News Archive

Athletic Sign Forward Markus Naglestad

HARTFORD, Conn. (August 14, 2020) – Hartford Athletic have signed Forward Markus Naglestad (Kristiansand, Norway), the club announced Friday pending league and federation approval. The 29-year-old comes to Hartford from Egersunds IK in the third tier of Norwegian Soccer where he scored 25 goals in the 2019 season, most in the league.

Naglestad has local area ties. After starting his career with Idrettsklubben Våg of the 4th division, Naglestad came to America at age 19 to play soccer and enrolled at the University of Bridgeport. There he was named East Coast Conference Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year along with Rookie of the Year in his first season. He then transferred to Providence College where he played two seasons before being drafted by NYCFC in January of 2015, but didn't sign with the team due to a knee injury.

Naglestad eventually returned to Norway where he played five seasons bouncing between the Eliteserien and 2. divisjon, the first and third tiers of soccer in Norway respectively. He has scored 98 goals over the course of those 5 years. He will wear number 20.

The Boys in Green will be back at Dillon Stadium on Saturday night against New York Red Bulls II at 7:00 PM. A select amount of tickets are still available, click here to get yours!

Naglestad has local area ties. After starting his career with Idrettsklubben Våg of the 4th division, Naglestad came to America at age 19 to play soccer and enrolled at the University of Bridgeport. There he was named East Coast Conference Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Year along with Rookie of the Year in his first season. He then transferred to Providence College where he played two seasons before being drafted by NYCFC in January of 2015, but didn’t sign with the team due to a knee injury.

The Boys in Green will be back at Dillon Stadium on Saturday night against New York Red Bulls II at 7:00 PM. A select amount of tickets are still available, click here to get yours!

MAILBAG: International Love

Welcome back to the mailbag! We take your questions for the Coaching staff, players, or Front Office and do our best to answer them here. If you have a question for someone that you want answered visit https://www.hartfordathletic.com/mailbag to make a submission. It's been a while since we've done one of these and you guys sent in a number of great questions. Let's get to 'em:

George P. asks, "For Parfait Mandanda, as a full international, did you prefer playing for Club or Country?"

Parfait Mandanda: I prefer international because not all players can play at that level. Playing for country is also different because on the national team you have no second week to catch up with you in case of defeat so the stakes are even higher.

Aiden S. asks, "What advice would you give someone who is in high school and aspiring to play in college?

Alfonso Vazquez: Never stop, always keep going, always believe in yourself, always believe in the support, and always believe that you can do anything. The sky's the limit.

Conor McGlynn: Take any opportunity that you can. I ended up just going to an open tryout and now I'm playing for a professional team in Hartford. Whatever opportunity that you have, you have to take it because you never know where that door is gonna lead or if it opens other doors.

Nicky Downs: If you really want something you have to be willing to chase it and sacrifice things for it. I think oftentimes that means going the extra mile or doing the extra work that you know your teammates might not be doing in the offseason, to get you a step ahead.

Rocco C. asks, "I'm a new fan and I don't understand how the groups work. How does the team make the playoffs?"

Hey Rocco, the groups were broken up regionally. The teams that finish in the top 2 positions in each group advance to a single-elimination playoff. You can learn all about the USL's Return To Play protocols as well as more playoff information here.

Cristobal R. asks, "For Alfonso Vazquez, if you had the choice between a US National call up or a Mexican National call up, which would you pick? #elTRI"

AV: I think I would go for the Mexican National call up. That's what's in my blood.

Rachel D. asks, "For Aiden Mesias, what is your favorite song to play on the piano?"

AM: I'd have to say Perfect by Ed Sheeran. He's one of my favorites artists and I really love playing that song.

Victor F. asks, "Which color of gatorade will be used to pour on coach's head when y'all win the league later this year?"

You know the chant Victor, "Hartford is green and blue!"

The Boys in Green are back at home this Saturday at 7 PM against New York Red Bulls II on WCTX MyTV9 or stream on https://www.hartfordathletic.com/watch. Just a few tickets remain, click here to get yours!

Welcome back to the mailbag! We take your questions for the Coaching staff, players, or Front Office and do our best to answer them here. If you have a question for someone that you want answered visit https://www.hartfordathletic.com/mailbag to make a submission. It’s been a while since we’ve done one of these and you guys sent in a number of great questions. Let’s get to ’em:

George P. asks, “For Parfait Mandanda, as a full international, did you prefer playing for Club or Country?”

Aiden S. asks, “What advice would you give someone who is in high school and aspiring to play in college?

Alfonso Vazquez: Never stop, always keep going, always believe in yourself, always believe in the support, and always believe that you can do anything. The sky’s the limit.

Conor McGlynn: Take any opportunity that you can. I ended up just going to an open tryout and now I’m playing for a professional team in Hartford. Whatever opportunity that you have, you have to take it because you never know where that door is gonna lead or if it opens other doors.

Rocco C. asks, “I’m a new fan and I don’t understand how the groups work. How does the team make the playoffs?”

Hey Rocco, the groups were broken up regionally. The teams that finish in the top 2 positions in each group advance to a single-elimination playoff. You can learn all about the USL’s Return To Play protocols as well as more playoff information here.

Cristobal R. asks, “For Alfonso Vazquez, if you had the choice between a US National call up or a Mexican National call up, which would you pick? #elTRI”

AV: I think I would go for the Mexican National call up. That’s what’s in my blood.

Rachel D. asks, “For Aiden Mesias, what is your favorite song to play on the piano?”

AM: I’d have to say Perfect by Ed Sheeran. He’s one of my favorites artists and I really love playing that song.

Victor F. asks, “Which color of gatorade will be used to pour on coach’s head when y’all win the league later this year?”

You know the chant Victor, “Hartford is green and blue!”

20 Questions with Alex Lara

Welcome back to 20 Questions, the series where we help you get to know the players on this year's squad. In previous interviews in this series, we went behind the scenes with Alfonso Vazquez, Parfait Mandanda, Tyreke Johnson, Matheus Silva, Nicky Downs, Conor McGlynn, Arthur Rogers, Danny Barrera, Mads Jørgensen, Alex Davey, Noah Paravicini, Aiden Mesias, Mac Steeves, Kevin Politz, Gabriel Torres, Cheno, Harry Swartz and Alex Dixon. This week, we caught up with first-year defender Alex Lara who made his first career start against Loudoun United two weeks ago. Enjoy!

1) How did you get into playing soccer?

AL: I guess you can say soccer has always been a part of my life. My two older brothers played soccer for a really long time and my dad also played soccer, so did my grandpa. Growing up, soccer was always a part of my life and I knew it was what I wanted to do. I was so passionate about it and from a really young age, I was already in the soccer world and knew I wanted to be a professional and make a career out of it. Just seeing my older brothers and my dad, watching games with them, going to their games, and watching them play, that's how I got into it.

2) At what point did you realize that you had the talent to become a professional?

AL: I don't know if there's a specific point. I always just wanted that to happen. I told myself it was gonna happen, regardless of whatever obstacles I face, as long as I put my head down and work I’m gonna make it happen. That was my mentality from when I was really young. Like I said, I don't know why, I just gravitated towards that idea of becoming a professional soccer player, and I stuck with that. Even when things became difficult I was always making sure I believed in myself and trying to work on things I needed to do.

3) What were some of those obstacles or difficulties that you faced along the way?

AL: Oh man, I mean, there's a lot that every player goes through, you know? Challenges and obstacles that they have to deal with, people deal with them differently. The most common one I'd say for players is maybe you're not performing as well as you want to or you're not getting the playing time that you want to be getting and I think that's something that every player has struggled with and I have too throughout my career. There were certain points where it became very difficult for me because I always had that drive to not only play, but play well and perform at a high level. When you're not able to do that or you're not given the opportunity to show what you can do, I think it can be a big blow to certain people, especially if it's something you really care about. You can oftentimes lose yourself in the process because you only know one thing, which is to play. So when you're not playing it's like, “What’s going on? Is there something that I have to work on?” It can be a difficult and frustrating process but like everything else, if you put the time in, stay patient and work, the majority of times you can end up on top. I've had to deal with it throughout my life and honestly it's something that I'll probably deal with even later on in the future.

4) You’ve recently broken into the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the first couple matches. Is that something that you’ve dealt with here?

AL: It is in a way because that competitive side of you comes out and you're like, “I want to play, I want to be starting and getting the minutes and doing well.” But honestly coming into Hartford, knowing I'm a rookie and I'm relatively young, I had already prepared myself mentally to know, “Okay, you might not necessarily be starting, or this season might not go the way you want it to as far as getting playing time, but that's okay because there's obviously going to be an adjustment period. And in that adjustment period, you're gonna get better, you're gonna get more experience, and eventually you're gonna get the opportunities you're looking for.” So that's kind of what I would tell myself to prepare for this coming season. I've dealt with situations like that before in my past, specifically in college seasons I had to deal with challenges like that, so having that experience and then learning from that, and bringing what I learned to the professional level was a big help because it wasn't completely new to me.

5) What's been the most difficult adjustment going from college to the pros?

AL: It's just a different level. As you go up, especially professionally, it gets more difficult. The style of play is oftentimes quicker, especially the style of play that our coach wants us to be playing so I think just mainly decision making, being sharp and being able to identify what the correct pass is, or the right thing to do at that moment is definitely something that when you get to a new level you have to adjust to quickly because, as you go up the ranks in your career, that time that you have to make those decisions gets smaller and smaller.

6) What is the best sporting event you've ever attended in person?

AL: To be completely honest, I don't attend that many sporting events live. Most of my good experiences with sporting events involve me playing. Since I was playing, they're more memorable to me.

7) What is the best sporting moment you've personally experienced?

AL: There's a few that I can think of, one of them being when I won the state championship with my junior college team my freshman year. That was a big one for me because winning a championship is always memorable and especially with that team because we were a really close team and we were all really good friends with each other so I really enjoyed that. Other moments in college, big wins that we fought for as a team, like when we beat UCLA at UCLA that was a big win for us, wins against, University of Washington at our home, that was another big win, against UCI in the Big West playoffs, so there's a few that that definitely left an impression on me. Hopefully here at Hartford we can make a few more, that's the goal.

8) How did you end up with Hartford Athletic?

AL: That's a funny story because I had no idea about Hartford Athletic to be honest with you. Coming out of college, the topic of what's going to happen and your plans after college really starts to dawn on you, especially when you're heading towards the end of the season. So I was kind of at a crossroads, I knew I wanted to go and keep playing, but how am I going to get there? A lot of people were like, “Hey man, you should start looking into getting an agent so they can set you up with teams,” but I was always skeptical about the whole idea of that. So in the summer, I played for a USL League Two team called Ventura Fusion. I had a good season there, we made it to the Western Conference Finals, and they had mentioned to us they usually hold a professional combine in the winter. So I’m in the middle of planning how to pursue my career and I had completely forgotten about it. A friend of mine who also played for Ventura reminded me about the combine. I was actually contemplating whether I should go or not, because you had to pay to go. So I'm going back and forth on whether I should go and finally I decide to just look at it as an investment in myself and I went and I did well and luckily, Paul Buckle happened to be there. From that combine me, Dre (Deas) and Noah (Paravicini) were there at the same time and all three of us got picked up from that one combine. I was so close to not even going! It was a pretty crazy thing to happen especially because it was such a quick turnaround after my senior season and I really had no direction as far as what to do next.

9) Was it helpful for you to come out here and start your career with two guys who you knew and had already played with?

AL: Oh definitely. That was a big thing for me, Dre, and Noah coming over here and already having a familiar face. It was definitely a big help, especially in the beginning because at first you don't really know what to expect. Since you're a rookie it's hard to make headway on the team at the beginning, but all three of us are really close. We both played with Noah in the summer a little bit with the Fusion and Dre and I played for a few years at CSUN (Cal State Northridge) in college so having a familiar face, a support system around me has been huge and I'm sure they'd say the same thing.

10) What has the change been like coming out here from California?

AL: It's a lot different. I like it because I'm doing what I want to do, but I'm pretty much born and raised in California, so that's what I was used to. Coming out here, especially when I first got out here, it was a lot colder than I was used to. Everyone was saying it's not even that bad, this was a really good winter for us and I was saying, “I don't know man, seems pretty cold to me!” I got you know pretty comfortable with the whole cold weather thing but now it's like raining in the summer and thunderstorms and things that would never happen where I'm from. But it's definitely been cool, I like being able to see new places, travel, and get the experiences I wouldn't have otherwise.

11) Besides your family, what do you miss most about home?

AL: Going to the beach. I haven't gone to the beach since I got out here and I know there's a few that are maybe an hour away, but I would go to the beach a lot back home. That's something I've been missing, especially because it wasn't even that far for me. It was just a 30 minute drive to the beach, and I’d just relax with my friends and my brothers, play soccer in the sand and just have a good day. That’s a small thing, but definitely something I miss.

12) What is your match day routine?

AL: It's pretty simple, I wake up, have a good breakfast, make sure the night before I got good sleep and hydrate a lot. I'm focusing all day but when I get to the stadium, that's when I really start to delve in. I'm kind of strange because most people listen to music walking up or right before the game to pump themselves up, and I kinda got into the habit of not listening to music and instead, getting into that zone where you're not too excited, you're not too casual, but you're right in between. That stemmed from college because at one point, for whatever reason, I didn't have headphones. We would go on trips, and everyone was doing their own thing, listening to music and I wouldn't because I didn't have any headphones. So I would just be in my own mind and think about the game and just really try to visualize every scenario that could happen. That's one of the biggest things I do on game day or even the day before game day is literally try to picture everything that could happen in the game and try to like make some sort of imagery in my head from first person and also third person perspective. I think that helps me a lot.

13) Messi or Ronaldo?

AL: Have to go with Messi. There's a lot of different reasons why, but, I just think he's one of the best players to ever play. His stats, you can look them up and see where he compares with everyone else, but when you watch him play he makes things look so easy that really are not easy at all. The amount of goals he scores and the amount of goals he gives assists to is ridiculous. The numbers are insane. Credit to Cristiano Ronaldo, he’s also ridiculous and I know he's also one of the best ever, but if I were to compare the two, I would think Ronaldo is a product of extreme work ethic, grinding every day and having a drive to be the best. Messi, on the other hand, so much talent oozes out of that guy. They’re two different types of players, but they're both really effective and efficient. I would have to give it to Messi just because he's a magician.

14) If you could talk to animals what would be the first thing you'd ask them?

AL: The first thing I'd ask them. Maybe what it's like to live their life and if they're content with the life that they live. I would want to talk to a dog and ask, “Dude, are you just chillin’ all day and you love that? It seems like you live a pretty good life man!”

15) You play the same position that coach played during his career. Has that helped your development at all?

AL: Oh yeah, of course. I definitely am fortunate to have such a good coach my first year, but also a coach that played the same position as me. He’s played at the highest level, he knows what it takes and he knows the things that I need to work on to get there. So having that my first year is a huge advantage, because I'm gonna be able to absorb whatever he teaches me and use that going forward.

16) If Alex Lara weren't a pro soccer player he would be what?

AL: I don't know I've asked myself this question, to be honest. I can't even come up with the answer because my whole life has revolved around soccer. It's literally all I wanted to do my whole life. It's cheesy but I remember in elementary school, they would make you write what you want to do when you're older and I had no intention of being anything besides a soccer player. That was my dilemma in college because I had to pick a major and I'd say, “To be honest, up until this point all I thought about is playing soccer so it's hard for me to figure out what I want to do in school.” Hopefully I would still be in sports because I like that kind of stuff.

17) What did you major in?

AL: Kinesiology. It still revolved around soccer. I said to myself, What do I want to do? I have to make a decision to make sure I had all the classes I needed, and I was looking at the different majors and I've never been the type of person to sit in an office all day so a lot of them didn’t interest me. So the counselors and advisors directed me to Kinesiology and I thought it sounded kind of cool because when I'm done playing, I could still stay around soccer or even athletics in general and help other athletes achieve their goals.

18) What do you do on an off day?

AL: We don't do much, man. We basically try and get ready for the next day. It sounds kind of boring but that's pretty much what our life entails if you're trying to be a high level athlete. We'll watch TV, Netflix, maybe some Playstation, but it's mainly just hydration, recovery, ice, whatever. I like to work out or even get a small workout in after practice. It doesn't sound like much but that's what I like doing.

19) Who was your favorite athlete growing up?

AL: I have a few different ones but one of the athletes I thought was really cool to watch was Puyol. I really enjoyed watching him because he was just a pure defender, a solid defender, but the way he led his team and the way he showed how much of a leader he was left an impression on me more than anything else. There's this really famous video of him from a game against Madrid, someone from the crowd threw a lighter and hit Pique and Pique picks up the lighter and he’s complaining to the referee about it. Puyol glances at him and he takes the lighter from his hand and he throws it off the field and pushes him like bro, forget about that, get ready the corners about to be taken. I just love things like that you can tell he was a true leader and I always enjoyed watching that.

20) What are your goals for your career?

AL: My current goal right now is making it to the playoffs and then going and winning the whole thing. That's my goal as of right now but as far as my career, I don't have too much direction as far as, I want to make it to this team, by this year, if you know what I mean. I just know that I want to keep improving every year, so every year has to be better than the last one. Whether that be me doing better in the USL next year or making it to the MLS and then going on to play in Europe. I have a lot of belief that I can do it and that if I work hard enough and be patient, I can get to a really high level as long as I stick with it. Improving myself as much as possible is one of the biggest things I look into.

Welcome back to 20 Questions, the series where we help you get to know the players on this year’s squad. In previous interviews in this series, we went behind the scenes with Alfonso Vazquez, Parfait Mandanda, Tyreke Johnson, Matheus Silva, Nicky Downs, Conor McGlynn, Arthur Rogers, Danny Barrera, Mads Jørgensen, Alex Davey, Noah Paravicini, Aiden Mesias, Mac Steeves, Kevin Politz, Gabriel Torres, Cheno, Harry Swartz and Alex Dixon. This week, we caught up with first-year defender Alex Lara who made his first career start against Loudoun United two weeks ago. Enjoy!

1) How did you get into playing soccer?

2) At what point did you realize that you had the talent to become a professional?

AL: I don’t know if there’s a specific point. I always just wanted that to happen. I told myself it was gonna happen, regardless of whatever obstacles I face, as long as I put my head down and work I’m gonna make it happen. That was my mentality from when I was really young. Like I said, I don’t know why, I just gravitated towards that idea of becoming a professional soccer player, and I stuck with that. Even when things became difficult I was always making sure I believed in myself and trying to work on things I needed to do.

3) What were some of those obstacles or difficulties that you faced along the way?

AL: Oh man, I mean, there’s a lot that every player goes through, you know? Challenges and obstacles that they have to deal with, people deal with them differently. The most common one I’d say for players is maybe you’re not performing as well as you want to or you’re not getting the playing time that you want to be getting and I think that’s something that every player has struggled with and I have too throughout my career. There were certain points where it became very difficult for me because I always had that drive to not only play, but play well and perform at a high level. When you’re not able to do that or you’re not given the opportunity to show what you can do, I think it can be a big blow to certain people, especially if it’s something you really care about. You can oftentimes lose yourself in the process because you only know one thing, which is to play. So when you’re not playing it’s like, “What’s going on? Is there something that I have to work on?” It can be a difficult and frustrating process but like everything else, if you put the time in, stay patient and work, the majority of times you can end up on top. I’ve had to deal with it throughout my life and honestly it’s something that I’ll probably deal with even later on in the future.

4) You’ve recently broken into the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the first couple matches. Is that something that you’ve dealt with here?

AL: It is in a way because that competitive side of you comes out and you’re like, “I want to play, I want to be starting and getting the minutes and doing well.” But honestly coming into Hartford, knowing I’m a rookie and I’m relatively young, I had already prepared myself mentally to know, “Okay, you might not necessarily be starting, or this season might not go the way you want it to as far as getting playing time, but that’s okay because there’s obviously going to be an adjustment period. And in that adjustment period, you’re gonna get better, you’re gonna get more experience, and eventually you’re gonna get the opportunities you’re looking for.” So that’s kind of what I would tell myself to prepare for this coming season. I’ve dealt with situations like that before in my past, specifically in college seasons I had to deal with challenges like that, so having that experience and then learning from that, and bringing what I learned to the professional level was a big help because it wasn’t completely new to me.

5) What’s been the most difficult adjustment going from college to the pros?

AL: It’s just a different level. As you go up, especially professionally, it gets more difficult. The style of play is oftentimes quicker, especially the style of play that our coach wants us to be playing so I think just mainly decision making, being sharp and being able to identify what the correct pass is, or the right thing to do at that moment is definitely something that when you get to a new level you have to adjust to quickly because, as you go up the ranks in your career, that time that you have to make those decisions gets smaller and smaller.

6) What is the best sporting event you’ve ever attended in person?

AL: To be completely honest, I don’t attend that many sporting events live. Most of my good experiences with sporting events involve me playing. Since I was playing, they’re more memorable to me.

7) What is the best sporting moment you’ve personally experienced?

AL: There’s a few that I can think of, one of them being when I won the state championship with my junior college team my freshman year. That was a big one for me because winning a championship is always memorable and especially with that team because we were a really close team and we were all really good friends with each other so I really enjoyed that. Other moments in college, big wins that we fought for as a team, like when we beat UCLA at UCLA that was a big win for us, wins against, University of Washington at our home, that was another big win, against UCI in the Big West playoffs, so there’s a few that that definitely left an impression on me. Hopefully here at Hartford we can make a few more, that’s the goal.

8) How did you end up with Hartford Athletic?

AL: That’s a funny story because I had no idea about Hartford Athletic to be honest with you. Coming out of college, the topic of what’s going to happen and your plans after college really starts to dawn on you, especially when you’re heading towards the end of the season. So I was kind of at a crossroads, I knew I wanted to go and keep playing, but how am I going to get there? A lot of people were like, “Hey man, you should start looking into getting an agent so they can set you up with teams,” but I was always skeptical about the whole idea of that. So in the summer, I played for a USL League Two team called Ventura Fusion. I had a good season there, we made it to the Western Conference Finals, and they had mentioned to us they usually hold a professional combine in the winter. So I’m in the middle of planning how to pursue my career and I had completely forgotten about it. A friend of mine who also played for Ventura reminded me about the combine. I was actually contemplating whether I should go or not, because you had to pay to go. So I’m going back and forth on whether I should go and finally I decide to just look at it as an investment in myself and I went and I did well and luckily, Paul Buckle happened to be there. From that combine me, Dre (Deas) and Noah (Paravicini) were there at the same time and all three of us got picked up from that one combine. I was so close to not even going! It was a pretty crazy thing to happen especially because it was such a quick turnaround after my senior season and I really had no direction as far as what to do next.

9) Was it helpful for you to come out here and start your career with two guys who you knew and had already played with?

AL: Oh definitely. That was a big thing for me, Dre, and Noah coming over here and already having a familiar face. It was definitely a big help, especially in the beginning because at first you don’t really know what to expect. Since you’re a rookie it’s hard to make headway on the team at the beginning, but all three of us are really close. We both played with Noah in the summer a little bit with the Fusion and Dre and I played for a few years at CSUN (Cal State Northridge) in college so having a familiar face, a support system around me has been huge and I’m sure they’d say the same thing.

10) What has the change been like coming out here from California?

AL: It’s a lot different. I like it because I’m doing what I want to do, but I’m pretty much born and raised in California, so that’s what I was used to. Coming out here, especially when I first got out here, it was a lot colder than I was used to. Everyone was saying it’s not even that bad, this was a really good winter for us and I was saying, “I don’t know man, seems pretty cold to me!” I got you know pretty comfortable with the whole cold weather thing but now it’s like raining in the summer and thunderstorms and things that would never happen where I’m from. But it’s definitely been cool, I like being able to see new places, travel, and get the experiences I wouldn’t have otherwise.

11) Besides your family, what do you miss most about home?

AL: Going to the beach. I haven’t gone to the beach since I got out here and I know there’s a few that are maybe an hour away, but I would go to the beach a lot back home. That’s something I’ve been missing, especially because it wasn’t even that far for me. It was just a 30 minute drive to the beach, and I’d just relax with my friends and my brothers, play soccer in the sand and just have a good day. That’s a small thing, but definitely something I miss.

12) What is your match day routine?

AL: It’s pretty simple, I wake up, have a good breakfast, make sure the night before I got good sleep and hydrate a lot. I’m focusing all day but when I get to the stadium, that’s when I really start to delve in. I’m kind of strange because most people listen to music walking up or right before the game to pump themselves up, and I kinda got into the habit of not listening to music and instead, getting into that zone where you’re not too excited, you’re not too casual, but you’re right in between. That stemmed from college because at one point, for whatever reason, I didn’t have headphones. We would go on trips, and everyone was doing their own thing, listening to music and I wouldn’t because I didn’t have any headphones. So I would just be in my own mind and think about the game and just really try to visualize every scenario that could happen. That’s one of the biggest things I do on game day or even the day before game day is literally try to picture everything that could happen in the game and try to like make some sort of imagery in my head from first person and also third person perspective. I think that helps me a lot.

13) Messi or Ronaldo?

AL: Have to go with Messi. There’s a lot of different reasons why, but, I just think he’s one of the best players to ever play. His stats, you can look them up and see where he compares with everyone else, but when you watch him play he makes things look so easy that really are not easy at all. The amount of goals he scores and the amount of goals he gives assists to is ridiculous. The numbers are insane. Credit to Cristiano Ronaldo, he’s also ridiculous and I know he’s also one of the best ever, but if I were to compare the two, I would think Ronaldo is a product of extreme work ethic, grinding every day and having a drive to be the best. Messi, on the other hand, so much talent oozes out of that guy. They’re two different types of players, but they’re both really effective and efficient. I would have to give it to Messi just because he’s a magician.

14) If you could talk to animals what would be the first thing you’d ask them?

AL: The first thing I’d ask them. Maybe what it’s like to live their life and if they’re content with the life that they live. I would want to talk to a dog and ask, “Dude, are you just chillin’ all day and you love that? It seems like you live a pretty good life man!”

15) You play the same position that coach played during his career. Has that helped your development at all?

AL: Oh yeah, of course. I definitely am fortunate to have such a good coach my first year, but also a coach that played the same position as me. He’s played at the highest level, he knows what it takes and he knows the things that I need to work on to get there. So having that my first year is a huge advantage, because I’m gonna be able to absorb whatever he teaches me and use that going forward.

16) If Alex Lara weren’t a pro soccer player he would be what?

AL: I don’t know I’ve asked myself this question, to be honest. I can’t even come up with the answer because my whole life has revolved around soccer. It’s literally all I wanted to do my whole life. It’s cheesy but I remember in elementary school, they would make you write what you want to do when you’re older and I had no intention of being anything besides a soccer player. That was my dilemma in college because I had to pick a major and I’d say, “To be honest, up until this point all I thought about is playing soccer so it’s hard for me to figure out what I want to do in school.” Hopefully I would still be in sports because I like that kind of stuff.

17) What did you major in?

AL: Kinesiology. It still revolved around soccer. I said to myself, What do I want to do? I have to make a decision to make sure I had all the classes I needed, and I was looking at the different majors and I’ve never been the type of person to sit in an office all day so a lot of them didn’t interest me. So the counselors and advisors directed me to Kinesiology and I thought it sounded kind of cool because when I’m done playing, I could still stay around soccer or even athletics in general and help other athletes achieve their goals.

18) What do you do on an off day?

AL: We don’t do much, man. We basically try and get ready for the next day. It sounds kind of boring but that’s pretty much what our life entails if you’re trying to be a high level athlete. We’ll watch TV, Netflix, maybe some Playstation, but it’s mainly just hydration, recovery, ice, whatever. I like to work out or even get a small workout in after practice. It doesn’t sound like much but that’s what I like doing.

19) Who was your favorite athlete growing up?

AL: I have a few different ones but one of the athletes I thought was really cool to watch was Puyol. I really enjoyed watching him because he was just a pure defender, a solid defender, but the way he led his team and the way he showed how much of a leader he was left an impression on me more than anything else. There’s this really famous video of him from a game against Madrid, someone from the crowd threw a lighter and hit Pique and Pique picks up the lighter and he’s complaining to the referee about it. Puyol glances at him and he takes the lighter from his hand and he throws it off the field and pushes him like bro, forget about that, get ready the corners about to be taken. I just love things like that you can tell he was a true leader and I always enjoyed watching that.

20) What are your goals for your career?

AL: My current goal right now is making it to the playoffs and then going and winning the whole thing. That’s my goal as of right now but as far as my career, I don’t have too much direction as far as, I want to make it to this team, by this year, if you know what I mean. I just know that I want to keep improving every year, so every year has to be better than the last one. Whether that be me doing better in the USL next year or making it to the MLS and then going on to play in Europe. I have a lot of belief that I can do it and that if I work hard enough and be patient, I can get to a really high level as long as I stick with it. Improving myself as much as possible is one of the biggest things I look into.

Hartford Athletic Match against Philadelphia Union II Postponed

Hartford Athletic’s match against Philadelphia Union II on Sunday night has been postponed. No makeup date has been announced at this time.

Proceeding with an abundance of caution, the postponement comes after a covered person in the Philadelphia Union II organization tested positive for COVID-19. There have not been any positive tests among Hartford Athletic players and staff.

As always, the club will continue to follow proper health protocols and will act with the safety of our players and staff in mind.

Hartford Athletic’s match against Philadelphia Union II on Sunday night has been postponed. No makeup date has been announced at this time.

As always, the club will continue to follow proper health protocols and will act with the safety of our players and staff in mind.

20 Questions with Alfonso Vazquez

Welcome back to 20 Questions, the series where we help you get to know the players on this year's squad. For previous interviews in this series, we went behind the scenes with Parfait Mandanda, Tyreke Johnson, Matheus Silva, Nicky Downs, Conor McGlynn, Arthur Rogers, Danny Barrera, Mads Jørgensen, Alex Davey, Noah Paravicini, Aiden Mesias, Mac Steeves, Kevin Politz, Gabriel Torres, Cheno, Harry Swartz and Alex Dixon. This week, we caught up with Alfonso Vazquez who scored his first professional goal last Sunday again Loudoun United FC. Enjoy!

1) Let's start in the obvious spot. A couple of nights ago you scored your first professional goal. What was that moment like for you?

AV: That was an amazing moment. It was unreal to me. I'm glad I scored my first professional goal and I’m glad we took home the W.

2) Where does that rank among the best schools you've ever scored?

AV: I don't really remember all my goals. I think that was one of the best moments I've ever had scoring a goal. I feel like that topped a lot of things.

3) When you say that's one of the best moments you felt, what was the first thing you felt when you saw the ball hit off the crossbar and go into the net?

AV: I felt like for a second there I was dreaming! And then I'm like, “Oh this is real.” It just happened so fast, I went to go celebrate and it just felt so amazing.

4) What was your favorite message you got from friends or family after you scored?

AV: Everybody was just telling me that they're very happy for me and that I motivate kids and everything. That right there just motivates me, people following and supporting me and the team. It feels good to motivate young kids to be able to follow their dreams.

5) You made the club through open tryouts. Can you take me through that first day of open tryouts and kind of describe what the process was like for you?

AV: So, the first day of open tryouts, my parents took me and I wasn't really expecting much. I was already working on going to college and I just wanted to see where I was at and my level of soccer. So I went there and then it turned out to be a good day.

6) You were obviously still in high school at that time. What did your friends think of it?

AV: My friends, they’d always tell me that I'm going to make it far and they always gave me the support I needed. I honestly think that helped me a lot as well.

7) What is your pregame routine?

AV: Wake up, eat breakfast, get in the shower before the game just to cool off and feel ready. Head over to the stadium and change everything in my mind. Everything goes to that game and that’s it.

8) What's your favorite meal?

AV: It’s gotta be tacos. Tacos al Pastor are my favorite. My parents make them, but mostly we go to my uncle's restaurant. He has a restaurant down over where my family lives and we just go there and get tacos.

9) This year, you've signed a pro soccer contract, you've turned 18, and you graduated high school, all in the span of about four months. Can you rank those three moments in terms of importance to you?

AV: Graduating is really important. My family, they were always on me to make sure I finish school and I think it's a big accomplishment to be graduating. Signing the contract, that's also huge for us, because ever since I was little, my parents took me to practices, they told me to keep working hard at soccer and during Middle School and High School, they told me that I could actually be a professional and to believe in myself and never give up. It’s because of them that I have such a positive mindset.

10) What was that support like for you?

AV: They gave me a huge amount of support. That's literally what motivated me most of the time, just to be able to make them happy and for them to be able to feel comfortable.

11) How did you guys celebrate when you signed your contract?

AV: We went back home and we just had a cookout outside in the backyard and they were just very happy, but sad as well because I was going to be leaving and living over here.

12) What has it been like living away from your parents for the first time?

AV: I feel like it's been good, the first week or two, I didn't feel really comfortable, but I started adapting to it and I feel comfortable now.

13) Are you cooking your own meals?

AV: Yeah, I cook and then sometimes, my mom makes me food before I leave when I’m home on the weekends.

14) What do you like to do when you're not playing soccer?

AV: I like to work out and stay fit. I play video games, mostly Call of Duty, and go back home with my family,

15) Who is your favorite soccer club?

AV: Real Madrid. I think I was 9 or so when I became a fan. My brother brought me into watching soccer on TV and he was watching them and then I just started watching with him all the time and just became a Madrid from there.

16) Well that brings me to my next question, Messi or Ronaldo?

AV: I can't really choose between the two because they're just both number one, but if I were to choose I’d say Ronaldo. I can't really explain it, he’s just a beast. I really like how Messi plays, like his style of play, but I’d choose Ronaldo.

17) You go directly from high school to being coached by somebody who's coached and played at some of the highest levels in soccer. What has that been like for you?

AV: It's been amazing, I've been learning so much since day one with him. He pushes me to the limit, and I feel like that's very good to be able to also push myself and try my hardest every day.

18) How does he push you?

AV: The little things, all the little things matter a lot. So like first touch or turning, he’s all over me on that.

19) Can you give an example of something you've learned from Coach that's really improved your game?

AV: I'd say communicating more on the field. It was challenging at first but I think I'm starting to get used to it and I've been doing it a lot now. It helped the other night when I scored, I actually screamed for Dre (Deas) to cross it because I was open, and the pass came out well and I scored.

20) What advice do you have for kids throughout Connecticut and throughout the country who are trying to do exactly what you did and earn a professional contract?

AV: The advice I'd give them is to never stop, to always keep going, always believe in yourself, always believe in the support, and always believe that you can do anything. The sky's the limit.

Welcome back to 20 Questions, the series where we help you get to know the players on this year’s squad. For previous interviews in this series, we went behind the scenes with Parfait Mandanda, Tyreke Johnson, Matheus Silva, Nicky Downs, Conor McGlynn, Arthur Rogers, Danny Barrera, Mads Jørgensen, Alex Davey, Noah Paravicini, Aiden Mesias, Mac Steeves, Kevin Politz, Gabriel Torres, Cheno, Harry Swartz and Alex Dixon. This week, we caught up with Alfonso Vazquez who scored his first professional goal last Sunday again Loudoun United FC. Enjoy!

1) Let’s start in the obvious spot. A couple of nights ago you scored your first professional goal. What was that moment like for you?

AV: That was an amazing moment. It was unreal to me. I’m glad I scored my first professional goal and I’m glad we took home the W.

2) Where does that rank among the best schools you’ve ever scored?

AV: I don’t really remember all my goals. I think that was one of the best moments I’ve ever had scoring a goal. I feel like that topped a lot of things.

3) When you say that’s one of the best moments you felt, what was the first thing you felt when you saw the ball hit off the crossbar and go into the net?

AV: I felt like for a second there I was dreaming! And then I’m like, “Oh this is real.” It just happened so fast, I went to go celebrate and it just felt so amazing.

4) What was your favorite message you got from friends or family after you scored?

AV: Everybody was just telling me that they’re very happy for me and that I motivate kids and everything. That right there just motivates me, people following and supporting me and the team. It feels good to motivate young kids to be able to follow their dreams.

5) You made the club through open tryouts. Can you take me through that first day of open tryouts and kind of describe what the process was like for you?

AV: So, the first day of open tryouts, my parents took me and I wasn’t really expecting much. I was already working on going to college and I just wanted to see where I was at and my level of soccer. So I went there and then it turned out to be a good day.

6) You were obviously still in high school at that time. What did your friends think of it?

AV: My friends, they’d always tell me that I’m going to make it far and they always gave me the support I needed. I honestly think that helped me a lot as well.

7) What is your pregame routine?

AV: Wake up, eat breakfast, get in the shower before the game just to cool off and feel ready. Head over to the stadium and change everything in my mind. Everything goes to that game and that’s it.

8) What’s your favorite meal?

AV: It’s gotta be tacos. Tacos al Pastor are my favorite. My parents make them, but mostly we go to my uncle’s restaurant. He has a restaurant down over where my family lives and we just go there and get tacos.

9) This year, you’ve signed a pro soccer contract, you’ve turned 18, and you graduated high school, all in the span of about four months. Can you rank those three moments in terms of importance to you?

AV: Graduating is really important. My family, they were always on me to make sure I finish school and I think it’s a big accomplishment to be graduating. Signing the contract, that’s also huge for us, because ever since I was little, my parents took me to practices, they told me to keep working hard at soccer and during Middle School and High School, they told me that I could actually be a professional and to believe in myself and never give up. It’s because of them that I have such a positive mindset.

10) What was that support like for you?

AV: They gave me a huge amount of support. That’s literally what motivated me most of the time, just to be able to make them happy and for them to be able to feel comfortable.

11) How did you guys celebrate when you signed your contract?

AV: We went back home and we just had a cookout outside in the backyard and they were just very happy, but sad as well because I was going to be leaving and living over here.

12) What has it been like living away from your parents for the first time?

AV: I feel like it’s been good, the first week or two, I didn’t feel really comfortable, but I started adapting to it and I feel comfortable now.

13) Are you cooking your own meals?

AV: Yeah, I cook and then sometimes, my mom makes me food before I leave when I’m home on the weekends.

14) What do you like to do when you’re not playing soccer?

AV: I like to work out and stay fit. I play video games, mostly Call of Duty, and go back home with my family,

15) Who is your favorite soccer club?

16) Well that brings me to my next question, Messi or Ronaldo?

AV: I can’t really choose between the two because they’re just both number one, but if I were to choose I’d say Ronaldo. I can’t really explain it, he’s just a beast. I really like how Messi plays, like his style of play, but I’d choose Ronaldo.

17) You go directly from high school to being coached by somebody who’s coached and played at some of the highest levels in soccer. What has that been like for you?

AV: It’s been amazing, I’ve been learning so much since day one with him. He pushes me to the limit, and I feel like that’s very good to be able to also push myself and try my hardest every day.

18) How does he push you?

AV: The little things, all the little things matter a lot. So like first touch or turning, he’s all over me on that.

19) Can you give an example of something you’ve learned from Coach that’s really improved your game?

AV: I’d say communicating more on the field. It was challenging at first but I think I’m starting to get used to it and I’ve been doing it a lot now. It helped the other night when I scored, I actually screamed for Dre (Deas) to cross it because I was open, and the pass came out well and I scored.

20) What advice do you have for kids throughout Connecticut and throughout the country who are trying to do exactly what you did and earn a professional contract?

AV: The advice I’d give them is to never stop, to always keep going, always believe in yourself, always believe in the support, and always believe that you can do anything. The sky’s the limit.

Barrera, Vazquez Share Landmark Night as Athletic Bring the House Down

This article was originally published on USLChampionship.com

HARTFORD, Conn. – For Danny Barrera, Sunday night provided another landmark night in a career that’s been filled with them.

For Alfonso Vazquez, there was the first landmark moment in what will become a long and successful path ahead.

It added up to one of the best nights for Hartford Athletic since the club reopened Dillon Stadium just over a year ago, with local talent Vazquez bringing the house down with his first professional goal to put the cherry on top of a 4-1 victory against Loudoun Athletic FC.

Signed in March shortly before the start of the presumptive start to the Athletic’s season, the 18-year-old Vazquez’s strike showed just why Hartford’s leadership brought him into the professional ranks. A good piece of close control on Dre Deas’ cross from the left was followed by a thunderbolt of a finish that caromed in off the underside of the crossbar, causing his teammates and the socially-distanced crowd to erupt.

“I saw Dre going into the corner, so I knew I had to be in the box just in case and it came perfectly to my chest,” said Vazquez. “I thought for a quick second I had to push it out to be able to score and I saw the goal right there in front of me and I thought very fast in my head, ‘Smash it!’ and it just went in.”

Vazquez may have more to say about the Athletic’s playoff chances later this season. What’s much more certain is that if Barrera continues in the rich vein of form he’s found so far, the Athletic will be among the serious contenders for a postseason spot. The playmaker recorded his 30th assist in the Championship’s regular season on Sunday night, the fourth player to do so in the league’s history following Kenardo Forbes, Maikel Chang and Jorge Herrera.

Both of Sunday’s assists – which now give him five for the season, good for second in the Championship – came in connections with Ever Guzman, who is also living up to his billing as the consistent scoring presence Hartford was looking for this offseason. Two through-balls from Barrera, two well-timed runs and precise finishes from Guzman and Hartford had a two-goal lead inside the opening 20 minutes against United on Sunday.

It’s a connection that looks set to pay handsome dividends throughout the campaign.

“It’s actually incredible for me,” said Barrera. “It’s always nice to be a center-mid with a striker that’s ruthless, very professional. His movement is just incredible off the ball and honestly it just makes it easy for me to find him.”

“We’ve been working a lot on this the last couple of weeks,” added Hartford Head Coach Radhi Jaïdi. “We wanted to have the connection between the midfield and the strikers and then Guzmán is the type of player who likes to run forward, likes to score goals obviously, and that’s what Danny does. So, the connection is natural, and we worked on some patterns that will help them to keep the connection and make the connection more effective like we saw tonight.”

The night, however, belonged to Vazquez. For the kid who had previously scored a state record in Connecticut of 149 goals for Windham High School, his first goal in the colors of Connecticut’s club proved as memorable as he had hoped it would.

“It’s going to be very special because that really was what my dream was, to become a professional soccer player,” said Vazquez. “Now that it is happening and happening in my hometown, my family being able to witness and see everything happening is just an amazing feeling.”

This article was originally published on USLChampionship.com

HARTFORD, Conn. – For Danny Barrera, Sunday night provided another landmark night in a career that’s been filled with them.

For Alfonso Vazquez, there was the first landmark moment in what will become a long and successful path ahead.

It’s a connection that looks set to pay handsome dividends throughout the campaign.

Danny Barrera Named to USL Team of the Week For 2nd Week in a Row

For the second week in a row, midfielder and captain Danny Barrera has been named to the USL Championship Team of the Week presented by Cleer Audio. Last week Barrera and midfielder Gabriel Torres both made the Team of the Week. Goalkeeper Parfait Mandanda also earned the honor for his performance in Week 4.

Barrera picked up 2 more assists on Sunday night against Loudoun United FC giving him 5 on the season, good for second best in the entire USL Championship. It also brought him to 30 total assists in his career in the Championship, ranking 4th all-time. Barrera will be back in action on Sunday night when Athletic head to Philadelphia to take on Union II at 7:30 PM. The match can be seen locally on WCTX MyTV9 or streamed on https://www.hartfordathletic.com/watch.

USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 6

GK – Brooks Thompson, Sporting Kansas City II: The 18-year-old Indiana native recorded his first professional shutout as SKC II ended Indy Eleven’s 28-game regular season home undefeated streak at Lucas Oil Stadium.

D – D.J. Taylor, North Carolina FC: Taylor provided the assist on NCFC’s game-winning goal, completed 47 of 54 passes overall and won 3 of 4 duels defensively as North Carolina claimed its first win of 2020 against Birmingham Legion FC.

D – Karl Ouimette, Indy Eleven: Ouimette recorded a pair of assists and completed 54 of 63 passes overall in the Eleven’s 4-1 win against Hartford Athletic, while also recording five clearances and winning 3 of 3 tackles.

D – Taylor Peay, Real Monarchs SLC: Peay scored the stoppage-time winner for the Monarchs against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, capping a game that saw him record five clearances, two interceptions and five recoveries at Weidner Field.

M – Chris Wehan, New Mexico United: Wehan scored in his fourth consecutive game since the season resumed, and also recorded an assist as New Mexico took a 3-0 victory on the road against OKC Energy FC.

M – Danny Barrera, Hartford Athletic: Barrera reached 30 regular season assists for his career as he led the Athletic to a 4-1 victory against Loudoun United FC on Sunday night with a goal and two assists at Dillon Stadium.

M – Kenardo Forbes, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC: Forbes notched his sixth and seventh assists of the season to become the Championship’s all-time regular season leader with 38 for his career in the Hounds’ 4-0 victory against the Philadelphia Union II.

M – Christiano Francois, Reno 1868 FC: Francois notched a pair of goals in a standout display against the Portland Timbers 2, and then provided the assist on Brent Richards’ game-winner against Las Vegas Lights FC in a two-win week for Reno.

F – Luis Solignac, San Antonio FC: Solignac notched a pair of goals to help SAFC continue its undefeated start to the season with a 4-2 victory against Austin Bold FC on Saturday night.

F – Macky Diop, Atlanta United 2: Diop scored a pair of goals to lift Atlanta to its first victory of the season as it defeated Miami FC 4-3 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.

F – Rufat Dadashov, Phoenix Rising FC: The Azerbaijani international notched a goal and assist and recorded three key passes as Rising FC returned to the win column in a 3-1 victory against El Paso Locomotive FC.

Bench: Eric Dick (PHX), Harrison Heath (MIA), Jordan Doherty (TBR), Noah Powder (SLC), Keanu Marsh-Brown (MEM), Ariel Martinez (TUL), Sebastian Guenzatti (TBR)

USL Championship Team of the Week – Week 6

F – Luis Solignac, San Antonio FC: Solignac notched a pair of goals to help SAFC continue its undefeated start to the season with a 4-2 victory against Austin Bold FC on Saturday night.

F – Macky Diop, Atlanta United 2: Diop scored a pair of goals to lift Atlanta to its first victory of the season as it defeated Miami FC 4-3 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.

Bench: Eric Dick (PHX), Harrison Heath (MIA), Jordan Doherty (TBR), Noah Powder (SLC), Keanu Marsh-Brown (MEM), Ariel Martinez (TUL), Sebastian Guenzatti (TBR)

RECAP: Smashing!

Two Ever Guzmán goals, two Danny Barrera assists and a Connecticut homegrown goal saw Hartford take down Loudoun United four goals to one at Dillon Stadium!

Hartford got off to an early lead in the 8th minute, Barrera played a trademark outside the boot pass that found the feet of Guzmán who found himself in on goal. The experienced striker needed no touches as he slotted in a first time sliding finish past the helpless keeper.

Not long after in the 10th minute, Alex Dixon was taken out by a sliding keeper challenge and the referee pointed to the spot. The keeper then redeemed himself by saving Guzmán's ensuing penalty kick..

The Barrera and Guzmán duo combined again 10 minutes later in the 18th minute. Another beautiful outside the boot pass from Barrera found Guzmán, Ever deliciously dinked a chip over the Loudoun keeper to make it two! In the 21st minute Loudoun were awarded a penalty after Matheus Silva brought down the Loudoun attacker. Elvis Amoh then dispatched a confident penalty to the opposite side of Mandanda’s dive to cut the score in half.

In the second half it was that man Barrera again involved in the attacking third. As Mads Jørgensen unselfishly passed up an opportunity to shoot and layed it off the Barrera who slotted far post past the outstretched keeper to put Hartford three one up!

Loudoun had no answers in the second half and couldn't penetrate the Hartford defense. With time running out, the game and both sides seemingly done, an unexpected substitute popped up. 18 year old, Connecticut born and bred Alfonso Vasquez saw an opportunity. Dre Deas played a ball onto his chest and when the ball came down Vasquez smashed a half volley off the crossbar and in!! "I saw the goal right there in front of me and I thought very fast in my head, 'smash it' and it just went in," Vazquez said after the match. Nobody enjoyed Vasquez’s first professional goal more than his family members in the supporters section!

With the win Hartford remains top of group F. The Boys in Green head to Philadelphia to take on Union II next Sunday. They'll be back home on August 15th against New York Red Bulls II. You can catch both matches on WCTX MyTV9 or streaming at https://www.hartfordathletic.com/watch. Tickets for the match against Red Bulls II are available here.

FAST STATS:

Shots (On-Target): Hartford Athletic 13 (7) – 12 (3) Loudoun United

Corners: Hartford Athletic 2-3 Loudoun United

Fouls: Hartford Athletic 15-14 Loudoun United

Offsides: Hartford Athletic 6-5 Loudoun United

Possession: Hartford Athletic 46.6%-53.4% Loudoun United

Passing Accuracy: Hartford Athletic 71.4%-78.3% Loudoun United

Saves: Hartford Athletic 2-3 Loudoun United

SCORING SUMMARY:

8' – HFD Ever Guzmán (Danny Barrera) 1-0

18' – HFD Ever Guzmán (Danny Barrera) 2-0

21' – LDN Elvis Amoh 2-1

66' – HFD Danny Barrera (Mads Jørgensen) 3-1

90+7' – HFD Alfonso Vazquez (Dre Deas) 4-1

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY:

45' – Alex Lara (Yellow)

56' – Elvis Amoh (Yellow)

84' – Alex Dixon (Yellow)

90+4' – Gabriel Torres (Yellow)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP:

35 (GK) Parfait Mandanda; 2 (D) Alex Lara (Aiden Mesias 90+7'), 4 (D) Kevin Politz, 3 (D) Matheus Silva; 33 (MF) Harry Swartz (Tyreke Johnson 61'), 8 (MF) Mads Jørgensen, 10 (MF) Danny Barrera, 28 (MF) Conor McGlynn (Nicky Downs 61'), 16 (MF) Gabriel Torres; 99 (F) Ever Guzmán (Alfonso Vazquez 86'), 11 (F) Alex Dixon (Dre Deas 86')

LOUDOUN UNITED FC STARTING LINEUP:

0 (GK) Colin Miller; 33 (D) Jacob Greene, 36 (D) Adam Lundegard (Timothy Mehl 45'), 5 (D) Shane Wiedt, 3 (D) Pabo Doue (Allexon Saravia 77'); 24 (MF) Jeremy Garay (Christian Sorto 77'), 12 (MF) Kairou Amoustapha, 16 (MF) Massimo Ferrin (Alouine Ndour 57'), 17 (MF) Ted Ku-DiPietro, 10 (MF) Michael Gamble; 7 (F) Elvis Amoh (Brandon Williamson 68')

Two Ever Guzmán goals, two Danny Barrera assists and a Connecticut homegrown goal saw Hartford take down Loudoun United four goals to one at Dillon Stadium!

Not long after in the 10th minute, Alex Dixon was taken out by a sliding keeper challenge and the referee pointed to the spot. The keeper then redeemed himself by saving Guzmán’s ensuing penalty kick..

Loudoun had no answers in the second half and couldn’t penetrate the Hartford defense. With time running out, the game and both sides seemingly done, an unexpected substitute popped up. 18 year old, Connecticut born and bred Alfonso Vasquez saw an opportunity. Dre Deas played a ball onto his chest and when the ball came down Vasquez smashed a half volley off the crossbar and in!! “I saw the goal right there in front of me and I thought very fast in my head, ‘smash it’ and it just went in,” Vazquez said after the match. Nobody enjoyed Vasquez’s first professional goal more than his family members in the supporters section!

With the win Hartford remains top of group F. The Boys in Green head to Philadelphia to take on Union II next Sunday. They’ll be back home on August 15th against New York Red Bulls II. You can catch both matches on WCTX MyTV9 or streaming at https://www.hartfordathletic.com/watch. Tickets for the match against Red Bulls II are available here.

FAST STATS:

Shots (On-Target): Hartford Athletic 13 (7) – 12 (3) Loudoun United

Corners: Hartford Athletic 2-3 Loudoun United

Fouls: Hartford Athletic 15-14 Loudoun United

Offsides: Hartford Athletic 6-5 Loudoun United

Possession: Hartford Athletic 46.6%-53.4% Loudoun United

Passing Accuracy: Hartford Athletic 71.4%-78.3% Loudoun United

Saves: Hartford Athletic 2-3 Loudoun United

SCORING SUMMARY:

8′ – HFD Ever Guzmán (Danny Barrera) 1-0

18′ – HFD Ever Guzmán (Danny Barrera) 2-0

21′ – LDN Elvis Amoh 2-1

66′ – HFD Danny Barrera (Mads Jørgensen) 3-1

90+7′ – HFD Alfonso Vazquez (Dre Deas) 4-1

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY:

45′ – Alex Lara (Yellow)

56′ – Elvis Amoh (Yellow)

84′ – Alex Dixon (Yellow)

90+4′ – Gabriel Torres (Yellow)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP:

35 (GK) Parfait Mandanda; 2 (D) Alex Lara (Aiden Mesias 90+7′), 4 (D) Kevin Politz, 3 (D) Matheus Silva; 33 (MF) Harry Swartz (Tyreke Johnson 61′), 8 (MF) Mads Jørgensen, 10 (MF) Danny Barrera, 28 (MF) Conor McGlynn (Nicky Downs 61′), 16 (MF) Gabriel Torres; 99 (F) Ever Guzmán (Alfonso Vazquez 86′), 11 (F) Alex Dixon (Dre Deas 86′)

LOUDOUN UNITED FC STARTING LINEUP:

0 (GK) Colin Miller; 33 (D) Jacob Greene, 36 (D) Adam Lundegard (Timothy Mehl 45′), 5 (D) Shane Wiedt, 3 (D) Pabo Doue (Allexon Saravia 77′); 24 (MF) Jeremy Garay (Christian Sorto 77′), 12 (MF) Kairou Amoustapha, 16 (MF) Massimo Ferrin (Alouine Ndour 57′), 17 (MF) Ted Ku-DiPietro, 10 (MF) Michael Gamble; 7 (F) Elvis Amoh (Brandon Williamson 68′)

PREVIEW: Athletic Look to Bounce Back from First Loss of 2020

The Boys in Green are back at Dillon Stadium looking to bounce back from a tough loss at Indy Eleven on Wednesday. Loudoun United comes to town for the second of four trips to Hartford this season, the first a 3-1 victory for the home side less than 2 weeks ago. How will Athletic respond coming off their first loss of the 2020 campaign? We'll find out tonight!

HARTFORD ATHLETIC (3-1-0) vs LOUDOUN UNITED FC (0-1-1)

Date: Sunday, August 2nd

Time: 7:00 PM ET

Location: Dillon Stadium, Hartford, CT

Local TV: WCTX MyTV9

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

International Viewers: YouTube

Program: https://www.hartfordathletic.com/program

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic, Danny Barrera, MF #10:

Hartford Athletic is a young squad gaining experience every match. Coming off their first loss of the season, the way they respond on Sunday afternoon will be very important. Head Coach Radhi Jaïdi will lean on his experienced players to bounce back in the right direction and captain Danny Barrera is one of those players. Coming off a 3-assist week last week, Barrera's creative distribution should help Athletic get back on track against Loudoun.

Loudoun United, Elvis Amoh, F :

The last time these two teams met, Loudoun was able to generate some opportunities in the final third. Having plenty of rest and plenty of time to scout won't hurt Loudoun's attack that tends to run through Amoh. Amoh scored the lone goal on a penalty kick the last time these teams met. He'll be the reason Loudoun gets on the board again if they're able to do so tomorrow.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

Many of the things written about Loudoun the last time these two teams squared off happen to be the same. Loudoun hasn’t played a match since coming to Dillon Stadium on July 20th and falling to Hartford 3-1. Things could look a little different on the pitch this time around, however, as D.C. United have been eliminated from the MLS is Back tournament. Loudoun should have some reinforcements on the way for this matchup.

FOLLOW ONLINE:

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

HARTFORD ATHLETIC (3-1-0) vs LOUDOUN UNITED FC (0-1-1)

Date: Sunday, August 2nd

Time: 7:00 PM ET

Location: Dillon Stadium, Hartford, CT

Local TV: WCTX MyTV9

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

International Viewers: YouTube

Program: https://www.hartfordathletic.com/program

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic, Danny Barrera, MF #10:

Hartford Athletic is a young squad gaining experience every match. Coming off their first loss of the season, the way they respond on Sunday afternoon will be very important. Head Coach Radhi Jaïdi will lean on his experienced players to bounce back in the right direction and captain Danny Barrera is one of those players. Coming off a 3-assist week last week, Barrera’s creative distribution should help Athletic get back on track against Loudoun.

Loudoun United, Elvis Amoh, F :

The last time these two teams met, Loudoun was able to generate some opportunities in the final third. Having plenty of rest and plenty of time to scout won’t hurt Loudoun’s attack that tends to run through Amoh. Amoh scored the lone goal on a penalty kick the last time these teams met. He’ll be the reason Loudoun gets on the board again if they’re able to do so tomorrow.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

FOLLOW ONLINE:

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

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