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Hartford Athletic took down New York Red Bulls II, 2-0 and finished the 2020 regular season at the top of the Group F table!

This one played tight early on. Red Bulls II had the first chance of the match. Sebastian Elney collected a loose ball on the left flank, dribbled free to the top of the box and ripped a shot toward the net. Parfait Mandanda, who started the 2020 season with a clean sheet against these very same Red Bulls, made a diving save to deny Elney and keep the game scoreless early on. Mandanda had four saves on the night. RBII had the lion's share of the chances early on, but it was their defense that stood out, shutting down multiple attempts from Hartford to beat them over the top and in transition. The teams took a scoreless tie into halftime.

In the second half, Man of the Match Tyreke Johnson took over. In the 65th minute, Alex Dixon played a beautiful ball through the RBII back line and into the box for Ever Guzmán. Guzmán sent it back to the far post where Johnson was lurking uncovered and poked it past the keeper for the first goal of the night. 

Ten minutes later, Johnson created offense again. Working on the left flank, Johnson worked himself free of Red Bull defenders and found Conor McGlynn who had come on merely seconds earlier. McGlynn  took a quick touch, teed it up and uncorked an absolute rocket to the far top corner for the second goal of the night! Hartford players celebrated in the far corner and even Head Coach Radhi Jaïdi ran from his coaches box to celebrate with the Boys. 

Hartford will head back home to host Saint Louis FC at Dillon Stadium in the first playoff match in club history on Saturday October 10th at 7 PM. Saint Louis defeated Indy Eleven 2-1 on Saturday night to earn second place in Group E. Click here to join a waiting list for playoff tickets. 

FAST STATS:

Shots (On-Target): Hartford Athletic 10 (6) – 14 (5) New York

Corners: Hartford Athletic 3-8 New York

Fouls: Hartford Athletic 14-13 New York

Offsides: Hartford Athletic 1-2 New York

Possession: Hartford Athletic 41.5%-58.5% New York

Passing Accuracy: Hartford Athletic 57.9%-70.7% New York

Saves: Hartford Athletic 4-4 New York

SCORING SUMMARY:

65' – Tyreke Johnson (Ever Guzmán) 0-1

75' – Conor McGlynn (Tyreke Johnson) 0-2

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY:

39' – Alex Lara (Yellow)

48' – Samad Bounthong (Yellow)

55' – Omar Sowe (Yellow)

83' – Cherif Dieye (Yellow)

90' – Sam Strong (Yellow)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP:

35 (GK) Parfait Mandanda; 24 (D) Sam Strong, 4 (D) Kevin Politz, 2 (D) Alex Lara; 25 (MF) Idan Cohen (Arthur Rogers 77'), 10 (MF) Danny Barrera, 80 (MF) Justin Haak, 23 (MF) Aiden Mesias (Conor McGlynn 72'), 88 (MF) Tyreke Johnson (Gabriel Torres); 99 (F) Ever Guzmán (Alfonso Vazquez), 11 (F) Alex Dixon (Dre Deas 77')

NEW YORK RED BULLS II STARTING LINEUP:

50 (GK) Luca Lewis (Ciaran Dalton 71'); 47 (D) John Tolkin, 73 (D) Joe Fala, 83 (D) Bo Cummins (Edgardo Rito 71'), 85 (D) Joey Zalinsky; 64 (MF) Jake LaCava (Deri Corfe 71'), 67 (MF) Omar Sowe, 76 (MF) Kenan Hot, 96 (MF) Dantouma Toure (Cherif Dieye 66'), 97 (MF) Samad Bounthong; 39 (F) Sebastian Elney

Hartford Athletic took down New York Red Bulls II, 2-0 and finished the 2020 regular season at the top of the Group F table!

This one played tight early on. Red Bulls II had the first chance of the match. Sebastian Elney collected a loose ball on the left flank, dribbled free to the top of the box and ripped a shot toward the net. Parfait Mandanda, who started the 2020 season with a clean sheet against these very same Red Bulls, made a diving save to deny Elney and keep the game scoreless early on. Mandanda had four saves on the night. RBII had the lion’s share of the chances early on, but it was their defense that stood out, shutting down multiple attempts from Hartford to beat them over the top and in transition. The teams took a scoreless tie into halftime.

In the second half, Man of the Match Tyreke Johnson took over. In the 65th minute, Alex Dixon played a beautiful ball through the RBII back line and into the box for Ever Guzmán. Guzmán sent it back to the far post where Johnson was lurking uncovered and poked it past the keeper for the first goal of the night. 

Ten minutes later, Johnson created offense again. Working on the left flank, Johnson worked himself free of Red Bull defenders and found Conor McGlynn who had come on merely seconds earlier. McGlynn  took a quick touch, teed it up and uncorked an absolute rocket to the far top corner for the second goal of the night! Hartford players celebrated in the far corner and even Head Coach Radhi Jaïdi ran from his coaches box to celebrate with the Boys. 

Hartford will head back home to host Saint Louis FC at Dillon Stadium in the first playoff match in club history on Saturday October 10th at 7 PM. Saint Louis defeated Indy Eleven 2-1 on Saturday night to earn second place in Group E. Click here to join a waiting list for playoff tickets. 

FAST STATS:

Shots (On-Target): Hartford Athletic 10 (6) – 14 (5) New York

Corners: Hartford Athletic 3-8 New York

Fouls: Hartford Athletic 14-13 New York

Offsides: Hartford Athletic 1-2 New York

Possession: Hartford Athletic 41.5%-58.5% New York

Passing Accuracy: Hartford Athletic 57.9%-70.7% New York

Saves: Hartford Athletic 4-4 New York

SCORING SUMMARY:

65′ – Tyreke Johnson (Ever Guzmán) 0-1

75′ – Conor McGlynn (Tyreke Johnson) 0-2

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY:

39′ – Alex Lara (Yellow)

48′ – Samad Bounthong (Yellow)

55′ – Omar Sowe (Yellow)

83′ – Cherif Dieye (Yellow)

90′ – Sam Strong (Yellow)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP:

35 (GK) Parfait Mandanda; 24 (D) Sam Strong, 4 (D) Kevin Politz, 2 (D) Alex Lara; 25 (MF) Idan Cohen (Arthur Rogers 77′), 10 (MF) Danny Barrera, 80 (MF) Justin Haak, 23 (MF) Aiden Mesias (Conor McGlynn 72′), 88 (MF) Tyreke Johnson (Gabriel Torres); 99 (F) Ever Guzmán (Alfonso Vazquez), 11 (F) Alex Dixon (Dre Deas 77′)

NEW YORK RED BULLS II STARTING LINEUP:

50 (GK) Luca Lewis (Ciaran Dalton 71′); 47 (D) John Tolkin, 73 (D) Joe Fala, 83 (D) Bo Cummins (Edgardo Rito 71′), 85 (D) Joey Zalinsky; 64 (MF) Jake LaCava (Deri Corfe 71′), 67 (MF) Omar Sowe, 76 (MF) Kenan Hot, 96 (MF) Dantouma Toure (Cherif Dieye 66′), 97 (MF) Samad Bounthong; 39 (F) Sebastian Elney

It's all on the line on Sunday night when Hartford Athletic takes on New York Red Bulls II with a chance to finish the season at the Top of Group F. With a Pittsburgh win on Saturday night, the Boys in Green must claim three points to top the Group. A top of the table finish means a home playoff game next weekend (you can sign up for a playoff wait list here), and what would be sweeter than the first playoff game in Club history at Dillon?

HARTFORD ATHLETIC (10-3-2) at NEW YORK RED BULLS II (5-10-0)

Date: Sunday, October 4th

Time: 7:00 PM ET

Location: MSU Soccer Park, Montclair, NJ

Local TV: WCTX MyTV9

Streaming: https://www.hartfordathletic.com/watch or ESPN+

International Viewers: YouTube

LAST TIME OUT:

Hartford took down Philadelphia Union II 3-2 on Wednesday night. In the 7th minute, Alex Dixon was taken down by the keeper after his first touch in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. Mads Jørgensen stepped up and calmly dispatched his penalty past the Union ll keeper to put Hartford one-nil up! In the 14th minute, Jørgensen swung in a corner and the flicked on header found the boot of Alex Lara who tapped in his first Athletic goal to make it two-nil! Union II came storming back to tie the game at 2, but in the 90th minute, Danny Barrera scored one of the most bizarre goals of the USL season and The Immaculate Deflection was born. When the clock struck 90’, the Union ll keeper picked up the ball in his box. Barrera stood on the edge of the box, stuck out his leg, and deflected the keeper’s throw in the air and into the empty net to make it three to two Athletic! 

THE IMMACULATE DEFLECTION:

Danny Barrera’s incredible goal on Wednesday night caught the eye of just about the entire world. You could find Barrera at number 2 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays as well as BBC Sports, Barstool Sports, 433 and many others. “I do weird stuff like that at practice all the time,” Barrera said on the Nutmeg State podcast on Thursday. “Even at home, I don’t know how many diapers I’ve ninja kicked or tried to ninja kick into the trash and finally I got one in.” Barrera is a father of 3 and is expecting a fourth child.

DEFENSE TO OFFENSE:

In 2019, Hartford Athletic was known for scoring goals from outside the box. The script has flipped in 2020. 24 of the 29 Hartford goals this season have come inside the box. Much of that comes from Head Coach Radhi Jaidi’s strategy which often targets larger center backs in the box on set pieces. Defenders Sam Strong, Matheus Silva, Kevin Politz, and Alex Lara have all scored off of set pieces this season. Lara scored his first professional goal on Wednesday running free to the far post on a corner kick, beautifully delivered by Mads Jørgensen.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic, Alex Lara, D #2: 

Matheus Silva will miss this match for a Yellow Card accumulation suspension and it's likely that Alex Lara will start in his place. The right-footed Lara may be asked to play the left center back position in  Radhi Jaïdi's typical 3 center back system. It won't be the first time he's asked to do this, but this particular match provides a bit more pressure and with a Red Bulls attack that has proven at times that they can be explosive, it will be more important than ever this year that the back line is in top form.

New York Red Bulls II, Jake LaCava, F #64:

In a 3-1 win the last time these two teams met, LaCava made the play that put RBII on the board putting himself in an advantageous position to fire one past Parfait Mandanda. LaCava is second on the squad with five goals this season and third with three assists. He makes plays and should certainly be a focal point of the Hartford Athletic back line. 

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

2020 will be the first year since 2015 that New York Red Bulls II will miss the postseason. RBII have a record of 5-10-0 but have played Hartford close in all three matches this season. Like Athletic, New York will come in on short rest having played a neutral site match in Virginia against North Carolina FC on Wednesday night. The big question is which Red Bulls II attack we’ll see on Sunday. The one that scored 8 goals in two matches against Atlanta United 2 and Philadelphia Union II, or the one that was shut out against NCFC a few days ago?

FOLLOW ONLINE: 

Can’t watch? Stay in touch with our live commentary @hfdathletic or by following #NYvHFD

It’s all on the line on Sunday night when Hartford Athletic takes on New York Red Bulls II with a chance to finish the season at the Top of Group F. With a Pittsburgh win on Saturday night, the Boys in Green must claim three points to top the Group. A top of the table finish means a home playoff game next weekend (you can sign up for a playoff wait list here), and what would be sweeter than the first playoff game in Club history at Dillon?

HARTFORD ATHLETIC (10-3-2) at NEW YORK RED BULLS II (5-10-0)

Date: Sunday, October 4th

Time: 7:00 PM ET

Location: MSU Soccer Park, Montclair, NJ

Local TV: WCTX MyTV9

Streaming: https://www.hartfordathletic.com/watch or ESPN+

International Viewers: YouTube

LAST TIME OUT:

Hartford took down Philadelphia Union II 3-2 on Wednesday night. In the 7th minute, Alex Dixon was taken down by the keeper after his first touch in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. Mads Jørgensen stepped up and calmly dispatched his penalty past the Union ll keeper to put Hartford one-nil up! In the 14th minute, Jørgensen swung in a corner and the flicked on header found the boot of Alex Lara who tapped in his first Athletic goal to make it two-nil! Union II came storming back to tie the game at 2, but in the 90th minute, Danny Barrera scored one of the most bizarre goals of the USL season and The Immaculate Deflection was born. When the clock struck 90’, the Union ll keeper picked up the ball in his box. Barrera stood on the edge of the box, stuck out his leg, and deflected the keeper’s throw in the air and into the empty net to make it three to two Athletic! 

THE IMMACULATE DEFLECTION:

Danny Barrera’s incredible goal on Wednesday night caught the eye of just about the entire world. You could find Barrera at number 2 on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays as well as BBC Sports, Barstool Sports, 433 and many others. “I do weird stuff like that at practice all the time,” Barrera said on the Nutmeg State podcast on Thursday. “Even at home, I don’t know how many diapers I’ve ninja kicked or tried to ninja kick into the trash and finally I got one in.” Barrera is a father of 3 and is expecting a fourth child.

DEFENSE TO OFFENSE:

In 2019, Hartford Athletic was known for scoring goals from outside the box. The script has flipped in 2020. 24 of the 29 Hartford goals this season have come inside the box. Much of that comes from Head Coach Radhi Jaidi’s strategy which often targets larger center backs in the box on set pieces. Defenders Sam Strong, Matheus Silva, Kevin Politz, and Alex Lara have all scored off of set pieces this season. Lara scored his first professional goal on Wednesday running free to the far post on a corner kick, beautifully delivered by Mads Jørgensen.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic, Alex Lara, D #2: 

Matheus Silva will miss this match for a Yellow Card accumulation suspension and it’s likely that Alex Lara will start in his place. The right-footed Lara may be asked to play the left center back position in  Radhi Jaïdi’s typical 3 center back system. It won’t be the first time he’s asked to do this, but this particular match provides a bit more pressure and with a Red Bulls attack that has proven at times that they can be explosive, it will be more important than ever this year that the back line is in top form.

New York Red Bulls II, Jake LaCava, F #64:

In a 3-1 win the last time these two teams met, LaCava made the play that put RBII on the board putting himself in an advantageous position to fire one past Parfait Mandanda. LaCava is second on the squad with five goals this season and third with three assists. He makes plays and should certainly be a focal point of the Hartford Athletic back line. 

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

2020 will be the first year since 2015 that New York Red Bulls II will miss the postseason. RBII have a record of 5-10-0 but have played Hartford close in all three matches this season. Like Athletic, New York will come in on short rest having played a neutral site match in Virginia against North Carolina FC on Wednesday night. The big question is which Red Bulls II attack we’ll see on Sunday. The one that scored 8 goals in two matches against Atlanta United 2 and Philadelphia Union II, or the one that was shut out against NCFC a few days ago?

FOLLOW ONLINE: 

Can’t watch? Stay in touch with our live commentary @hfdathletic or by following #NYvHFD

Hartford Athletic and New York Red Bulls II announced today that the Sunday, October 4th match at Montclair State University has changed kickoff times. The match will now kickoff at 7 PM. It was originally scheduled for a 5 PM kickoff time. 

As always, Hartford Athletic fans can watch the match on WCTX-MyTV9 or at https://www.hartfordathletic.com/watch. The match can also be seen on ESPN+ for those with the subscription.

With a win on Sunday, Hartford Athletic finish the season at the top of the Group F table and would host a playoff match. For those wishing to put themselves on a wait list for playoff tickets, please visit https://www.hartfordathletic.com/single.

Hartford Athletic and New York Red Bulls II announced today that the Sunday, October 4th match at Montclair State University has changed kickoff times. The match will now kickoff at 7 PM. It was originally scheduled for a 5 PM kickoff time. 

As always, Hartford Athletic fans can watch the match on WCTX-MyTV9 or at https://www.hartfordathletic.com/watch. The match can also be seen on ESPN+ for those with the subscription.

With a win on Sunday, Hartford Athletic finish the season at the top of the Group F table and would host a playoff match. For those wishing to put themselves on a wait list for playoff tickets, please visit https://www.hartfordathletic.com/single.

Thanks to Danny Barrera’s bizarre goal in the 90th minute, Hartford took down Philadelphia Union II three goals to two and are just one win away from a home playoff match in the first round!

Hartford looked good in the opening minutes of the match. Mads Jørgensen, Idan Cohen, and Alex Dixon combined to create a great opportunity in the 7th minute. Cohen put in a cutthroat pass between two Union defenders that found the feet of the speedy Dixon. Dixon was taken down by the keeper right after his first touch and the referee pointed to the spot. Mads Jørgensen stepped up and the Athletic 2nd-year calmly dispatched his penalty past the Union ll keeper to put Hartford one-nil up!  

In the 14th minute, Hartford won a couple of corner kicks. The first corner was swung in by Gabriel Torres which was deflected out for another corner. Jørgensen swung in the second ball and the flicked on header found the boot of Alex Lara who tapped in his first Athletic goal to make it two-nil! 

In the 21st minute, Philadelphia Union won a corner, and the dangerous Paxten Aaronson stood over it. The Union ll midfielder swung in an inviting corner and Cohen’s attempted clearance went past goalkeeper Mike Novotny to cut the Athletic lead in half.  

In the second half of their sixth match in nineteen days, Athletic were feeling the fatigue. So much so that In the 59th minute, Union’s Caleb Stafford was put through on goal and flicked it in past Notovny to level it at two. In the 77th minute, Union II would find a way through the Hartford defense again. Matheus Silva came in with a late challenge and the referee pointed to the spot. The hero of the last match, Mike Notovny, was up to the task again! The second-year keeper dove the right way and saved to keep it notched at two!  

In the 82nd minute, Danny Barrera came on and scored one of the most bizarre goals of the USL season. When the clock struck 90’, the Union ll keeper picked up the ball in his box. Barrera stood on the edge of the box, stuck out his leg, and deflected the keeper's throw into the Philadelphia sky and  into the empty net to make it three to two Athletic!  

Thanks to an unbelievable ending, Hartford still controls their own destiny in group F. If the Boys in Green defeat New York Red Bulls II on Sunday, they will top the group and host the first round of the playoffs at Dillon Stadium!

FAST STATS:

Shots (On-Target): Hartford Athletic 8 (3) -10 (3) Philadelphia

Corners: Hartford Athletic 6-5 Philadelphia

Fouls: Hartford Athletic 14-14 Philadelphia

Offsides: Hartford Athletic 5-3 Philadelphia

Possession: Hartford Athletic 49.1%-50.9% Philadelphia

Passing Accuracy: Hartford Athletic 71.9%-69.1% Philadelphia

Saves: Hartford Athletic 2-0 Philadelphia

SCORING SUMMARY:

8' – Mads Jørgensen 0-1

15' – Alex Lara 0-2

22' – Idan Cohen (Own Goal) 1-2

60' – Caden Stafford 2-2

90' – Danny Barrera 2-3

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY:

7' – Mitch Bulder (Yellow)

25' – Alex Dixon (Yellow)

42' – Anthony Sorenson (Yellow)

54' – Sam Strong (Yellow)

78' – Matheus Silva (Yellow)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP:

18 (GK) Mike Novotny; 24 (D) Sam Strong, 2 (D) Alex Lara, 3 (D) Matheus Silva (Danny Barrera 81'); 25 (MF) Idan Cohen (Conor McGlynn 57'); 6 (MF) Arthur Rogers, 80 (MF) Justin Haak, 8 (MF) Mads Jørgensen (Aiden Mesias 57'), 16 (MF) Gabriel Torres (Tyreke Johnson 69'); 17 (F) Alfonso Vazquez (Markus Naglestad 69'), 11 (F) Alex Dixon

PHILADELPHIA UNION II STARTING LINEUP:

57 (GK) Mitch Budler; 62 (D) Anthony Sorenson, 50 (D) Brandan Craig, 61 (D) Dante Huckaby, 60 (D) Nathan Harriel; 13 (MF) Cole Turner (Danny Flores 75'), 65 (MF) Jack McGlynn, 70 (MF) Paxten Aaronson (Zachary Zandi 75'), 14 (MF) Jack de Vries (Issa Rayyan 64'); 52 (F) Patrick Bohui (Axel Picazo 75'), 68 (F) Caden Stafford (Quinn Sullivan 89')

Thanks to Danny Barrera’s bizarre goal in the 90th minute, Hartford took down Philadelphia Union II three goals to two and are just one win away from a home playoff match in the first round!

Hartford looked good in the opening minutes of the match. Mads Jørgensen, Idan Cohen, and Alex Dixon combined to create a great opportunity in the 7th minute. Cohen put in a cutthroat pass between two Union defenders that found the feet of the speedy Dixon. Dixon was taken down by the keeper right after his first touch and the referee pointed to the spot. Mads Jørgensen stepped up and the Athletic 2nd-year calmly dispatched his penalty past the Union ll keeper to put Hartford one-nil up!  

In the 14th minute, Hartford won a couple of corner kicks. The first corner was swung in by Gabriel Torres which was deflected out for another corner. Jørgensen swung in the second ball and the flicked on header found the boot of Alex Lara who tapped in his first Athletic goal to make it two-nil! 

In the 21st minute, Philadelphia Union won a corner, and the dangerous Paxten Aaronson stood over it. The Union ll midfielder swung in an inviting corner and Cohen’s attempted clearance went past goalkeeper Mike Novotny to cut the Athletic lead in half.  

In the second half of their sixth match in nineteen days, Athletic were feeling the fatigue. So much so that In the 59th minute, Union’s Caleb Stafford was put through on goal and flicked it in past Notovny to level it at two. In the 77th minute, Union II would find a way through the Hartford defense again. Matheus Silva came in with a late challenge and the referee pointed to the spot. The hero of the last match, Mike Notovny, was up to the task again! The second-year keeper dove the right way and saved to keep it notched at two!  

In the 82nd minute, Danny Barrera came on and scored one of the most bizarre goals of the USL season. When the clock struck 90’, the Union ll keeper picked up the ball in his box. Barrera stood on the edge of the box, stuck out his leg, and deflected the keeper’s throw into the Philadelphia sky and  into the empty net to make it three to two Athletic!  

Thanks to an unbelievable ending, Hartford still controls their own destiny in group F. If the Boys in Green defeat New York Red Bulls II on Sunday, they will top the group and host the first round of the playoffs at Dillon Stadium!

FAST STATS:

Shots (On-Target): Hartford Athletic 8 (3) -10 (3) Philadelphia

Corners: Hartford Athletic 6-5 Philadelphia

Fouls: Hartford Athletic 14-14 Philadelphia

Offsides: Hartford Athletic 5-3 Philadelphia

Possession: Hartford Athletic 49.1%-50.9% Philadelphia

Passing Accuracy: Hartford Athletic 71.9%-69.1% Philadelphia

Saves: Hartford Athletic 2-0 Philadelphia

SCORING SUMMARY:

8′ – Mads Jørgensen 0-1

15′ – Alex Lara 0-2

22′ – Idan Cohen (Own Goal) 1-2

60′ – Caden Stafford 2-2

90′ – Danny Barrera 2-3

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY:

7′ – Mitch Bulder (Yellow)

25′ – Alex Dixon (Yellow)

42′ – Anthony Sorenson (Yellow)

54′ – Sam Strong (Yellow)

78′ – Matheus Silva (Yellow)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP:

18 (GK) Mike Novotny; 24 (D) Sam Strong, 2 (D) Alex Lara, 3 (D) Matheus Silva (Danny Barrera 81′); 25 (MF) Idan Cohen (Conor McGlynn 57′); 6 (MF) Arthur Rogers, 80 (MF) Justin Haak, 8 (MF) Mads Jørgensen (Aiden Mesias 57′), 16 (MF) Gabriel Torres (Tyreke Johnson 69′); 17 (F) Alfonso Vazquez (Markus Naglestad 69′), 11 (F) Alex Dixon

PHILADELPHIA UNION II STARTING LINEUP:

57 (GK) Mitch Budler; 62 (D) Anthony Sorenson, 50 (D) Brandan Craig, 61 (D) Dante Huckaby, 60 (D) Nathan Harriel; 13 (MF) Cole Turner (Danny Flores 75′), 65 (MF) Jack McGlynn, 70 (MF) Paxten Aaronson (Zachary Zandi 75′), 14 (MF) Jack de Vries (Issa Rayyan 64′); 52 (F) Patrick Bohui (Axel Picazo 75′), 68 (F) Caden Stafford (Quinn Sullivan 89′)

Hartford Athletic hits the road for the second of three road matches to finish the 2020 campaign. The Boys in Green are coming off a huge victory over Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday night and now control their destiny in the chase for Group F. Two wins guarantee the top of the table and a home playoff spot and it starts tomorrow night in Philadelphia.

HARTFORD ATHLETIC (9-3-2) at PHILADELPHIA UNION II (2-9-3)

Date: Wednesday, September 30th

Time: 7:30 PM ET

Location: Subaru Park, Chester, PA

Local TV: WCTX MyTV9

Streaming: https://www.hartfordathletic.com/watch or ESPN+

International Viewers: YouTube

LAST TIME OUT:

In the third meeting with Pittsburgh Riverhounds this season, Hartford Athletic notched a massive 1-0 victory holding on even though down to 10 men for the final 26 minutes of the match. In the 35th minute, Ever Guzmán was slipped in by strike partner Alex Dixon and with a sliding finish dispatched a right-footed shot into the back of the net. In the second half, after a 50/50 sliding challenge, Parfait Mandanda found himself in a scuffle behind the net. Mandanda was given a red card. Second year goalkeeper Mike Novotny came in to make his USL Championship debut replacing Mandanda. He and the backline stood tall with multiple clearances and goal lines saves in the last fifteen minutes. 

DESTINY CONTROLLED:

With Saturday’s win against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Hartford now controls its own destiny in Group F. Wins in the final two matches for Hartford clinch the top spot in the table and a home playoff match in the first round. If Hartford were to lose either match, it would need a Pittsburgh loss to clinch the top spot. 

WHO IS MIKE NOVOTNY?:

Goalkeeper Parfait Mandanda was issued a Red Card in the 71st minute on Saturday night which brought the debut of backup GK Mike Novotny. Novotny has been part of Hartford Athletic for the past two seasons, but the 17 minutes he played on Saturday night were the first minutes of USL Championship action he’s gotten since joining the club. He will be called on for the full 90 minutes on Wednesday night, his first regular-season start since playing for Stode IF in Sweden during the 2018 season (Novotny started and played 45 minutes in the club’s friendly match with Jamaican side Portmore United last fall). With no goalies under contract for 2021, this could be an audition of sorts for the young Novotny. If you want to learn more about him, check out our 20 Questions series!

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic, Sam Strong, D, #24: 

Hartford's back line has found its best form of the season at the perfect time. Over the past three matches, Hartford has only conceded one goal and the back trio of Strong, Matheus Silva, and Kevin Politz have done a masterful job shutting down opponents. Strong's play has been quality, but he also brings an extra element offensively on set pieces. He is a big body and is often a target on corners. Strong scored Hartford's only goal against Philadelphia last match, his effort on both sides of the ball will be important in this one.

Philadelphia Union II, Paxten Aaronson, MF, #70:

It would be too easy to put Jack McGlynn who has 3 goals in his last 2 matches (see below), so we'll take it another direction. Aaronson is just 17 years old but has made an immediate impact in the Philadelphia midfield. He has a goal and an assist this season but has also taken 15 shots (3rd on the team) and created 10 chances (5th on the team). He's a player who has caught the eye of Hartford Head Coach Radhi Jaïdi and is someone with a very bright future in the Philadelphia system.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

Despite only taking one point in the last 3 matches, Philadelphia Union II have some momentum heading into the match. Last Wednesday, a late Jack McGlynn goal leveled the score and saw Union II leave Hartford with a point. Saturday evening, Union II took a tough loss to NYRBII 5-4 despite being down a man for almost 60 minutes. Two of the four goals came from McGlynn (brother of Hartford midfielder Conor) who should be the focal point of the Hartford defense.

FOLLOW ONLINE: 

Can’t watch? Stay in touch with our live commentary @hfdathletic or by following #PHIvHFD

Hartford Athletic hits the road for the second of three road matches to finish the 2020 campaign. The Boys in Green are coming off a huge victory over Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday night and now control their destiny in the chase for Group F. Two wins guarantee the top of the table and a home playoff spot and it starts tomorrow night in Philadelphia.

HARTFORD ATHLETIC (9-3-2) at PHILADELPHIA UNION II (2-9-3)

Date: Wednesday, September 30th

Time: 7:30 PM ET

Location: Subaru Park, Chester, PA

Local TV: WCTX MyTV9

Streaming: https://www.hartfordathletic.com/watch or ESPN+

International Viewers: YouTube

LAST TIME OUT:

In the third meeting with Pittsburgh Riverhounds this season, Hartford Athletic notched a massive 1-0 victory holding on even though down to 10 men for the final 26 minutes of the match. In the 35th minute, Ever Guzmán was slipped in by strike partner Alex Dixon and with a sliding finish dispatched a right-footed shot into the back of the net. In the second half, after a 50/50 sliding challenge, Parfait Mandanda found himself in a scuffle behind the net. Mandanda was given a red card. Second year goalkeeper Mike Novotny came in to make his USL Championship debut replacing Mandanda. He and the backline stood tall with multiple clearances and goal lines saves in the last fifteen minutes. 

DESTINY CONTROLLED:

With Saturday’s win against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Hartford now controls its own destiny in Group F. Wins in the final two matches for Hartford clinch the top spot in the table and a home playoff match in the first round. If Hartford were to lose either match, it would need a Pittsburgh loss to clinch the top spot. 

WHO IS MIKE NOVOTNY?:

Goalkeeper Parfait Mandanda was issued a Red Card in the 71st minute on Saturday night which brought the debut of backup GK Mike Novotny. Novotny has been part of Hartford Athletic for the past two seasons, but the 17 minutes he played on Saturday night were the first minutes of USL Championship action he’s gotten since joining the club. He will be called on for the full 90 minutes on Wednesday night, his first regular-season start since playing for Stode IF in Sweden during the 2018 season (Novotny started and played 45 minutes in the club’s friendly match with Jamaican side Portmore United last fall). With no goalies under contract for 2021, this could be an audition of sorts for the young Novotny. If you want to learn more about him, check out our 20 Questions series!

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic, Sam Strong, D, #24: 

Hartford’s back line has found its best form of the season at the perfect time. Over the past three matches, Hartford has only conceded one goal and the back trio of Strong, Matheus Silva, and Kevin Politz have done a masterful job shutting down opponents. Strong’s play has been quality, but he also brings an extra element offensively on set pieces. He is a big body and is often a target on corners. Strong scored Hartford’s only goal against Philadelphia last match, his effort on both sides of the ball will be important in this one.

Philadelphia Union II, Paxten Aaronson, MF, #70:

It would be too easy to put Jack McGlynn who has 3 goals in his last 2 matches (see below), so we’ll take it another direction. Aaronson is just 17 years old but has made an immediate impact in the Philadelphia midfield. He has a goal and an assist this season but has also taken 15 shots (3rd on the team) and created 10 chances (5th on the team). He’s a player who has caught the eye of Hartford Head Coach Radhi Jaïdi and is someone with a very bright future in the Philadelphia system.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

Despite only taking one point in the last 3 matches, Philadelphia Union II have some momentum heading into the match. Last Wednesday, a late Jack McGlynn goal leveled the score and saw Union II leave Hartford with a point. Saturday evening, Union II took a tough loss to NYRBII 5-4 despite being down a man for almost 60 minutes. Two of the four goals came from McGlynn (brother of Hartford midfielder Conor) who should be the focal point of the Hartford defense.

FOLLOW ONLINE: 

Can’t watch? Stay in touch with our live commentary @hfdathletic or by following #PHIvHFD

In the third meeting with Pittsburgh Riverhounds this season, Hartford Athletic notched a massive 1-0 victory holding on even though down to 10 men for the final 26 minutes of the match. Hartford now controls its own destiny to finish at the top of Group F and host a first round playoff match at Dillon Stadium.

In the first half, Pittsburgh had the majority of possession, but Hartford looked dangerous on the counter. Guzman and Dixon ran between the lines and their combination play was causing issues in the Pittsburgh backline.

In the 28th minute, Alex Dixon found Tyreke Johnson on his familiar left-hand side. The Englishman crept into the box and stepped in front of the Riverhound defender. Johnson went down and the referee pointed to the spot. Ever Guzman stepped up and his penalty was denied by the Riverhound keeper’s left leg.

Shortly after, Cheno would redeem himself. In the 35th minute, the veteran was slipped in by strike partner Alex Dixon. Guzman ran onto it and with a sliding finish dispatched a right-footed shot into the back of the net. Cheno celebrated by running over to head coach Radhi Jaïdi and the gaffer welcomed his star striker into his arms.

In the second half, Hartford had to deal with adversity. After a couple of injury substitutions early in the half, Athletic was dealt with another obstacle in the 71st minute. After a 50/50 sliding  challenge with the Riverhound striker, Parfait Mandanda found himself in a scuffle behind the net. With both players getting after each other, the referee had to intervene. After the altercation, the official deemed Mandanda guilty of a red card sending off.

Second year goalkeeper Mike Novotny came in to make his USL Championship debut replacing Mandanda and standing on his head for Hartford. He and the backline stood tall with multiple clearances and goal lines saves in the last fifteen minutes. After a couple of late chances, the final whistle sounded and Hartford picked up a massive three points in the push for home-field advantage.

Next up Hartford Athletic travel to Philadelphia on Wednesday for their second to last regular season matchup.

In the third meeting with Pittsburgh Riverhounds this season, Hartford Athletic notched a massive 1-0 victory holding on even though down to 10 men for the final 26 minutes of the match. Hartford now controls its own destiny to finish at the top of Group F and host a first round playoff match at Dillon Stadium.

In the first half, Pittsburgh had the majority of possession, but Hartford looked dangerous on the counter. Guzman and Dixon ran between the lines and their combination play was causing issues in the Pittsburgh backline.

In the 28th minute, Alex Dixon found Tyreke Johnson on his familiar left-hand side. The Englishman crept into the box and stepped in front of the Riverhound defender. Johnson went down and the referee pointed to the spot. Ever Guzman stepped up and his penalty was denied by the Riverhound keeper’s left leg.

Shortly after, Cheno would redeem himself. In the 35th minute, the veteran was slipped in by strike partner Alex Dixon. Guzman ran onto it and with a sliding finish dispatched a right-footed shot into the back of the net. Cheno celebrated by running over to head coach Radhi Jaïdi and the gaffer welcomed his star striker into his arms.

In the second half, Hartford had to deal with adversity. After a couple of injury substitutions early in the half, Athletic was dealt with another obstacle in the 71st minute. After a 50/50 sliding  challenge with the Riverhound striker, Parfait Mandanda found himself in a scuffle behind the net. With both players getting after each other, the referee had to intervene. After the altercation, the official deemed Mandanda guilty of a red card sending off.

Second year goalkeeper Mike Novotny came in to make his USL Championship debut replacing Mandanda and standing on his head for Hartford. He and the backline stood tall with multiple clearances and goal lines saves in the last fifteen minutes. After a couple of late chances, the final whistle sounded and Hartford picked up a massive three points in the push for home-field advantage.

Next up Hartford Athletic travel to Philadelphia on Wednesday for their second to last regular season matchup.

FAST STATS:

Shots (On-Target): Hartford Athletic 3 (2) – 13 (1) Pittsburgh

Corners: Hartford Athletic 3-8 Pittsburgh

Fouls: Hartford Athletic 18-9 Pittsburgh

Offsides: Hartford Athletic 2-2 Pittsburgh

Possession: Hartford Athletic 26%-74% Pittsburgh

Passing Accuracy: Hartford Athletic 49.3%-82% Pittsburgh

Saves: Hartford Athletic 1-1 Pittsburgh

SCORING SUMMARY:

36' – Ever Guzman

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY:

47' – Matheus Silva (yellow)

50' – Kevin Politz (yellow)

64' – Danny Barrera (yellow)

71' – Parfait Mandanda (red)

72' – Steevan Dos Santos (yellow)

89' – Mike Novotny (yellow)

90' + 5 – Justin Haak (yellow)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP:

35 (GK) Parfait Mandanda; 24 (D) Sam Strong, 4 (D) Kevin Politz, 3 (D) Matheus Silva; 25 (MF) Idan Cohen; 10 (MF) Danny Barrera, 80 (MF) Justin Haak, 23 (MF) Aiden Mesias, 88 (MF) Tyreke Johnson; 99 (F) Ever Guzman, 11 (F) Alex Dixon

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS SC STARTING LINEUP:

1 (GK) Daniel Vitiello; 34 (D) Skylar Thomas, 17 (D) Thomas Vancaeyezeele, 21 (D) Patrick Bunk-Andersen; 23 (MF) Ray Lee; 12 (MF) Danny Griffin, 7 (MF) Ryan James, 14 (MF) Robbie Mertz, 5 (MF) Jordan Dover; 10 (F) Steevan Dos Santos, 3 (F) Ropapa Mensah

FAST STATS:

Shots (On-Target): Hartford Athletic 3 (2) – 13 (1) Pittsburgh

Corners: Hartford Athletic 3-8 Pittsburgh

Fouls: Hartford Athletic 18-9 Pittsburgh

Offsides: Hartford Athletic 2-2 Pittsburgh

Possession: Hartford Athletic 26%-74% Pittsburgh

Passing Accuracy: Hartford Athletic 49.3%-82% Pittsburgh

Saves: Hartford Athletic 1-1 Pittsburgh

SCORING SUMMARY:

36′ – Ever Guzman

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY:

47′ – Matheus Silva (yellow)

50′ – Kevin Politz (yellow)

64′ – Danny Barrera (yellow)

71′ – Parfait Mandanda (red)

72′ – Steevan Dos Santos (yellow)

89′ – Mike Novotny (yellow)

90′ + 5 – Justin Haak (yellow)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP:

35 (GK) Parfait Mandanda; 24 (D) Sam Strong, 4 (D) Kevin Politz, 3 (D) Matheus Silva; 25 (MF) Idan Cohen; 10 (MF) Danny Barrera, 80 (MF) Justin Haak, 23 (MF) Aiden Mesias, 88 (MF) Tyreke Johnson; 99 (F) Ever Guzman, 11 (F) Alex Dixon

PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS SC STARTING LINEUP:

1 (GK) Daniel Vitiello; 34 (D) Skylar Thomas, 17 (D) Thomas Vancaeyezeele, 21 (D) Patrick Bunk-Andersen; 23 (MF) Ray Lee; 12 (MF) Danny Griffin, 7 (MF) Ryan James, 14 (MF) Robbie Mertz, 5 (MF) Jordan Dover; 10 (F) Steevan Dos Santos, 3 (F) Ropapa Mensah

Hartford Athletic heads on the road for the first of three consecutive road matches to finish the regular season. The first task is a tough one against Group F leader Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. In order for Hartford to have a chance at winning Group F, they will need to pick up 3 points on Saturday night. You can support the Boys in Green with the rest of the Hartford Athletic faithful at our Drive-In Watch Party at the Shops at Farmington Valley! For tickets and more information, click here.

HARTFORD ATHLETIC (7-3-1) at PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS SC (10-3-1)

Date: Saturday, September 26th

Time: 7:00 PM ET

Location: Highmark Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA

Local TV: WCTX MyTV9

Streaming: https://www.hartfordathletic.com/watch or ESPN+

International Viewers: YouTube

LAST TIME OUT:

In Athletic’s final home game of the season, Hartford and Philadelphia Union II tied 1-1. In the first half, Hartford won a total of six corners in the first half, but it wasn't until the 7th in the 45th minute, where Sam Strong’s powerful header off of a Danny Barrera corner put Athletic in front 1-0. In the 75th minute, Conor McGlynn’s brother, Jack, finished off a slick passing move to tie it up at one a piece. In the 88th minute, a cross found the foot of Conor McGlynn at the backpost and Dillon stadium erupted. To the dismay of the Athletic faithful, the goal was taken off. Sam Strong was called for a foul on the Union ll goalkeeper and the match stayed level. 

TAKE YOUR PICK:

To say there is variety in the Hartford Athletic attack would be an understatement. 14 of the 21 outfield players who have played in a match this season have scored for Head Coach Radhi Jaidi’s side. What’s more remarkable is only three players on the squad have scored multiple goals this season, Alex Dixon (6), Ever Guzman (4), and Gabriel Torres (2). Hartford’s style of play has proven that you don’t even need to be an outfield player to be part of the attack, as Goalkeeper Parfait Mandanda assisted on the first goal of the season, a long delivery to Guzman who took advantage of a misplay by the opposing keeper for a goal.

KEEP IT CLEAN:

Goalkeeper Parfait Mandanda recorded a clean sheet in his first ever match with Hartford Athletic, a 1-0 win over New York Red Bulls II. It took him until last Sunday to get his second. Mandanda made 3 saves in a 3-0 victory over Philadelphia Union II, the second most saves he’s made in a match this season.      

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic, Ever Guzmán, F, #99: 

Cheno, as he is affectionately known by his teammates and social media followers, will be fully rested entering this match and you can be sure Head Coach Radhi Jaïdi's squad will be focused on getting him the ball in the attacking third. Cheno is second on the team in goals scored this season with 4, but hasn't scored since August 2nd, a match where he recorded a brace in a 4-1 victory over Loudoun United FC. Hartford hasn't scored in two matches against Pittsburgh this season. Guzmán will need to get going if Hartford is going to get on the board.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Ryan James, D, #15 :

Most Hartford Athletic fans know Ryan James's name by now. He has recorded braces in both matches against Hartford this season. He also leads the Hounds in Interceptions and Tackles Won. 

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

In the two meetings bewteen the clubs this season, Pittsburgh has twice come away victorious. The Hounds are in top form coming into this match, winners of five straight and haven’t allowed a goal since August 22nd.

FOLLOW ONLINE: 

Can’t watch? Stay in touch with our live commentary @hfdathletic or by following #PITvHFD

Hartford Athletic heads on the road for the first of three consecutive road matches to finish the regular season. The first task is a tough one against Group F leader Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. In order for Hartford to have a chance at winning Group F, they will need to pick up 3 points on Saturday night. You can support the Boys in Green with the rest of the Hartford Athletic faithful at our Drive-In Watch Party at the Shops at Farmington Valley! For tickets and more information, click here.

HARTFORD ATHLETIC (7-3-1) at PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS SC (10-3-1)

Date: Saturday, September 26th

Time: 7:00 PM ET

Location: Highmark Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA

Local TV: WCTX MyTV9

Streaming: https://www.hartfordathletic.com/watch or ESPN+

International Viewers: YouTube

LAST TIME OUT:

In Athletic’s final home game of the season, Hartford and Philadelphia Union II tied 1-1. In the first half, Hartford won a total of six corners in the first half, but it wasn’t until the 7th in the 45th minute, where Sam Strong’s powerful header off of a Danny Barrera corner put Athletic in front 1-0. In the 75th minute, Conor McGlynn’s brother, Jack, finished off a slick passing move to tie it up at one a piece. In the 88th minute, a cross found the foot of Conor McGlynn at the backpost and Dillon stadium erupted. To the dismay of the Athletic faithful, the goal was taken off. Sam Strong was called for a foul on the Union ll goalkeeper and the match stayed level. 

TAKE YOUR PICK:

To say there is variety in the Hartford Athletic attack would be an understatement. 14 of the 21 outfield players who have played in a match this season have scored for Head Coach Radhi Jaidi’s side. What’s more remarkable is only three players on the squad have scored multiple goals this season, Alex Dixon (6), Ever Guzman (4), and Gabriel Torres (2). Hartford’s style of play has proven that you don’t even need to be an outfield player to be part of the attack, as Goalkeeper Parfait Mandanda assisted on the first goal of the season, a long delivery to Guzman who took advantage of a misplay by the opposing keeper for a goal.

KEEP IT CLEAN:

Goalkeeper Parfait Mandanda recorded a clean sheet in his first ever match with Hartford Athletic, a 1-0 win over New York Red Bulls II. It took him until last Sunday to get his second. Mandanda made 3 saves in a 3-0 victory over Philadelphia Union II, the second most saves he’s made in a match this season.      

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic, Ever Guzmán, F, #99: 

Cheno, as he is affectionately known by his teammates and social media followers, will be fully rested entering this match and you can be sure Head Coach Radhi Jaïdi’s squad will be focused on getting him the ball in the attacking third. Cheno is second on the team in goals scored this season with 4, but hasn’t scored since August 2nd, a match where he recorded a brace in a 4-1 victory over Loudoun United FC. Hartford hasn’t scored in two matches against Pittsburgh this season. Guzmán will need to get going if Hartford is going to get on the board.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Ryan James, D, #15 :

Most Hartford Athletic fans know Ryan James’s name by now. He has recorded braces in both matches against Hartford this season. He also leads the Hounds in Interceptions and Tackles Won. 

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

In the two meetings bewteen the clubs this season, Pittsburgh has twice come away victorious. The Hounds are in top form coming into this match, winners of five straight and haven’t allowed a goal since August 22nd.

FOLLOW ONLINE: 

Can’t watch? Stay in touch with our live commentary @hfdathletic or by following #PITvHFD

In Atheltic’s final home game of the season, a disalowed goal and a family equalizer damaged Hartford’s home field advantage hopes with a one all draw with Philidelphia Union ll.  

In the first half, corners were the overriding theme. Hartford won a total of six in the first half, but it wasnt until the 7th in the 45th minute, that it worked in their favor. Sam Strong’s powerful header off of a Danny Barrera corner put Athletic in front 1-0!  

At halftime, Hartford made three changes to personnel for the second half. Aiden Mesias, Idan Cohen and Marcus Naglestad came on to provide something different. Youngster Alfonso Vasquez had a great opportunity to put Athletic two nil up, his one time shot went just over the bar in the 66th minute.  

In the 75th minute the wrong McGlynn found some open space in the box. Conor McGlynn’s brother, Jack, finished off a slick passing move from Philadelphia. His low hard shot went by Parfait Mandanda to tie it up at one a piece. 

In the 88th minute, Hartford thought they had taken all three points. A cross found the foot of Conor McGlynn at the backpost and Dillon stadium erupted. To the dismay of the Athletic faithful, the goal was taken off. Sam Strong wrongfully pushed the Union ll goalkeeper over and the game stayed at one all. There were some late flurries of attack but Hartford couldnt find the winning goal.  

Home field advantage picture: 

Group F leaders Pittsburgh play two more games, one against Hartford and one against Philadelphia Union ll. The Riverhounds need to lose those two games for Athletic to have a mathematical chance. The Boys in Green also need to win their final three games, the first coming Saturday against Pittsburgh. 

FAST STATS:

Shots (On-Target): Hartford Athletic 9 (3) – 8 (4) Philadelphia

Corners: Hartford Athletic 7-7 Philadelphia

Fouls: Hartford Athletic 13-10 Philadelphia

Offsides: Hartford Athletic 5-0 Philadelphia

Possession: Hartford Athletic 57.2%-42.8% Philadelphia

Passing Accuracy: Hartford Athletic 81.5%-71.1% Philadelphia

Saves: Hartford Athletic 3-2 Philadelphia

SCORING SUMMARY:

45+2' – Sam Strong (Danny Barrera) 1-0

76' – Conor McGlynn (Anthony Sorenson) 1-1

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY:

56' – Idan Cohen (Yellow)

68' – Mads Jørgensen (Yellow)

88' – Sam Strong (Yellow)

90' – Paxten Aaronson (Yellow)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP:

35 (GK) Parfait Mandanda; 24 (D) Sam Strong, 4 (D) Kevin Politz, 2 (D) Alex Lara; 6 (MF) Arthur Rogers; 10 (MF) Danny Barrera (Aiden Mesias 45'), 80 (MF) Justin Haak (Idan Cohen 45'), 8 (MF) Mads Jørgensen (Conor McGlynn 77'), 16 (MF) Gabriel Torres (Tyreke Johnson 63'); 17 (F) Alfonso Vazquez, 11 (F) Alex Dixon (Markus Naglestad 45')

PHILADELPHIA UNION II STARTING LINEUP:

1 (GK) Matt Freese; 60 (D) Nathan Harriel, 61 (D) Dante Huckaby, 50 (D) Brandan Craig, 62 (D) Anthony Sorenson; 43 (MF) Steve Kingue (Patrick Bohui 67'), 39 (MF) David Rabadan (Danny Flores 67'), 59 (MF) Axel Picazo (Selmir Miscic 64'), 65 (MF) Jack McGlynn, 70 (MF) Paxten Aaronson; 68 (F) Caden Stafford (Issa Rayyan 73')

In Atheltic’s final home game of the season, a disalowed goal and a family equalizer damaged Hartford’s home field advantage hopes with a one all draw with Philidelphia Union ll.  

In the first half, corners were the overriding theme. Hartford won a total of six in the first half, but it wasnt until the 7th in the 45th minute, that it worked in their favor. Sam Strong’s powerful header off of a Danny Barrera corner put Athletic in front 1-0!  

At halftime, Hartford made three changes to personnel for the second half. Aiden Mesias, Idan Cohen and Marcus Naglestad came on to provide something different. Youngster Alfonso Vasquez had a great opportunity to put Athletic two nil up, his one time shot went just over the bar in the 66th minute.  

In the 75th minute the wrong McGlynn found some open space in the box. Conor McGlynn’s brother, Jack, finished off a slick passing move from Philadelphia. His low hard shot went by Parfait Mandanda to tie it up at one a piece. 

In the 88th minute, Hartford thought they had taken all three points. A cross found the foot of Conor McGlynn at the backpost and Dillon stadium erupted. To the dismay of the Athletic faithful, the goal was taken off. Sam Strong wrongfully pushed the Union ll goalkeeper over and the game stayed at one all. There were some late flurries of attack but Hartford couldnt find the winning goal.  

Home field advantage picture: 

Group F leaders Pittsburgh play two more games, one against Hartford and one against Philadelphia Union ll. The Riverhounds need to lose those two games for Athletic to have a mathematical chance. The Boys in Green also need to win their final three games, the first coming Saturday against Pittsburgh. 

FAST STATS:

Shots (On-Target): Hartford Athletic 9 (3) – 8 (4) Philadelphia

Corners: Hartford Athletic 7-7 Philadelphia

Fouls: Hartford Athletic 13-10 Philadelphia

Offsides: Hartford Athletic 5-0 Philadelphia

Possession: Hartford Athletic 57.2%-42.8% Philadelphia

Passing Accuracy: Hartford Athletic 81.5%-71.1% Philadelphia

Saves: Hartford Athletic 3-2 Philadelphia

SCORING SUMMARY:

45+2′ – Sam Strong (Danny Barrera) 1-0

76′ – Conor McGlynn (Anthony Sorenson) 1-1

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY:

56′ – Idan Cohen (Yellow)

68′ – Mads Jørgensen (Yellow)

88′ – Sam Strong (Yellow)

90′ – Paxten Aaronson (Yellow)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP:

35 (GK) Parfait Mandanda; 24 (D) Sam Strong, 4 (D) Kevin Politz, 2 (D) Alex Lara; 6 (MF) Arthur Rogers; 10 (MF) Danny Barrera (Aiden Mesias 45′), 80 (MF) Justin Haak (Idan Cohen 45′), 8 (MF) Mads Jørgensen (Conor McGlynn 77′), 16 (MF) Gabriel Torres (Tyreke Johnson 63′); 17 (F) Alfonso Vazquez, 11 (F) Alex Dixon (Markus Naglestad 45′)

PHILADELPHIA UNION II STARTING LINEUP:

1 (GK) Matt Freese; 60 (D) Nathan Harriel, 61 (D) Dante Huckaby, 50 (D) Brandan Craig, 62 (D) Anthony Sorenson; 43 (MF) Steve Kingue (Patrick Bohui 67′), 39 (MF) David Rabadan (Danny Flores 67′), 59 (MF) Axel Picazo (Selmir Miscic 64′), 65 (MF) Jack McGlynn, 70 (MF) Paxten Aaronson; 68 (F) Caden Stafford (Issa Rayyan 73′)

Hartford Athletic Forward Alex Dixon has been named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 13. Dixon scored 3 goals over the course of two matches, both wins against New York Red Bulls II and Philadelphia Union II. He leads the team in goals this season with 6. 

Dixon earned USL Championship Team of the Week honors last year, after a two-goal performance in a 5-1 win over Loudoun United. He is the fourth player to earn Team of the Week honors, joining Danny Barrera and Gabriel Torres, who have each won twice, and Parfait Mandanda.

USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 13 

GK – Abraham Romero, LA Galaxy II: Romero recorded eight saves, made two punched clearances and one high claim to help keep Los Dos in the game as it rallied for a 3-2 victory against Las Vegas Lights FC last Tuesday night. 

D – Forrest Lasso, Tampa Bay Rowdies: Lasso scored once, recorded three interceptions and five clearances, and won 5 of 8 duels and 4 of 4 aerial duels in Tampa Bay’s 2-1 victory against Atlanta United 2. 

D – Alex Crognale, Birmingham Legion FC: Crognale scored twice and helped Legion FC hold Miami FC to only two shots on target as he recorded six clearances defensively in Birmingham’s 4-0 road victory last Wednesday night. 

D – Sam Fink, Saint Louis FC: Fink scored a crucial game-winning goal in stoppage time to add to an earlier assist as Saint Louis kept its postseason hopes alive with a 3-2 victory against Sporting Kansas City II on Saturday night. 

D – Aaron Maund, Charlotte Independence: Maund scored the lone goal of the game, won 6 of 8 duels and 5 of 7 aerial duels, made 11 clearances and completed 35 of 43 passes as the Independence defeated North Carolina FC. 

M – Brian Ownby, Louisville City FC: Ownby recorded one goal and two assists across two wins, completing 41 of 49 passes and 3 of 5 dribbles and recording six chances created as LouCity defeated Indy Eleven and Memphis 901 FC. 

M – Jorge Gonzalez, Portland Timbers 2: Gonzalez recorded two goals and one assist across two games, completing 50 of 60 passes overall and recording five chances created as T2 defeat Real Monarchs SLC before falling to Reno 1868 FC.  

M – Christiano Francois, Reno 1868 FC: Francois scored twice in Reno’s 5-2 victory against the Portland Timbers 2 on Sunday, and across two wins for 1868 FC against Tacoma Defiance and the Portland Timbers 2 over the week completed 34 of 41 passes and recorded five chances created.  

F – Cameron Lancaster, Louisville City FC: Lancaster recorded three goals and one assist across two victories against Indy Eleven and Memphis 901 FC, and in the process reached 50 regular season goals in the Championship for his career.  

F – Rubio Rubin, San Diego Loyal SC: Rubin scored a first-half hat trick for SD Loyal as it took a 3-2 victory against Phoenix Rising FC for its third win in a row, keeping the club’s hopes of a playoff berth in its inaugural season alive. 

F – Alex Dixon, Hartford Athletic: Dixon scored three goals across two victories against the New York Red Bulls II and Philadelphia Union II that saw the Athletic clinch a trip to the playoffs in its second season. 

Bench: Matt Cardone (SA), Younes Boudadi (RNO), Marcus Epps (POR), Augustine Williams (LA), Neco Brett (BHM), Jordan Perruzza (SA), Junior Flemmings (PHX) 

Hartford Athletic Forward Alex Dixon has been named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 13. Dixon scored 3 goals over the course of two matches, both wins against New York Red Bulls II and Philadelphia Union II. He leads the team in goals this season with 6. 

Dixon earned USL Championship Team of the Week honors last year, after a two-goal performance in a 5-1 win over Loudoun United. He is the fourth player to earn Team of the Week honors, joining Danny Barrera and Gabriel Torres, who have each won twice, and Parfait Mandanda.

USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 13 

GK – Abraham Romero, LA Galaxy II: Romero recorded eight saves, made two punched clearances and one high claim to help keep Los Dos in the game as it rallied for a 3-2 victory against Las Vegas Lights FC last Tuesday night. 

D – Forrest Lasso, Tampa Bay Rowdies: Lasso scored once, recorded three interceptions and five clearances, and won 5 of 8 duels and 4 of 4 aerial duels in Tampa Bay’s 2-1 victory against Atlanta United 2. 

D – Alex Crognale, Birmingham Legion FC: Crognale scored twice and helped Legion FC hold Miami FC to only two shots on target as he recorded six clearances defensively in Birmingham’s 4-0 road victory last Wednesday night. 

D – Sam Fink, Saint Louis FC: Fink scored a crucial game-winning goal in stoppage time to add to an earlier assist as Saint Louis kept its postseason hopes alive with a 3-2 victory against Sporting Kansas City II on Saturday night. 

D – Aaron Maund, Charlotte Independence: Maund scored the lone goal of the game, won 6 of 8 duels and 5 of 7 aerial duels, made 11 clearances and completed 35 of 43 passes as the Independence defeated North Carolina FC. 

M – Brian Ownby, Louisville City FC: Ownby recorded one goal and two assists across two wins, completing 41 of 49 passes and 3 of 5 dribbles and recording six chances created as LouCity defeated Indy Eleven and Memphis 901 FC. 

M – Jorge Gonzalez, Portland Timbers 2: Gonzalez recorded two goals and one assist across two games, completing 50 of 60 passes overall and recording five chances created as T2 defeat Real Monarchs SLC before falling to Reno 1868 FC.  

M – Christiano Francois, Reno 1868 FC: Francois scored twice in Reno’s 5-2 victory against the Portland Timbers 2 on Sunday, and across two wins for 1868 FC against Tacoma Defiance and the Portland Timbers 2 over the week completed 34 of 41 passes and recorded five chances created.  

F – Cameron Lancaster, Louisville City FC: Lancaster recorded three goals and one assist across two victories against Indy Eleven and Memphis 901 FC, and in the process reached 50 regular season goals in the Championship for his career.  

F – Rubio Rubin, San Diego Loyal SC: Rubin scored a first-half hat trick for SD Loyal as it took a 3-2 victory against Phoenix Rising FC for its third win in a row, keeping the club’s hopes of a playoff berth in its inaugural season alive. 

F – Alex Dixon, Hartford Athletic: Dixon scored three goals across two victories against the New York Red Bulls II and Philadelphia Union II that saw the Athletic clinch a trip to the playoffs in its second season. 

Bench: Matt Cardone (SA), Younes Boudadi (RNO), Marcus Epps (POR), Augustine Williams (LA), Neco Brett (BHM), Jordan Perruzza (SA), Junior Flemmings (PHX)