HARTFORD, CT (April 19, 2025) – A goal in the 71st minute off the foot of Deshane Beckford proved to be the difference in the match as Hartford Athletic got its first win of the season, 1-0 over Birmingham Legion. This is the third match in a row that Hartford has come away with points against Birmingham.
Hartford’s start in attack was its strongest of the season, surpassing season averages in shots, shots on target, and crosses all in the first half. Emmanuel Samadia in particular was a focal point of the attack delivering ball after ball into the Birmingham box. He and midfielder Samuel Careaga, who played in his first game since picking up an injury in the season opener, generated a number of chances for Mamadou Dieng and Kyle Edwards but the forward pairing were unable to take advantage of the opportunities.
Hartford continued to apply pressure in the second half and in the 71st minute, the pressure broke the Legion defense. Hartford’s press caused a turnover in Birmingham’s box. After deflecting off a few players, Dieng corralled the loose ball, laid it off for Beckford who put it on frame. Goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel’s got his hands on the shot, but the deflection bounced into the net to give Hartford the lead.
Hartford returns to action next Saturday, April 26th at Trinity Health Stadium at 4 PM when they take on Portland Hearts of Pine in the first ever match up in the USL Jaegermeister Cup. Tickets are available now at hartfordathletic.com/tickets.
FAST STATS
| HARTFORD | BIRMINGHAM | |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 11 | 8 |
| Shots On Target | 5 | 1 |
| Corners | 8 | 8 |
| Fouls | 13 | 11 |
| Offsides | 1 | 0 |
| Possession | 46.8% | 53.2% |
| Passing Accuracy | 89.6% | 88.9% |
| Saves | 1 | 4 |
SCORING SUMMARY
| HARTFORD | BIRMINGHAM |
|---|---|
| 71′ – Deshane Beckford (Mamadou Dieng) |
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
| HARTFORD | BIRMINGHAM |
|---|---|
| 90+4′ – Emmanuel Samadia (Yellow) | 34′ – Danny Trejo (Yellow) |
| 44′ – Ramiz Hamouda (Yellow) | |
| 45+4′ – Eric Avila (Yellow) | |
| 66′ – Jake Rufe (Yellow) |
LINEUPS
| HARTFORD | BIRMINGHAM |
|---|---|
| 77 (GK) Antony Siaha | 1 (GK) Matt Van Oekel |
| 2 (DF) Sebastian Anderson | 11 (DF) Dawson McCartney |
| 22 (DF) TJ Presthus | 13 (DF) Jake Rufe |
| 15 (DF) Joe Farrell | 4 (DF) Ramiz Hamouda |
| 4 (DF) Jordan Scarlett (C) | 33 (DF) Moses Mensah (Santiago Suarez, 90+3′) |
| 19 (DF) Emmanuel Samadia | 15 (MF) Tyler Pasher (Sebastian Tregarthen, 56′) |
| 27 (MF) Justin Ingram (Adewale Obalola, 53′) | 8 (MF) Koby Hernandez Foster |
| 10 (MF) Samuel Careaga | 6 (MF) Sam McIllhatton (Roman Torres, 79′) |
| 8 (MF) Junior Moreira | 19 (MF) Enzo Martinez (C) |
| 71 (FW) Kyle Edwards (Deshane Beckford, 67′) | 7 (MF) Danny Trejo (Preston Tabort Etaka, 79′) |
| 9 (FW) Mamadou Dieng | 9 (FW) Ronaldo Damus |
