

“After scoring the opener in the Olympic qualifiers for Honduras vs the USA, there was a number of clubs clamoring for the signature of JC. Due to the individual development plans the club provides, JC chose us!” said Hartford Athletic Head Coach Harry Watling. “Electric behind the backline and deadly in front of goal, we have another goal scorer in the ranks in Green and Blue!” 

Hartford Athletic has now signed the following players for the 2021 season: 

Forward: Sebastian Elney, Bradford Jamieson IV, Walmer Martinez, Juan Carlos Obregón Jr., Preston Tabort Etaka, Alfonso Vazquez 

Midfielder: Nii Armah Ashitey, Danny Barrera, Christian Gómez, Conor McGlynn, Luka Prpa, Arthur Rogers, Gabriel Torres 

Defender: Younes Boudadi, Nicolás Cardona, Thomas Janjigian, Alex Lara, Richie Schlentz, Walid Yacoubou 

Goalkeeper: Jeff Caldwell, Carlos Merancio 

Hartford Athletic kicks off its 2021 campaign on Friday, April 30, against New York Red Bulls II. The club will play a friendly match on Tuesday May 4th against New England Revolution II before its USL Championship Home Opener against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on May 15th. For fans interested in Season Tickets, 6-game Flex Plans, or Single Game tickets, please visit https://www.hartfordathletic.com/tickets.  

Hartford Athletic has signed forward Juan Carlos Obregón Jr., pending league and federation approval.   

Obregón Jr. is most famous for scoring the opening goal in Honduras’s 2-1 victory over Team USA in March. The loss ended Team USA’s bid to qualify for the 2021 Olympic games. Honduras will compete in the Olympics this summer and Juan Carlos is eligible to participate. Obregón Jr. played two years collegiately at Siena where he was teammates with Hartford Athletic midfielder Connor McGlynn. He signed with LigaMX side Necaxa in 2017 and two years later signed with USL Championship side Rio Grande Valley FC Toros where he scored 4 goals and had 1 assist over two seasons. 

“After scoring the opener in the Olympic qualifiers for Honduras vs the USA, there was a number of clubs clamoring for the signature of JC. Due to the individual development plans the club provides, JC chose us!” said Hartford Athletic Head Coach Harry Watling. “Electric behind the backline and deadly in front of goal, we have another goal scorer in the ranks in Green and Blue!” 

Hartford Athletic has now signed the following players for the 2021 season: 

Forward: Sebastian Elney, Bradford Jamieson IV, Walmer Martinez, Juan Carlos Obregón Jr., Preston Tabort Etaka, Alfonso Vazquez 

Midfielder: Nii Armah Ashitey, Danny Barrera, Christian Gómez, Conor McGlynn, Luka Prpa, Arthur Rogers, Gabriel Torres 

Defender: Younes Boudadi, Nicolás Cardona, Thomas Janjigian, Alex Lara, Richie Schlentz, Walid Yacoubou 

Goalkeeper: Jeff Caldwell, Carlos Merancio 

Hartford Athletic kicks off its 2021 campaign on Friday, April 30, against New York Red Bulls II. The club will play a friendly match on Tuesday May 4th against New England Revolution II before its USL Championship Home Opener against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on May 15th. For fans interested in Season Tickets, 6-game Flex Plans, or Single Game tickets, please visit https://www.hartfordathletic.com/tickets.  

Hartford Athletic announced today that all five of the Club’s Founding Partners will return for the 2021 season among a total of 39 corporate partners. 

Trinity Health of New England, Stanley Black & Decker, The Hartford, Cigna, and Travelers represent the Club’s Founding Partners. “As we emerge from such a challenging year for all of us, we are so proud and grateful to have the support of our partners again in 2021,” said Jordan Charlupski, Vice President of Revenue for Hartford Athletic. “We are also excited to welcome so many new community-focused partners as we head into our third season and continue our mission to make our city and state the best place to live, work, and play.” 

Hartford Athletic also announced that they have engaged 4FRONT – a global, innovation, partnerships, analytics & digital media agency – to seek a stadium naming rights partner. Hartford Athletic and 4FRONT have already received interest in naming rights from multiple parties.

Hartford Athletic will welcome 16 new partners in 2021 including:

• Beam Suntory
• Boston Beer Co.
• Constellation Brands
• CT Department of Transportation
• Damato Chiropractic Center (Newington)
• Day Hill Dome
• Future Fitness
• Hartford Distributors, Inc.
• Law Office of Crescenzo Deluca
• Nuovo Pasta
• P. Gulino & Associates
• Robinson + Cole
• Stop & Shop
• Studio 31 Massage
• Walgreens
• Westfield Bank

The growing roster of 2021 partners includes:

• 4G Recycling
• AARP
• Bank of America
• Beam Suntory
• Boston Beer Co.
• BPS Lawyers
• Brignole Vineyards
• Cigna
• CohnReznick
• Constellation Brands
• CT Department of Transportation
• Damato Chiropractic
• Day Hill Dome
• Data-Mail, Inc.
• Future Fitness
• Gengras Motor Cars
• Global Atlantic Financial Group
• Goldberg Capital Management
• Hartford Distributors, Inc.
• Law Office of Crescenzo Deluca
• Local 230
• Lyco, Inc.
• New England Airfoil Products
• Nuovo Pasta
• P. Gulino & Associates
• PepsiCo
• Powerscreen New England
• Right At Home
• RIPE
• Robinson + Cole
• Stanley Black & Decker
• Stop & Shop
• Studio 31 Massage
• The Fix
• The Hartford
• Travelers
• Trinity Health of New England
• Walgreens
• Westfield Bank

Hartford Athletic also has more than 60 businesses that have joined its Business Alliance Program.

Hartford Athletic kicks off its 2021 campaign on April 30th on the road against New York Red Bulls II. The club plays its first regular season home match on May 15th at 7 PM against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Fans interested in Season Tickets, 6-game Flex Plans, and Single Game tickets should visit https://www.hartfordathletic.com/tickets for more information. 

Hartford Athletic announced today that all five of the Club’s Founding Partners will return for the 2021 season among a total of 39 corporate partners. 

Trinity Health of New England, Stanley Black & Decker, The Hartford, Cigna, and Travelers represent the Club’s Founding Partners. “As we emerge from such a challenging year for all of us, we are so proud and grateful to have the support of our partners again in 2021,” said Jordan Charlupski, Vice President of Revenue for Hartford Athletic. “We are also excited to welcome so many new community-focused partners as we head into our third season and continue our mission to make our city and state the best place to live, work, and play.” 

Hartford Athletic also announced that they have engaged 4FRONT – a global, innovation, partnerships, analytics & digital media agency – to seek a stadium naming rights partner. Hartford Athletic and 4FRONT have already received interest in naming rights from multiple parties.

Hartford Athletic will welcome 16 new partners in 2021 including:

• Beam Suntory
• Boston Beer Co.
• Constellation Brands
• CT Department of Transportation
• Damato Chiropractic Center (Newington)
• Day Hill Dome
• Future Fitness
• Hartford Distributors, Inc.
• Law Office of Crescenzo Deluca
• Nuovo Pasta
• P. Gulino & Associates
• Robinson + Cole
• Stop & Shop
• Studio 31 Massage
• Walgreens
• Westfield Bank

The growing roster of 2021 partners includes:

• 4G Recycling
• AARP
• Bank of America
• Beam Suntory
• Boston Beer Co.
• BPS Lawyers
• Brignole Vineyards
• Cigna
• CohnReznick
• Constellation Brands
• CT Department of Transportation
• Damato Chiropractic
• Day Hill Dome
• Data-Mail, Inc.
• Future Fitness
• Gengras Motor Cars
• Global Atlantic Financial Group
• Goldberg Capital Management
• Hartford Distributors, Inc.
• Law Office of Crescenzo Deluca
• Local 230
• Lyco, Inc.
• New England Airfoil Products
• Nuovo Pasta
• P. Gulino & Associates
• PepsiCo
• Powerscreen New England
• Right At Home
• RIPE
• Robinson + Cole
• Stanley Black & Decker
• Stop & Shop
• Studio 31 Massage
• The Fix
• The Hartford
• Travelers
• Trinity Health of New England
• Walgreens
• Westfield Bank

Hartford Athletic also has more than 60 businesses that have joined its Business Alliance Program.

Hartford Athletic kicks off its 2021 campaign on April 30th on the road against New York Red Bulls II. The club plays its first regular season home match on May 15th at 7 PM against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Fans interested in Season Tickets, 6-game Flex Plans, and Single Game tickets should visit https://www.hartfordathletic.com/tickets for more information. 

Background

Luka Prpa arrives at Hartford Athletic looking to fight for a role in the midfield. Prpa had a sensational college career. During his four years at Marquette University, he played in 60 out of 66 possible games, scoring 18 goals and providing 21 assists. His performance earned him All-Big East second team recognition in 2017 and 2019, as well as All-Big East first team honors in 2018. He was selected by Houston Dynamo in the second round of the 2020 MLS draft and he was loaned to Dynamo’s USL Championship affiliate, RGV Toros FC. While at Toros, Prpa played in 10 games and recorded two goals and one assist.

Prpa has national team experience with U-14, U-15 and U-17 teams, he lived in Florida during his teenage years as part of the USMNT residence program.

What to Watch For

• Quick decision maker in tight spaces that allows the team to keep possession
• Great vision and technique with the ball that allows him to pick out very dangerous passes
• Great positional play that allows him to receive the ball in space as well as making defenders abandon their position.

Highlights

Background

Luka Prpa arrives at Hartford Athletic looking to fight for a role in the midfield. Prpa had a sensational college career. During his four years at Marquette University, he played in 60 out of 66 possible games, scoring 18 goals and providing 21 assists. His performance earned him All-Big East second team recognition in 2017 and 2019, as well as All-Big East first team honors in 2018. He was selected by Houston Dynamo in the second round of the 2020 MLS draft and he was loaned to Dynamo’s USL Championship affiliate, RGV Toros FC. While at Toros, Prpa played in 10 games and recorded two goals and one assist.

Prpa has national team experience with U-14, U-15 and U-17 teams, he lived in Florida during his teenage years as part of the USMNT residence program.

What to Watch For

• Quick decision maker in tight spaces that allows the team to keep possession
• Great vision and technique with the ball that allows him to pick out very dangerous passes
• Great positional play that allows him to receive the ball in space as well as making defenders abandon their position.

Highlights

Coach's Corner

"Luka is a highly talented boy with elite technical ability . He has the ball under his spell and it does what it wants. He will be a key player for our midfield this season." – Coach Watling

Coach’s Corner

“Luka is a highly talented boy with elite technical ability . He has the ball under his spell and it does what it wants. He will be a key player for our midfield this season.” – Coach Watling

Think you know more about Hartford Athletic than every other fan? Now you can prove it with Trivia Tuesday presented by The Tavern Downtown!

It's simple to play, all you have to do is download the Hartford Athletic App, create a profile, and each Tuesday during the regular season, you'll be prompted with a new trivia question! Each correct answer gets you an entry into an end of season drawing for a Hartford Athletic Prize Pack which includes tickets, merchandise, and a gift card to The Tavern Downtown. The first question is live now so open your app and head over to the "Fan Hub" section to submit your answer!

Think you know more about Hartford Athletic than every other fan? Now you can prove it with Trivia Tuesday presented by The Tavern Downtown!

It’s simple to play, all you have to do is download the Hartford Athletic App, create a profile, and each Tuesday during the regular season, you’ll be prompted with a new trivia question! Each correct answer gets you an entry into an end of season drawing for a Hartford Athletic Prize Pack which includes tickets, merchandise, and a gift card to The Tavern Downtown. The first question is live now so open your app and head over to the “Fan Hub” section to submit your answer!

Hartford Athletic has signed defender Walid Yacoubou, pending league and federation approval.   

Yacoubou comes to Hartford with USL Championship experience, playing for Tulsa Roughnecks in 2019. After one season in Tulsa, he took his talents overseas signing for Portuguese Club SC Ideal. Yacoubou, who has bounced back and forth between Europe and the USA, first came to the states from Israel as a teenager. He played at Prince George’s Community College before transferring to North Carolina Wesleyan College. He spent time in the USL PDL with North Carolina FC U23s and had stints with clubs in the Czech Republic and Sweden before signing for Tulsa. 

“Walid has come in and shown his presence. A rock at the back, he provides us with more defensive steel and aggression,” said Hartford Athletic Head Coach Harry Watling. “Having played in the USL Championship and in Europe, it’s another great piece of business by the club to acquire another player with huge potential.” 

Hartford Athletic has now signed the following players for the 2021 season: 

Forward: Sebastian Elney, Bradford Jamieson IV, Walmer Martinez, Tabort Etaka Preston, Alfonso Vazquez 

Midfielder: Nii Armah Ashitey, Danny Barrera, Christian Gómez, Conor McGlynn, Luka Prpa, Arthur Rogers, Gabriel Torres 

Defender: Younes Boudadi, Nicolás Cardona, Thomas Janjigian, Alex Lara, Richie Schlentz, Walid Yacoubou 

Goalkeeper: Jeff Caldwell, Carlos Merancio 

Hartford Athletic kicks off its 2021 campaign on Friday, April 30, against New York Red Bulls II. The club will play a friendly match on Tuesday May 4th against New England Revolution II before its USL Championship Home Opener against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on May 15th. For fans interested in Season Tickets, 6-game Flex Plans, or Single Game tickets, please visit https://www.hartfordathletic.com/tickets.  

Hartford Athletic has signed defender Walid Yacoubou, pending league and federation approval.   

Yacoubou comes to Hartford with USL Championship experience, playing for Tulsa Roughnecks in 2019. After one season in Tulsa, he took his talents overseas signing for Portuguese Club SC Ideal. Yacoubou, who has bounced back and forth between Europe and the USA, first came to the states from Israel as a teenager. He played at Prince George’s Community College before transferring to North Carolina Wesleyan College. He spent time in the USL PDL with North Carolina FC U23s and had stints with clubs in the Czech Republic and Sweden before signing for Tulsa. 

“Walid has come in and shown his presence. A rock at the back, he provides us with more defensive steel and aggression,” said Hartford Athletic Head Coach Harry Watling. “Having played in the USL Championship and in Europe, it’s another great piece of business by the club to acquire another player with huge potential.” 

Hartford Athletic has now signed the following players for the 2021 season: 

Forward: Sebastian Elney, Bradford Jamieson IV, Walmer Martinez, Tabort Etaka Preston, Alfonso Vazquez 

Midfielder: Nii Armah Ashitey, Danny Barrera, Christian Gómez, Conor McGlynn, Luka Prpa, Arthur Rogers, Gabriel Torres 

Defender: Younes Boudadi, Nicolás Cardona, Thomas Janjigian, Alex Lara, Richie Schlentz, Walid Yacoubou 

Goalkeeper: Jeff Caldwell, Carlos Merancio 

Hartford Athletic kicks off its 2021 campaign on Friday, April 30, against New York Red Bulls II. The club will play a friendly match on Tuesday May 4th against New England Revolution II before its USL Championship Home Opener against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on May 15th. For fans interested in Season Tickets, 6-game Flex Plans, or Single Game tickets, please visit https://www.hartfordathletic.com/tickets.  

Following guidance from local government and health officials, we are pleased to announce that starting with our home match on May 29th we will be allowing 100% capacity at Dillon Stadium. Fans will still be required to wear masks while in the stadium and sanitation stations and other safety protocols will be in place. Matches on May 4th and May 15th will host fans at 50% capacity, as previously announced.

Following guidance from local government and health officials, we are pleased to announce that starting with our home match on May 29th we will be allowing 100% capacity at Dillon Stadium. Fans will still be required to wear masks while in the stadium and sanitation stations and other safety protocols will be in place. Matches on May 4th and May 15th will host fans at 50% capacity, as previously announced.

Background

Jeff Caldwell arrives in Hartford looking to fight for the role of starting goalkeeper. The North Carolina native had a standout college career at the University of Virgina, where he received All-ACC honors three times. While he was in college, he also played for Seattle Sounders FC U23 and Colorado Rapids U23 in USL PDL. He was drafter 19th overall in the 2019 MLS Superdraft by NYCFC. He was loaned out to fellow USL Championship club Memphis 901 FC, where he had six clean sheets in 28 games. One of those games was a victory against Athletic in what was the club’s second ever home game. 

Caldwell also has national team experience. He played in the 2013 U-17 Concacaf Tournament and the 2015 U-20 World Cup.

What to Watch For

• Great reactions and explosiveness to make diving saves
• Aggressiveness in 1v1 situations
• Great distributor both with his feet and both of his hands that allow the team to start play from the back.

Highlights

Background

Jeff Caldwell arrives in Hartford looking to fight for the role of starting goalkeeper. The North Carolina native had a standout college career at the University of Virgina, where he received All-ACC honors three times. While he was in college, he also played for Seattle Sounders FC U23 and Colorado Rapids U23 in USL PDL. He was drafter 19th overall in the 2019 MLS Superdraft by NYCFC. He was loaned out to fellow USL Championship club Memphis 901 FC, where he had six clean sheets in 28 games. One of those games was a victory against Athletic in what was the club’s second ever home game. 

Caldwell also has national team experience. He played in the 2013 U-17 Concacaf Tournament and the 2015 U-20 World Cup.

What to Watch For

• Great reactions and explosiveness to make diving saves
• Aggressiveness in 1v1 situations
• Great distributor both with his feet and both of his hands that allow the team to start play from the back.

Highlights

Coach's Corner

"Jeff comes with very good pedigree . A draft MLS pick for NYCFC in 2018, he provides a wide range of skills both offensively and defensively to keep in goal. Good presence is something we needed and Jeff provides that in abundance ." – Coach Watling

Coach’s Corner

“Jeff comes with very good pedigree . A draft MLS pick for NYCFC in 2018, he provides a wide range of skills both offensively and defensively to keep in goal. Good presence is something we needed and Jeff provides that in abundance .” – Coach Watling

Background

Richie Schlentz arrives in Hartford ready to compete for a role in the team's back-line. Schlentz had a very solid college career at Villanova, becoming an every-game starter his last two seasons in a Wildcat uniform, commanding the left-back position. During his last two seasons Schlentz only missed one game. After graduating from Villanova, the now 23-year-old played NPSL soccer for West Chester United, and in USL League Two for Reading United FC, appearing in two games in the U.S. Open Cup in 2019, one of which came against USL Championship side Louisville City.

What to Watch For

• Great athleticism that allows him to keep strong level during the whole 90 minutes both offensively and defensively.
• Great technique for crossing and putting dangerous balls in the box for teammates to score.
• Very consistent and adaptable to play in different areas of the field and able to adjust to different in-game scenarios.

Highlights

Background

Richie Schlentz arrives in Hartford ready to compete for a role in the team’s back-line. Schlentz had a very solid college career at Villanova, becoming an every-game starter his last two seasons in a Wildcat uniform, commanding the left-back position. During his last two seasons Schlentz only missed one game. After graduating from Villanova, the now 23-year-old played NPSL soccer for West Chester United, and in USL League Two for Reading United FC, appearing in two games in the U.S. Open Cup in 2019, one of which came against USL Championship side Louisville City.

What to Watch For

• Great athleticism that allows him to keep strong level during the whole 90 minutes both offensively and defensively.
• Great technique for crossing and putting dangerous balls in the box for teammates to score.
• Very consistent and adaptable to play in different areas of the field and able to adjust to different in-game scenarios.

Highlights

Richie's Take

"I'm thrilled to start my professional career here in Hartford. The club has made great strides over its first two years and I am excited to be part of the continued growth on and off the pitch. Our goal is to get back to the playoffs and make a run and I intend to do everything I can to make that a reality."

Coach's Corner

"Richie came in and pushed himself straight from the off. He makes excellent deliveries from wide and will provide the team with lots of assists . His ability to get up and down the pitch is also key to how we want to play." – Coach Watling

Richie’s Take

“I’m thrilled to start my professional career here in Hartford. The club has made great strides over its first two years and I am excited to be part of the continued growth on and off the pitch. Our goal is to get back to the playoffs and make a run and I intend to do everything I can to make that a reality.”

Coach’s Corner

“Richie came in and pushed himself straight from the off. He makes excellent deliveries from wide and will provide the team with lots of assists . His ability to get up and down the pitch is also key to how we want to play.” – Coach Watling

The USL Championship announced today its playoff structure for the 2021 season, which will feature 16 teams when the regular season concludes in the last weekend of October.

Following the announcement of the Championship’s divisional alignment in March, the top four teams from each division in the regular season will advance into a regionalized single-elimination bracket. The top two clubs in each of the Atlantic, Central, Mountain and Pacific Divisions will earn hosting rights in the Eastern and Western Conference Quarterfinals, regardless of total points. 

Last season, Hartford Athletic qualified for the playoffs for the first time in its young history by winning regional Group F.  The Boys in Green fell to Saint Louis FC 1-0 in the first every playoff match at Dillon Stadium. Hartford will compete in the USL's Atlantic Division in 2021 as they look to qualify for the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

Division winners will be matched with the fourth-place team, while second-placed teams will meet third-placed teams from the opposing division in the Conference Quarterfinals, matching up teams from the Atlantic Division and Central Division in the Eastern Conference and the Mountain and Pacific Division in the Western Conference. 

Following the Conference Quarterfinals round, home advantage will be determined by total points earned, regardless of division rank, for the remainder of the postseason.

The Championship season will conclude with the USL Championship Final on Sunday, November 28 with kickoff set for 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN or ESPN 2 and ESPN Deportes.

The USL Championship announced today its playoff structure for the 2021 season, which will feature 16 teams when the regular season concludes in the last weekend of October.

Following the announcement of the Championship’s divisional alignment in March, the top four teams from each division in the regular season will advance into a regionalized single-elimination bracket. The top two clubs in each of the Atlantic, Central, Mountain and Pacific Divisions will earn hosting rights in the Eastern and Western Conference Quarterfinals, regardless of total points. 

Last season, Hartford Athletic qualified for the playoffs for the first time in its young history by winning regional Group F.  The Boys in Green fell to Saint Louis FC 1-0 in the first every playoff match at Dillon Stadium. Hartford will compete in the USL’s Atlantic Division in 2021 as they look to qualify for the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

Division winners will be matched with the fourth-place team, while second-placed teams will meet third-placed teams from the opposing division in the Conference Quarterfinals, matching up teams from the Atlantic Division and Central Division in the Eastern Conference and the Mountain and Pacific Division in the Western Conference. 

Following the Conference Quarterfinals round, home advantage will be determined by total points earned, regardless of division rank, for the remainder of the postseason.

The Championship season will conclude with the USL Championship Final on Sunday, November 28 with kickoff set for 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN or ESPN 2 and ESPN Deportes.