News

RECAP: Hartford Athletic Falls in First Dillon Stadium Match Under the Lights

Hartford Athletic and Louisville City FC played an entertaining game of soccer but the result, unfortunately, didn’t favor the home side. Looking to build upon the momentum of the nearly immaculate 5-1 rout of Loudon United last week, Hartford seemed raring to go. Not to mention the added aesthetic backdrop of the lights and rowdy home support, it looked like Hartford’s to lose. Despite a lot of early energy, the sides somehow made it to the end of the first 45 without a goal.

The second half saw more excitement than the first. The pendulum could’ve swung in either sides favor and it swung towards the visitors in the 59th minute through Napo Matsoso’s one touch shot from the edge of the box. This would surprisingly be the only goal of the game. Ingenious efforts from Harry Swartz and Danny Barrera threatened the Louisville goal, but not enough to change the scoreline and the game ended 1-0 to the visitors. Overall, the result didn’t reflect the performance put in by the boys in Green and Blue. "I think we played a phenomenal game from beginning to end," said Hartford Athletic head coach Jimmy Nielsen. "I said it in the locker room, I couldn't be more proud of the guys that were part of a high, high, high level USL game. We competed with them from the first to the last second, and created enough chances to win the game."

Athletic will hit the road for the next two weeks, the first road trip lasting more than one match since starting the season with eight consecutive road matches. The Boys in Green will head north of the border to take on Ottawa next week for a Sunday matinee at 2 PM. Hartford will be back home on October 5th when they host Swope Park Rangers.

FAST STATS:

Shots (On-Target): Hartford Athletic 12(5) – 11(4) Louisville

Corners: Hartford Athletic 5-5 Louisville

Fouls: Hartford Athletic 11-20 Louisville

Offsides: Hartford Athletic 4-4 Louisville

Possession: Hartford Athletic 44%-56% Louisville

Passing Accuracy: Hartford Athletic 78%-77% Louisville

Saves: Hartford Athletic 3-4 Louisville

SCORING SUMMARY

59’- Napo Matsoso (Louisville) 0-1

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

65’ Yellow Card- Abdou Thiam (Louisville)

69’ Yellow Card- Sem De Wit (Hartford Athletic)

71’ Yellow Card- Paco Craig (Louisville)

82’ Yellow Card- Ryan Williams (Hartford Athletic)

90+2’ Yellow Card- Alex Dixon (Hartford Athletic)

90+3’ Yellow Card- Brian Ownby (Louisville)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP:

22 GK Cody Cropper; 26 D Elliott Hord, 4 D Sem de Wit, 24 D Logan Gdula, 3 D Raymond Lee; 33 MF Harry Swartz (Jose Angulo 73'), 8 Mads Jorgensen (Wojciech Wojcik 73'), 14 Ryan Williams, 7 Sebastian Daglaard; 80 Danny Barrera, 11 Alex Dixon

LOUISVILLE CITY FC STARTING LINEUP:

13 GK Chris Hubbard; 15 D Pat McMahon, 4 D Sean Totsch, 5 D Paco Craig, 19 D Oscar Jimenez; 80 MF Devon Williams, 27 MF Napa Matoso, 7 MF Magnus Rasmussen (George Davis IV 87'); 14 F Abdou Thiem (Taylor Peay 76'), 9 F Luke Spencer (Brian Ownby 57'), 29 F Antonie Hoppenot

The second half saw more excitement than the first. The pendulum could’ve swung in either sides favor and it swung towards the visitors in the 59th minute through Napo Matsoso’s one touch shot from the edge of the box. This would surprisingly be the only goal of the game. Ingenious efforts from Harry Swartz and Danny Barrera threatened the Louisville goal, but not enough to change the scoreline and the game ended 1-0 to the visitors. Overall, the result didn’t reflect the performance put in by the boys in Green and Blue. “I think we played a phenomenal game from beginning to end,” said Hartford Athletic head coach Jimmy Nielsen. “I said it in the locker room, I couldn’t be more proud of the guys that were part of a high, high, high level USL game. We competed with them from the first to the last second, and created enough chances to win the game.”

FAST STATS:

Shots (On-Target): Hartford Athletic 12(5) – 11(4) Louisville

Corners: Hartford Athletic 5-5 Louisville

Fouls: Hartford Athletic 11-20 Louisville

Offsides: Hartford Athletic 4-4 Louisville

Possession: Hartford Athletic 44%-56% Louisville

Passing Accuracy: Hartford Athletic 78%-77% Louisville

Saves: Hartford Athletic 3-4 Louisville

SCORING SUMMARY

59’- Napo Matsoso (Louisville) 0-1

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

65’ Yellow Card- Abdou Thiam (Louisville)

69’ Yellow Card- Sem De Wit (Hartford Athletic)

71’ Yellow Card- Paco Craig (Louisville)

82’ Yellow Card- Ryan Williams (Hartford Athletic)

90+2’ Yellow Card- Alex Dixon (Hartford Athletic)

90+3’ Yellow Card- Brian Ownby (Louisville)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP:

22 GK Cody Cropper; 26 D Elliott Hord, 4 D Sem de Wit, 24 D Logan Gdula, 3 D Raymond Lee; 33 MF Harry Swartz (Jose Angulo 73′), 8 Mads Jorgensen (Wojciech Wojcik 73′), 14 Ryan Williams, 7 Sebastian Daglaard; 80 Danny Barrera, 11 Alex Dixon

LOUISVILLE CITY FC STARTING LINEUP:

13 GK Chris Hubbard; 15 D Pat McMahon, 4 D Sean Totsch, 5 D Paco Craig, 19 D Oscar Jimenez; 80 MF Devon Williams, 27 MF Napa Matoso, 7 MF Magnus Rasmussen (George Davis IV 87′); 14 F Abdou Thiem (Taylor Peay 76′), 9 F Luke Spencer (Brian Ownby 57′), 29 F Antonie Hoppenot

PREVIEW: Lights, Camera, Action

The lights go on for the first time at the newly renovated Dillon Stadium on Saturday night when Hartford Athletic hosts two-time defending champion Louisville City FC. It's a big match for the Boys in Green who are coming off a dominant 5-1 victory over Loudoun United FC and are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive. Here's what you need to know:

HARTFORD ATHLETIC vs LOUISVILLE CITY FC

Date: Saturday, September 14th

Time: 7:00 PM ET

Location: Dillon Stadium, Hartford, CT

Tickets: Click here

Streaming: ESPN+

Local TV: WCTX MyTV9

WHERE TO WATCH:

Thomas Hooker Brewery at Colt, 140 Huyshope Ave., Hartford, CT

City Steam Brewery and Cafe, 942 Main St., Hartford

TK's American Cafe, 255 White St., Danbury

2nd Bridge Brewing Co., 642 Hilliard St., Manchester

Lakeview Restaurant & Bar, 50 Lake St., Coventry

LAST TIME OUT:

Hartford Athletic dominated Loudoun United 5-1 to complete the season sweep in front of a near capacity crowd of 4,582 at Dillon Stadium. Hartford scored early and often in this one bagging five first half goals to put the match away early. Danny Barrera (5th minute), Alex Dixon (7th minute), and Ryan Williams (10th minute) banged home goals within the first 10 minutes of the match, Barrera with a header off of two shots off the crossbar, Dixon also with a header off of a set piece, and Williams who collected the rebound after a saved penalty kick and tapped the rebound into the net. Loudoun answered with a goal in the 21st minute off the foot of Gordon Wild only to be followed by two more Hartford tallies from Dixon (32nd minute) and Harry Swartz (40th minute). Hartford held strong in the second half cruising to victory 5-1.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic – Wojciech Wójcik, F

Since the doors to Dillon have opened, Wójcik has been a scoring machine, bagging all 5 of his goals this season since July 13th. He has come up big at the end of games, scoring the game winner against Indy Eleven in this first match at Dillon Stadium, and twice in the final 20 minutes against Atlanta United 2. Whether he's starting or coming off the bench, Wójcik will make his presence felt around a stingy LouCity backline.

Louisville City FC – Magnus Rasmussen, MF

Rasmussen leads the way offensively for LouCity. A team that has only scored 38 goals this season, Rasmussen has accounted for 10 of Louisville's tallies this season. Hartford, who has conceded the most goals in the league, will be a welcome sight for Rasmussen, who hasn't scored in the past three LouCity matches.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

Louisville City FC are two-time defending champions of the USL Championship and come into this week’s match undefeated since July 28th. Louisville has earned a draw in each of its last two matches, but won four straight matches in the month of August. Louisville’s offense doesn’t quite have the offensive puch it has in years past, scoring only 38 goals this season, but LouCity has only allowed 30 goals defensively despite four different goalkeepers starting in net this season. Something’s gotta give on Saturday when the Hartford offense, who has scored 14 times since the beginning of August, meets the LouCity defense, who has allowed 3 goals in that same time frame.

FOLLOW ONLINE:

Updates on the match will be provided via Twitter @hfdathletic or by following #HFDvLOU.

The lights go on for the first time at the newly renovated Dillon Stadium on Saturday night when Hartford Athletic hosts two-time defending champion Louisville City FC. It’s a big match for the Boys in Green who are coming off a dominant 5-1 victory over Loudoun United FC and are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive. Here’s what you need to know:

HARTFORD ATHLETIC vs LOUISVILLE CITY FC

Date: Saturday, September 14th

Time: 7:00 PM ET

Location: Dillon Stadium, Hartford, CT

Tickets: Click here

Streaming: ESPN+

Local TV: WCTX MyTV9

WHERE TO WATCH:

Thomas Hooker Brewery at Colt, 140 Huyshope Ave., Hartford, CT

City Steam Brewery and Cafe, 942 Main St., Hartford

TK’s American Cafe, 255 White St., Danbury

2nd Bridge Brewing Co., 642 Hilliard St., Manchester

Lakeview Restaurant & Bar, 50 Lake St., Coventry

LAST TIME OUT:

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic – Wojciech WÃ³jcik, F

Since the doors to Dillon have opened, WÃ³jcik has been a scoring machine, bagging all 5 of his goals this season since July 13th. He has come up big at the end of games, scoring the game winner against Indy Eleven in this first match at Dillon Stadium, and twice in the final 20 minutes against Atlanta United 2. Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, WÃ³jcik will make his presence felt around a stingy LouCity backline.

Louisville City FC – Magnus Rasmussen, MF

Rasmussen leads the way offensively for LouCity. A team that has only scored 38 goals this season, Rasmussen has accounted for 10 of Louisville’s tallies this season. Hartford, who has conceded the most goals in the league, will be a welcome sight for Rasmussen, who hasn’t scored in the past three LouCity matches.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

FOLLOW ONLINE:

Updates on the match will be provided via Twitter @hfdathletic or by following #HFDvLOU.

MAILBAG: The One With #NewMerch

Welcome back to the Mailbag! Lots to get to this week as we are just a few days away from the first night match at Dillon Stadium this season! Plus we've got some great merchandise news including two items that a lot of you have been clamoring for! Let's get to your questions:

Tim K. asks, "Was at the match Saturday and my little girls had a blast! For the walkouts with the players, do you have a program where any kid can do it ?"

We have lots of group experiences – including the Walkout Kids, Play on the Pitch, Flag Kids and more! – that you and your group can be a part of. Visit https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/hartfordathletic/group-experiences for more information on these cool opportunities!

Roam D. asks, "When are the next open tryouts?"

Open tryouts will take place sometime during the offseason. We have not yet set an official date. We are very excited for open tryouts next season. Last year, we had over 200 people tryout for the team and participants came from 14 different states and 5 different countries. Coach Nielsen called the display of talent, "the best I've ever seen at an open tryout." Ultimately, 5 players from open tryouts earned an invitation to preseason training.

Dylan F. asks, "Will the charity jersey ever be put up for sale?"

Our Orange charity jerseys can now be pre-ordered through our online store at shop.https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/hartfordathletic. Jerseys will only be able to be pre-ordered until Monday so please be sure to get your order in ASAP if you want to buy one! Jerseys will be delivered roughly 3 weeks after purchase.

@hartfordATFC asks, "Will you sell warmup jerseys next season I love them"

BREAKING NEWS: Warmup jerseys will be on sale starting THIS SATURDAY!! Visit any of our merchandise locations or go to shop.https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/hartfordathletic to purchase online after Sunday!

NEXT HOME MATCH:

The Boys in Green are home Saturday for the first night match at Dillon Stadium! Lots open at 4 PM for tailgating, the Rally Alley behind Hooker Brewery opens at 5 PM, and kickoff is at 7 PM. Click here to get your tickets!

Welcome back to the Mailbag! Lots to get to this week as we are just a few days away from the first night match at Dillon Stadium this season! Plus we’ve got some great merchandise news including two items that a lot of you have been clamoring for! Let’s get to your questions:

Tim K. asks, “Was at the match Saturday and my little girls had a blast! For the walkouts with the players, do you have a program where any kid can do it ?”

Roam D. asks, “When are the next open tryouts?”

Open tryouts will take place sometime during the offseason. We have not yet set an official date. We are very excited for open tryouts next season. Last year, we had over 200 people tryout for the team and participants came from 14 different states and 5 different countries. Coach Nielsen called the display of talent, “the best I’ve ever seen at an open tryout.” Ultimately, 5 players from open tryouts earned an invitation to preseason training.

Dylan F. asks, “Will the charity jersey ever be put up for sale?”

@hartfordATFC asks, “Will you sell warmup jerseys next season I love them”

NEXT HOME MATCH:

Alex Dixon and Ryan Williams Named to USL Championship Team of the Week

Alex Dixon and Ryan Williams have been named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for their performances in a 5-1 win over Loudoun United FC on Saturday afternoon. Dixon scored twice in the match – assisted once by Williams who scored a goal of his own in the 10th minute.

"We've really turned the corner and put in some good performances of late," said Williams after Saturday's match. "It was a goal of ours to start well, and we'd done that scoring three goals in the first ten minutes."

Dixon and Williams are making their first appearances on the Championship Team of the Week this season. Other Hartford Athletic players to be named to the Team of the Week this season are Jose Angulo, Sebastian Dalgaard, Wojciech Wojcik, and Frederik Due.

USL Championship Team of the Week:

GK – Joe Kuzminsky, Charleston Battery: Kuzminsky recorded a six-save shutout to help the 10-man Battery earn a 1-0 victory against Indy Eleven on Sunday night at MUSC Health Stadium.

D – Sean Reynolds, Saint Louis FC: Reynolds made 14 recoveries, won 9 of 15 duels and made three interceptions and clearances to help Saint Louis record back-to-back shutout victories against Ottawa and Nashville.

D – Tomas Hilliard-Arce, LA Galaxy II: Hilliard-Arce scored once, recorded 10 clearances and six recoveries while winning 3 of 3 duels and aerials in LA’s victory against Real Monarchs SLC.

D – Mikey Lopez, Birmingham Legion FC: Lopez won 10 of 12 duels, completed 47 of 54 passes and made six recoveries and two interceptions as Legion FC recorded a shutout victory against Atlanta last Wednesday.

M – Josue Gomez, El Paso Locomotive FC: Gomez scored three goals and had three chances created over two contests as Locomotive FC earned four points over the week’s action.

M – Marlon, Tulsa Roughnecks FC: The Brazilian had two goals, one assist and four chances created, completed 41 of 49 passes and won 17 of 26 duels as the Roughnecks took four points from two games.

M – Ryan Williams, Hartford Athletic: Williams recorded one goal, one assist, had four key passes and completed 44 of 47 passes overall as Hartford swept to a 5-1 victory against Loudoun United FC.

M – Eric Avila, Birmingham Legion FC: Avila completed 36 of 39 passes, had one assist and five key passes and completed 2 of 2 dribbles in Legion FC’s 5-0 victory against ATL UTD 2 last Wednesday.

F – Thomas Enevoldsen, Sacramento Republic FC: Enevoldsen scored twice, had one assist and completed 21 of 28 passes in Sacramento’s victory Saturday night against Tacoma Defiance.

F – Alex Dixon, Hartford Athletic: Dixon scored two goals, hit the woodwork twice more and had seven shots overall in a marauding display in the Athletic’s 5-1 victory against Loudoun United FC on Saturday.

F – Devon Sandoval, New Mexico United: Sandoval scored twice, had four shots overall and won 9 of 16 duels to lead New Mexico to a crucial road victory against OKC Energy FC that moved the side back above the playoff line.

Bench: Zac Lubin (PHX), Juan Tejada (TBR), Andrew Carleton (ATL), Russell Cicerone (STL), Darwin Jones (OC), Prosper Kasim (BHM), Brandon Allen (MEM)

“We’ve really turned the corner and put in some good performances of late,” said Williams after Saturday’s match. “It was a goal of ours to start well, and we’d done that scoring three goals in the first ten minutes.”

USL Championship Team of the Week:

GK – Joe Kuzminsky, Charleston Battery: Kuzminsky recorded a six-save shutout to help the 10-man Battery earn a 1-0 victory against Indy Eleven on Sunday night at MUSC Health Stadium.

D – Tomas Hilliard-Arce, LA Galaxy II: Hilliard-Arce scored once, recorded 10 clearances and six recoveries while winning 3 of 3 duels and aerials in LA’s victory against Real Monarchs SLC.

M – Josue Gomez, El Paso Locomotive FC: Gomez scored three goals and had three chances created over two contests as Locomotive FC earned four points over the week’s action.

F – Thomas Enevoldsen, Sacramento Republic FC: Enevoldsen scored twice, had one assist and completed 21 of 28 passes in Sacramento’s victory Saturday night against Tacoma Defiance.

Bench: Zac Lubin (PHX), Juan Tejada (TBR), Andrew Carleton (ATL), Russell Cicerone (STL), Darwin Jones (OC), Prosper Kasim (BHM), Brandon Allen (MEM)

RECAP: Hartford dominates 5-1; Next Home Match September 14th

Hartford Athletic dominated Loudoun United 5-1 to complete the season sweep in front of a near capacity crowd of 4,582 at Dillon Stadium.

Hartford scored early and often in this one bagging five first half goals to put the match away early. Danny Barrera (5th minute), Alex Dixon (7th minute), and Ryan Williams (10th minute) banged home goals within the first 10 minutes. Loudoun answered with a goal in the 21st minute off the foot of Gordon Wild only to be followed by two more Hartford tallies from Dixon (32nd minute) and Harry Swartz (40th minute). Hartford held strong in the second half cruising to victory 5-1.

Hartford donned special orange kits on the day in support of gender equality and women’s empowerment and auctioned off player-worn jerseys with proceeds benefiting Girls for Technology. The match was presented by Founding Partner Stanley Black & Decker.

Hartford Athletic returns to action on September 14th at 7pm for the Club’s first match under the lights at Dillon Stadium vs. defending league champions Louisville City FC.

Click here to purchase tickets to the match.

STATS:

Shots: 28 (Hartford) – 17 (Loudoun)

Shots on Target: 13-8

Corner Kicks: 4-8

Fouls Committed: 4-14

Saves: 7-8

Offside: 5-3

Possession: 46%-54%

Passing Accuracy: 80%-83%

SCORING SUMMARY

5' – Danny Barrera

7' – Alex Dixon (Ryan Williams)

21' – Gordon Wild

32’ – Alex Dixon (Sem de Wit)

40' – Harry Swartz

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

51' – Jeremy Garay (Red)

54' – Mads Jorgensen (Yellow)

62' – Andrew Lubahn (Yellow)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP

Cody Cropper; Logan Gdula (Kyle Curinga 82'), Sem de Wit, Alex Davey, Elliott Hord; Harry Swartz (Wojciech Wójcik 67'), Ryan Williams, Mads Jørgensen (Nicky Downs 61'), Sebastian Dalgaard; Danny Barrera, Alex Dixon

LOUDOUN UNITED FC STARTING LINEUP

Calle Brown; Robert Dambrot (Andrew Lubhan 44'), Harri Hawkins, Shane Weidt, Connor Presley (Pabo Doue 58'); Elvis Amoh, Antonio Bustamante, Jeremy Garay, Gordon Wild (Moses Neyman 53'), Carlos Alvarez; Orlando Sinclair

Hartford Athletic dominated Loudoun United 5-1 to complete the season sweep in front of a near capacity crowd of 4,582 at Dillon Stadium.

Hartford Athletic returns to action on September 14th at 7pm for the Club’s first match under the lights at Dillon Stadium vs. defending league champions Louisville City FC.

Click here to purchase tickets to the match.

STATS:

Shots: 28 (Hartford) – 17 (Loudoun)

Shots on Target: 13-8

Corner Kicks: 4-8

Fouls Committed: 4-14

Saves: 7-8

Offside: 5-3

Possession: 46%-54%

Passing Accuracy: 80%-83%

SCORING SUMMARY

5′ – Danny Barrera

7′ – Alex Dixon (Ryan Williams)

21′ – Gordon Wild

32’ – Alex Dixon (Sem de Wit)

40′ – Harry Swartz

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

51′ – Jeremy Garay (Red)

54′ – Mads Jorgensen (Yellow)

62′ – Andrew Lubahn (Yellow)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP

Cody Cropper; Logan Gdula (Kyle Curinga 82′), Sem de Wit, Alex Davey, Elliott Hord; Harry Swartz (Wojciech WÃ³jcik 67′), Ryan Williams, Mads Jørgensen (Nicky Downs 61′), Sebastian Dalgaard; Danny Barrera, Alex Dixon

LOUDOUN UNITED FC STARTING LINEUP

Calle Brown; Robert Dambrot (Andrew Lubhan 44′), Harri Hawkins, Shane Weidt, Connor Presley (Pabo Doue 58′); Elvis Amoh, Antonio Bustamante, Jeremy Garay, Gordon Wild (Moses Neyman 53′), Carlos Alvarez; Orlando Sinclair

PREVIEW: Here Come the Boys in Orange

This week, the Boys in Green become the Boys in Orange when Hartford Athletic hosts Loudoun United FC in a USL Championship match to benefit Gender Equality. Visit https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/hartfordathletic/charity for more information about the special events we have surrounding the match.

HARTFORD ATHLETIC vs LOUDOUN UNITED FC

Date: Saturday, September 7th

Time: 4:00 PM ET

Location: Dillon Stadium, Hartford, CT

Tickets: Click here

Streaming: ESPN+

Local TV: WCTX MyTV9

WHERE TO WATCH:

Thomas Hooker Brewery at Colt, 140 Huyshope Ave., Hartford, CT

City Steam Brewery and Cafe, 942 Main St., Hartford

TK's American Cafe, 255 White St., Danbury

2nd Bridge Brewing Co., 642 Hilliard St., Manchester

Lakeview Restaurant & Bar, 50 Lake St., Coventry

LAST TIME OUT:

Hartford Athletic took a tough 3-2 loss to Saint Louis FC on Sunday night. In the 16th minute Kadeem Dacres took a deep shot from outside the box and gave Saint Louis their first goal. Hartford countered in the 28th minute with a great ball to Alex Dixon who challenged Saint Louis defenders ultimately causing an own goal by Sean Reynolds. In the 38th minute an unfortunate turnover allowed Kyle Greig to score for Saint Louis FC. The score would remain 2-1 going into halftime. In the 65th minute Greig slotted home his second of the night to stretch the lead for Saint Louis to two goals. Hartford responded quickly in the 68th minute when Sebastian Dalgaard produced a clinical finish to put the match back in reach. Despite best efforts Hartford couldn’t get another one on the board and ended the match in a 3-2 loss.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic – Alex Dixon, F

Dixon has started the past five matches for Athletic and in that time, he has made a big impact to the offensive attack. Dixon has logged 1 goal (and forced an own goal on Sunday night), 2 assists, 8 chances created, and an 83.3% passing accuracy in those five matches. Expect to see the offense continue to work through Dixon on Saturday afternoon.

Loudoun United FC – Antonio Bustamante, MF

Bustamante is coming in off an incredible performance that had him named to the USL Championship Team of the Week. The D.C. United loanee completed 40 of 44 passes, won 4 of 5 duels and made six recoveries in United’s 4-0 win against North Carolina FC. He boasts an 88.7% passing accuracy and has scored 3 goals and assisted on 3 others this season. If Hartford hopes to shut down the Loudoun offensive attack, they'll have to start by shutting down Bustamante.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

The month of September is a welcome sight for Loudoun United FC. The DC United affiliate played seven matches in the month of August going 1-4-2 in those matches. Loudoun comes in to the match on a high note, beating North Carolina FC 4-0 on Saturday. Earlier in the season, Hartford Athletic earned their first USL Championship victory on the road against Loudoun United behind a two goal performance from Jose Angulo which landed him on the Championship Team of the Week, the first ever Hartford player to be named to the team.

FOLLOW ONLINE:

Updates on the match will be provided via Twitter @hfdathletic or by following #HFDvLDN.

HARTFORD ATHLETIC vs LOUDOUN UNITED FC

Date: Saturday, September 7th

Time: 4:00 PM ET

Location: Dillon Stadium, Hartford, CT

Tickets: Click here

Streaming: ESPN+

Local TV: WCTX MyTV9

WHERE TO WATCH:

Thomas Hooker Brewery at Colt, 140 Huyshope Ave., Hartford, CT

City Steam Brewery and Cafe, 942 Main St., Hartford

TK’s American Cafe, 255 White St., Danbury

2nd Bridge Brewing Co., 642 Hilliard St., Manchester

Lakeview Restaurant & Bar, 50 Lake St., Coventry

LAST TIME OUT:

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic – Alex Dixon, F

Loudoun United FC – Antonio Bustamante, MF

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

FOLLOW ONLINE:

Updates on the match will be provided via Twitter @hfdathletic or by following #HFDvLDN.

MAILBAG: The One with Steve the Squirrel

Welcome back to the mailbag, where we answer your questions! If you want to submit a question to Coach Nielsen, a player, or the front office, click here. Let's get to your questions:

Juan Marcos P. asks, "After Games, can players give fans jerseys?"

While players typically won't give out their jerseys to fans, we have a special opportunity to get their favorite player's jersey this weekend! During Saturday's match, we'll be having a silent auction where you can bid on jerseys worn by the players during the match. If you win, you'll be able to take the jersey home with you right after the match! All proceeds from the auction will be donated to Girls for Technology. For more information on the silent auction visit https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/hartfordathletic/charity.

Grace L. asks, "Are there going to be new kits released each season?"

We do plan to have new kits released each year. Our design team is currently going through the process of creating next year's kits (both home and away). I got a bit of a sneak preview because of your question, and I'm quite certain you're going to really enjoy what you see when we reveal the new uniforms.

@DamonTweet asks, "@RyanWilliams91 how's Steve the Squirrel doing?"

For those who didn't see or don't remember, a few weeks ago, Ryan Williams found an injured squirrel near his apartment. Here's the story from Ryan:

RW: I was walking around just giving my legs a stretch, a little far off I saw an animal that was clearly struggling. I went over to it and saw it was a squirrel who was struggling to move. It needed help. Much like the squirrels in England, this squirrel didn't run away from me, so I knew it was accepting my help. I brought it back to my apartment, made a bed for it out of an old shoe box and put him in the basement of my apartment with some food. He was still there when I woke up the next morning, I fed him again and later that day he seemed to be in better shape. He appeared able to move well enough so I released him back into the wild. I feel confident he's doing alright out there.

@HFDTILIMDEAD asks, "What interesting hobbies do the players/staff have outside of soccer?"

Danny Barrera: I am actually very into disc golf. I played earlier this week actually with Ryan Williams and Jose Angulo. We went to Wickham Park and played. Since I moved here, I've actually found a lot of really great disc golf courses in Connecticut. I'm going to try and play as many courses as I can before the season ends.

I can speak for most of the players and staff on this one, there is a ping-pong table in the team room and each day before and after practice it is being used. There are a ton of really good and competitive players and there's almost always a quality competitive match going on. Nobody plays more than Mads Jørgensen, but the best player is Coach Nielsen.

NEXT HOME MATCH:

Saturday the Boys in Green are at home – and in Orange! – for a league match against Loudoun United to benefit Gender Equality. For tickets and more information regarding all our special events including a Women and Girls only soccer clinic and a meet and greet in the Rally Alley, head to https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/hartfordathletic/charity.

Welcome back to the mailbag, where we answer your questions! If you want to submit a question to Coach Nielsen, a player, or the front office, click here. Let’s get to your questions:

Juan Marcos P. asks, “After Games, can players give fans jerseys?”

While players typically won’t give out their jerseys to fans, we have a special opportunity to get their favorite player’s jersey this weekend! During Saturday’s match, we’ll be having a silent auction where you can bid on jerseys worn by the players during the match. If you win, you’ll be able to take the jersey home with you right after the match! All proceeds from the auction will be donated to Girls for Technology. For more information on the silent auction visit https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/hartfordathletic/charity.

Grace L. asks, “Are there going to be new kits released each season?”

We do plan to have new kits released each year. Our design team is currently going through the process of creating next year’s kits (both home and away). I got a bit of a sneak preview because of your question, and I’m quite certain you’re going to really enjoy what you see when we reveal the new uniforms.

@DamonTweet asks, “@RyanWilliams91 how’s Steve the Squirrel doing?”

For those who didn’t see or don’t remember, a few weeks ago, Ryan Williams found an injured squirrel near his apartment. Here’s the story from Ryan:

RW: I was walking around just giving my legs a stretch, a little far off I saw an animal that was clearly struggling. I went over to it and saw it was a squirrel who was struggling to move. It needed help. Much like the squirrels in England, this squirrel didn’t run away from me, so I knew it was accepting my help. I brought it back to my apartment, made a bed for it out of an old shoe box and put him in the basement of my apartment with some food. He was still there when I woke up the next morning, I fed him again and later that day he seemed to be in better shape. He appeared able to move well enough so I released him back into the wild. I feel confident he’s doing alright out there.

@HFDTILIMDEAD asks, “What interesting hobbies do the players/staff have outside of soccer?”

Danny Barrera: I am actually very into disc golf. I played earlier this week actually with Ryan Williams and Jose Angulo. We went to Wickham Park and played. Since I moved here, I’ve actually found a lot of really great disc golf courses in Connecticut. I’m going to try and play as many courses as I can before the season ends.

I can speak for most of the players and staff on this one, there is a ping-pong table in the team room and each day before and after practice it is being used. There are a ton of really good and competitive players and there’s almost always a quality competitive match going on. Nobody plays more than Mads Jørgensen, but the best player is Coach Nielsen.

NEXT HOME MATCH:

RECAP: Hartford Falls to Saint Louis FC on the Road 3-2

Hartford Athletic took a tough 3-2 loss to Saint Louis FC on Sunday night. Despite fighting back in the second half, the Boys in Green took the Labor Day weekend defeat.

Energy to start the match came from Cody Cropper with multiple incredible saves to keep Saint Louis off the board in the beginning run. In the 16th minute Kadeem Dacres took a long range shot from outside the box and gave Saint Louis their first goal. Hartford countered in the 28th minute with a great ball to Alex Dixon who challenged Saint Louis defenders ultimately causing an own goal by Sean Reynolds.

In the 38th minute an unfortunate turnover allowed Kyle Greig to score a goal for Saint Louis FC. Late in the half Wojciech Wojcik drew a foul just outside the box giving Ryan Williams a solid opportunity to score but the shot skated just over the bar. The score would remain 2-1 going into halftime.

Coming out of the locker room with some fight, Wojcik got on the end of a great cross from Danny Barrera but his touch went just wide. In the 65th minute Greig slotted home his second of the night to stretch the lead for Saint Louis to two goals. Hartford responded quickly in the 68th minute when Sebastian Dalgaard had a clinical finish to put the match back in reach. Despite best efforts Hartford couldn't get another one on the board and ended the match in a 3-2 loss.

Hartford Athletic will be back in action on Saturday at 4 PM at Dillon Stadium when Loudoun United II come to town. The Boys in Green will be sporting a special charity kit to support women's empowerment and gender equality. All player kits will be auctioned off to support Girls For Technology. Click here to purchase tickets to the match.

STATS:

Shots: 17-9 STL

Shots on Target: 8-3 STL

Corner Kicks: 6-1 STL

Fouls Committed: 10-10 HFD | STL

Saves: 5-2 HFD

Offside: 1-0 HFD

Possession: 52%-48% HFD

Passing Accuracy: 77%-74% HFD

SCORING SUMMARY

Kadeem Dacres – 16'

Sean Reynolds (Own Goal) – 29'

Kyle Greig – 38'

Kyle Greig – 65'

Sebastian Dalgaard – 67'

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

Sean Reynolds (Yellow Card) – 59'

Matt Bahner (Yellow Card) – 71'

Danny Barrera (Yellow Card) – 75'

Jose Angulo (Red Card) – 90+6'

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP

Cody Cropper; Elliot Hord, Alex Davey, Sem De Wit (c.), Logan Gdula; Wojciech Wojcik (Jose Angulo 68'), Ryan Williams (Nicky Downs 68'), Mads Jørgensen; Sebastian Dalgaard, Danny Barrera; Alex Dixon (Kyle Curinga 85').

SAINT LOUIS FC STARTING LINEUP

Tomas Gomez; Phanuel Kavita, Matt Bahner, Sean Reynolds, Sam Fink (c.); Lewis Hilton, Colin Fernandez (Guy Abend 76'), Kadeem Dacres, Russell Cicerone; Tyler Blackwood, Kyle Greig (Caleb Calvert 77').

Hartford Athletic took a tough 3-2 loss to Saint Louis FC on Sunday night. Despite fighting back in the second half, the Boys in Green took the Labor Day weekend defeat.

Coming out of the locker room with some fight, Wojcik got on the end of a great cross from Danny Barrera but his touch went just wide. In the 65th minute Greig slotted home his second of the night to stretch the lead for Saint Louis to two goals. Hartford responded quickly in the 68th minute when Sebastian Dalgaard had a clinical finish to put the match back in reach. Despite best efforts Hartford couldn’t get another one on the board and ended the match in a 3-2 loss.

Hartford Athletic will be back in action on Saturday at 4 PM at Dillon Stadium when Loudoun United II come to town. The Boys in Green will be sporting a special charity kit to support women’s empowerment and gender equality. All player kits will be auctioned off to support Girls For Technology. Click here to purchase tickets to the match.

STATS:

Shots: 17-9 STL

Shots on Target: 8-3 STL

Corner Kicks: 6-1 STL

Fouls Committed: 10-10 HFD | STL

Saves: 5-2 HFD

Offside: 1-0 HFD

Possession: 52%-48% HFD

Passing Accuracy: 77%-74% HFD

SCORING SUMMARY

Kadeem Dacres – 16′

Sean Reynolds (Own Goal) – 29′

Kyle Greig – 38′

Kyle Greig – 65′

Sebastian Dalgaard – 67′

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY

Sean Reynolds (Yellow Card) – 59′

Matt Bahner (Yellow Card) – 71′

Danny Barrera (Yellow Card) – 75′

Jose Angulo (Red Card) – 90+6′

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP

Cody Cropper; Elliot Hord, Alex Davey, Sem De Wit (c.), Logan Gdula; Wojciech Wojcik (Jose Angulo 68′), Ryan Williams (Nicky Downs 68′), Mads Jørgensen; Sebastian Dalgaard, Danny Barrera; Alex Dixon (Kyle Curinga 85′).

SAINT LOUIS FC STARTING LINEUP

Tomas Gomez; Phanuel Kavita, Matt Bahner, Sean Reynolds, Sam Fink (c.); Lewis Hilton, Colin Fernandez (Guy Abend 76′), Kadeem Dacres, Russell Cicerone; Tyler Blackwood, Kyle Greig (Caleb Calvert 77′).

PREVIEW: Athletic Visit Saint Louis Eyeing Season Sweep

Hartford Athletic looks to string together back-to-back wins in Championship matches for the first time in Club history when it heads to Saint Louis on Sunday evening. Athletic took down Saint Louis when the two clubs first met in June. Here's everything you need to know about this week's match:

HARTFORD ATHLETIC at SAINT LOUIS FC

Date: Sunday, September 1

Time: 8:30 PM ET

Location: West Community Stadium, Fenton, MO

Streaming: ESPN+

Local TV: None

WHERE TO WATCH:

Thomas Hooker Brewery at Colt, 140 Huyshope Ave., Hartford, CT

City Steam Brewery and Cafe, 942 Main St., Hartford

TK's American Cafe, 255 White St., Danbury

2nd Bridge Brewing Co., 642 Hilliard St., Manchester

Lakeview Restaurant & Bar, 50 Lake St., Coventry

LAST TIME OUT:

Hartford Athletic captured a 3-2 victory over Atlanta United 2 in front of a near capacity crowd of 4,810 at Dillon Stadium on Saturday. The Boys in Green took the lead early as Ryan Williams buried a penalty in the 27th minute. The tide turned early in the second half as Atlanta scored two goals in two minutes to reclaim the lead off the feet of Carleton (57’) and Vázquez (59’). The hero Wojtek Wojcik entered the match in the 68th minute and found himself alone in front of the net burying a beautiful header off a cross from Jose Angulo. Wojcik found himself on the end of another cross — this time by Elliott Hord — bagging his second of the match (89’) on a glancing header to steal it at the death.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic – Cody Cropper, GK

Cropper made a number of masterful saves in his Hartford Athletic USL Championship debut last Saturday. It was Cropper's first start since May 4th where he started for the New England Revolution. Cropper has made a great connection with the Hartford Athletic back line and has a great chance to keep a struggling Saint Louis offense at bay.

Saint Louis FC – Kyle Greig, F

Saint Louis will need offense from someone to start turning things around after notching just three goals over its past five games. Despite averaging 305 minutes per goal this season, Greig seems as likely as anyone to take advantage. STLFC’s 2018 leading scorer will likely get plenty of chances to add to his tally of five goals this campaign.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

The month of August has not been kind to Saint Louis FC who were winless in five matches (0-3-2). The offensive firepower that powered them to the top of the table early in the season seems to be gone as well. Saint Louis has scored two or more goals in a match only twice since the beginning of July. The Hartford Athletic defense, which has allowed 11 goals in their last three Championship matches, will be a welcome sight. Sunday’s match also marks the first of three matches in 7 days for Saint Louis who sit four points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

FOLLOW ONLINE:

Updates on the match will be provided via Twitter @hfdathletic or by following #STLvHFD

Hartford Athletic looks to string together back-to-back wins in Championship matches for the first time in Club history when it heads to Saint Louis on Sunday evening. Athletic took down Saint Louis when the two clubs first met in June. Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s match:

HARTFORD ATHLETIC at SAINT LOUIS FC

Date: Sunday, September 1

Time: 8:30 PM ET

Location: West Community Stadium, Fenton, MO

Streaming: ESPN+

Local TV: None

WHERE TO WATCH:

Thomas Hooker Brewery at Colt, 140 Huyshope Ave., Hartford, CT

City Steam Brewery and Cafe, 942 Main St., Hartford

TK’s American Cafe, 255 White St., Danbury

2nd Bridge Brewing Co., 642 Hilliard St., Manchester

Lakeview Restaurant & Bar, 50 Lake St., Coventry

LAST TIME OUT:

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic – Cody Cropper, GK

Cropper made a number of masterful saves in his Hartford Athletic USL Championship debut last Saturday. It was Cropper’s first start since May 4th where he started for the New England Revolution. Cropper has made a great connection with the Hartford Athletic back line and has a great chance to keep a struggling Saint Louis offense at bay.

Saint Louis FC – Kyle Greig, F

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

FOLLOW ONLINE:

Updates on the match will be provided via Twitter @hfdathletic or by following #STLvHFD

News

Presented By