HARTFORD, Conn. (August 4, 2021) – Hartford Athletic and Miami FC both notched first-half goals as the sides played to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday night at Dillon Stadium as neither side was able to take advantage of its chances to claim a winner in an entertaining contest in the USL Championship’s Atlantic Division.
Both teams opened positively, but the Athletic gained the early advantage in the 14th minute as Juan Carlos Obregon Jr. was brought down in the penalty area after controlling a long ball forward from Danny Barrera well to lead his run into the box. Bradford Jamieson IV stepped up to the spot and fired to the left corner as Miami’s Connor Sparrow went the other way for his first goal for Hartford.
Miami worked to respond quickly and nine minutes later Speedy Williams was played into the left side of the penalty area by Ariel Martinez before cutting onto his right foot for a low shot that was saved by Hartford’s Jeff Caldwell. The visitors pulled level in the 25th minute, however, as after a shot by Martinez from 20 yards was partially blocked, Janos Loebe responded to keep the attack alive in the left side of the penalty area, and his cutback cross was put home by Othello Bah for Miami’s first goal against the Athletic this season.
Martinez had a chance to put Miami ahead just past the half-hour mark as a good passing on the left that went through the Cuban forward saw Loebe pick him back out for a first-time shot from the edge of the penalty area that went high. Both Lamar Walker and Bah also went close for the visitors late in the half, while Obregon had a shot saved for the Athletic, but the teams went to the break level.
Hartford introduced recent 17-year-old USL Academy signing Kenan Hot at the halftime break, and he almost made an early impact in his debut for the side with a floated cross from the right that was headed down in the left side of the penalty area by Walmer Martinez for a snap shot by Barrera that was parried away by Sparrow. Hot also had a look himself just past the hour-mark after a good piece of interplay with Obregon set up a shot at the top of the penalty area, but his effort went wide of the left post.
Miami had a big chance to go ahead midway through the second half as Billy Forbes sent Adonijah Reid forward on a counterattack but after he spun onto his right foot in the left side of the penalty area his finish was parried behind for a corner by Caldwell. Jamaican international Jahshaun Anglin also forced a low save from Caldwell as the game entered the final 20 minutes, while Reid had a shot from the right side of the penalty area saved before Forbes whistled a shot wide of the left post from 20 yards.
The Athletic almost grabbed a late winner with two minutes to go as the ball was worked to Barrera on the left side to deliver a cross for Derek Dodson in the left side of the penalty area that he headed just wide of the right post. Dodson got another half-chance as he gained possession under pressure after a good piece of work by Jeciel Cedeno on the right, only for his turning shot to go wide of the left post. After a frantic five minutes of stoppage time, however, honors ended even as each side took home a point.
