2020 Hartford Athletic season
| 2020 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Hartford Sports Group | ||
| Head coach | Radhi Jaïdi | ||
| Stadium | Dillon Stadium | ||
| USL Championship | Group F: 1st Eastern Conf.: 2nd | ||
| USLC Playoffs | Conf. Quarterfinals | ||
| U.S. Open Cup | Cancelled | ||
| Highest home attendance | 1,375 (6 times) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 1,207 (July 20 vs. Loudoun) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 1,351 | ||
| Biggest win | HFD 4–1 LDN (Aug. 2) PHI 0–3 HFD (Sept. 20) | ||
| Biggest defeat | PIT 5–0 HFD (Sept. 12) | ||
|
| |||
The 2020 Hartford Athletic season was the club's second season of existence and their second in the USL Championship, the second tier of American soccer.[1] This article covers the period from October 20, 2019, the day after Hartford's final match of the 2019 regular season, to the conclusion of the 2020 USLC Playoff Final, scheduled for November 12–16, 2020.[2]
Season in review
Background, off-season and pre-season
Hartford finished its inaugural season in next to last place in the Eastern Conference, seven table positions and fourteen points out of the playoff spots. The club parted ways with head coach Jimmy Nielsen[3] just seven days after the 2019 season's end and signed former Southampton U-23 coach Radhi Jaïdi to fill the vacancy on November 8.[4] The club also parted ways with COO Donovan Powell five days later.[5]
The club began announcing roster moves in October, also, quickly announcing the return of four players from the 2019 roster (Harry Swartz, Alex Dixon, Alex Davey, and Nicky Downs),[6] with the return of Danny Barrera[7] and Mads Jørgensen[8] being announced in early November, and the return of Mike Novotny[9] being announced in early December. New signings began in earnest in late November with the addition of Aiden Mesias,[10] former Fresno FC defender Sam Strong,[11] Brazilian defender Gabriel Torres,[12] 2019 Greenville Triumph center back Kevin Politz,[13] Cal State Northridge products Dre Deas[14] and Alex Lara,[15] Dartmouth midfielder Noah Paravicini,[16] and UT-Rio Grande Valley midfielder Arthur Rogers.[17] In January, the club signed San Antonio FC's all-time leading scorer Éver Guzmán,[18] Brazilian defender Matheus Silva,[19] and announced the return of forward Mac Steeves.[20] In February, the club announced loan deals for goalkeeper Parfait Mandanda[21] and Southampton U-23 midfielder Tyreke Johnson.[22]
Roster
- As of September 4, 2020[23]
| No. | Position | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | DF | USA | Alex Lara |
| 3 | DF | BRA | Matheus Silva |
| 4 | DF | USA | Kevin Politz |
| 5 | DF | SCO | Alex Davey |
| 6 | MF | ENG | Arthur Rogers |
| 7 | MF | USA | Noah Paravicini |
| 8 | MF | DEN | Mads Jørgensen |
| 9 | FW | USA | Mac Steeves |
| 10 | MF | USA | Danny Barrera |
| 11 | FW | USA | Alex Dixon |
| 16 | MF | BRA | Gabriel Torres |
| 17 | FW | USA | Alfonso Vazquez |
| 18 | GK | USA | Mike Novotny |
| 25 | DF | ISR | Idan Cohen |
| 20 | FW | NOR | Markus Naglestad |
| 21 | MF | USA | Nicky Downs |
| 23 | MF | ENG | Aiden Mesias |
| 24 | DF | USA | Sam Strong |
| 28 | MF | USA | Conor McGlynn |
| 33 | MF | USA | Harry Swartz |
| 35 | GK | COD | Parfait Mandanda (on loan from Charleroi) |
| 42 | FW | USA | Dre Deas |
| 80 | MF | USA | Justin Haak (on loan from New York City FC) |
| 88 | MF | ENG | Tyreke Johnson (on loan from Southampton) |
| 99 | FW | MEX | Éver Guzmán |
Competitions
Exhibitions
Match results
| February 12, 2020 Preseason 1 | Hartford Athletic | 3–0 | Newtown Pride FC | Farmington, Connecticut |
| Report | Stadium: Farmington Sports Arena |
| February 14, 2020 Preseason 2 | New York Red Bulls II | 2–3 | Hartford Athletic | Montclair, New Jersey |
| Report | Stadium: MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field |
| February 19, 2020 Preseason 3 | Hartford Athletic | 5–1 | New England Revolution II | Farmington, Connecticut |
| 1:00 PM EST |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Farmington Sports Arena |
| February 22, 2020 Preseason 4 | New England Revolution II | 1–0 | Hartford Athletic | Foxborough, Massachusetts |
| 1:00 PM EST | Report |
|
Stadium: Gillette Stadium Attendance: 0 | |
| Note: Closed door scrimmage | ||||
| March 3, 2020 Preseason 5 | Hartford Athletic | 2–2 | Hartford Hawks | Farmington, Connecticut |
| 1:30 PM EST | Report | Stadium: Farmington Sports Arena |
USL Championship
Standings — Group F
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hartford Athletic | 16 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 31 | 24 | +7 | 35 | 2.19 | Advance to USL Championship Playoffs |
| 2 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | 16 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 39 | 10 | +29 | 34 | 2.13 | |
| 3 | New York Red Bulls II | 16 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 30 | 37 | −7 | 15 | 0.94 | |
| 4 | Philadelphia Union II | 16 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 45 | −25 | 9 | 0.56 | |
| 5 | Loudoun United FC | 13 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 28 | −18 | 6 | 0.46 |
Source: USL
Match results
In the preparations for the resumption of league play following the shutdown prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hartford's schedule was announced on July 2.[24]
| July 17 1 | New York Red Bulls II | 0–1 | Hartford Athletic | Montclair, NJ |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Corfe 78' Elney 90+4' |
Report | Guzmán 12' Silva 53' Barrera 62' Downs 89' Deas 90+3' |
Stadium: MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field Referee: Joshua Encarnación |
| July 20 2 | Hartford Athletic | 3–1 | Loudoun United | Hartford, CT |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Politz 3' Swartz 45' Johnson 55' Dixon 65' |
Report | Amoh 43', 58' (pen.) Doue 90' |
Stadium: Dillon Stadium Attendance: 1,207 Referee: Adam Kilpatrick |
| July 25 3 | Hartford Athletic | 3–2 | Philadelphia Union II | Hartford, CT |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Silva 29' Torres 39' Jørgensen 43' Guzmán 53' McGlynn 66' |
Report | Scintu 4' Picazo 16' Kingue 90+7' |
Stadium: Dillon Stadium Attendance: 1,375 Referee: Thomas Snyder |
| July 29 4 | Indy Eleven | 4–1 | Hartford Athletic | Indianapolis, IN |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Moon 4' Pasher 51' Conner 81' Watson 87' |
Report | Swartz 33' Davey 45+5' Dixon 46' Silva 90+3' |
Stadium: Lucas Oil Stadium Attendance: 4,775 Referee: Lukasz Szpala |
| August 2 5 | Hartford Athletic | 4–1 | Loudoun United | Hartford, CT |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Guzmán 7', 18' Lara 45' Barrera 66' Dixon 84' Torres 90+3' Vazquez Villar 90+8' |
Report | Amoh 21' (pen.), 56' | Stadium: Dillon Stadium Attendance: 1,375 Referee: Jeremy Scheer |
| August 9 6 | Philadelphia Union II | P–P | Hartford Athletic | Chester, PA |
| TBA PM EDT | Stadium: Talen Energy Stadium | |||
| Note: Match postponed due to positive covid-19 test in the Union II organization.[25] | ||||
| August 15 7 | Hartford Athletic | 2–1 | New York Red Bulls II | Hartford, CT |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Dixon 21' Silva 27' Strong 40', 86' Johnson 45+3' |
Report | LaCava 59' Elney 74' |
Stadium: Dillon Stadium Attendance: 1,375 Referee: Ernie Constantine |
| August 19 8 | Philadelphia Union II | P–P | Hartford Athletic | Chester, PA |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Stadium: Talen Energy Stadium | |||
| Note: Match postponed due to positive covid-19 test in the Union II organization.[26] | ||||
| August 23 9 | Hartford Athletic | 2–2 | Loudoun United | Hartford, CT |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Swartz 28' Barrera 67' Silva 69' Naglestad 85' Dixon 89' |
Report | Wiedt 22' Ndour 23' Amoustapha 44' Amoh 73', 84' Greene 88' |
Stadium: Dillon Stadium Attendance: 1,375 Referee: Thomas Snyder |
| August 28 10 | Hartford Athletic | 0–3 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | Hartford, CT |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Lara 83' | Report | Gómez 7' James 11', 50' Griffin 22' |
Stadium: Dillon Stadium Attendance: 1,375 Referee: Jeremy Scheer |
| September 5 11 | Hartford Athletic | 2–1 | Loudoun United | Hartford, CT |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Silva 6' Rogers 17', 56' Strong 43' Guzmán 70' Torres 76' |
Report | Fawole 4' Ndour 30' Mehl 77' 87' |
Stadium: Dillon Stadium Attendance: 1,375 Referee: Christian Centeno |
| September 12 12 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | 5–0 | Hartford Athletic | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 7:00 PM EDT | James 13', 47' Mensah 27', 61' Velarde 42' (pen.) |
Report | Strong 39' Torres 81' Naglestad 82' Haak 83' |
Stadium: Highmark Stadium Referee: Eric Tattersall |
| September 16 13 | Hartford Athletic | 3–1 | New York Red Bulls II | Hartford, CT |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Silva 11' Haak 43', 75' Dixon 45+1' Torres 54' Barrera 68' |
Report | Rito 40' LaCava 64' Clark 69' |
Stadium: Dillon Stadium Referee: Thomas Snyder |
| September 20 14 | Philadelphia Union II | 0–3 | Hartford Athletic | Chester, PA |
| 5:00 PM EDT | Huckaby 34' | Report | Dixon 8', 58' Topey 13' (o.g.) Strong 44' Johnson 90' |
Stadium: Subaru Park Referee: Luis Arroyo |
| September 23 15 | Hartford Athletic | 1–1 | Philadelphia Union II | Hartford, CT |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Strong 45+2', 88' Cohen 56' Jørgensen 68' |
Report | McGlynn 76' Aaronson 90' |
Stadium: Dillon Stadium Attendance: 1,375 Referee: Jeremy Scheer |
| September 26 16 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | 0–1 | Hartford Athletic | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Dos Santos 72' | Report | Guzmán 30', 36' Silva 47' Politz 50' Barrera 64' Mandanda 71' Novotny 89' Haak 90+5' |
Stadium: Highmark Stadium Referee: Joshua Encarnación |
| September 30 17 | Philadelphia Union II | 2–3 | Hartford Athletic | Chester, PA |
| 7:30 PM EDT | Budler 7' Cohen 22' (o.g.) Sorenson 42' Stafford 60' |
Report | Jørgensen 8' (pen.) Lara 15' Dixon 25' Strong 55' Barrera 90' |
Stadium: Subaru Park Referee: Christian Centeno |
| October 4 18 | New York Red Bulls II | 0–2 | Hartford Athletic | Montclair, NJ |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Bounthong 48' Sowe 55' Dieye 83' |
Report | Lara 39' Johnson 65' McGlynn 75' Strong 90+1' |
Stadium: MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field Referee: Sean Lyons |
USL Cup Playoffs
| October 10 First round | Hartford Athletic | 0–1 | Saint Louis FC | Hartford, CT |
| 7:00 PM EDT | Silva 16' Strong 45+1' Barrera 61' Politz 90+3' |
Report | Greig 73' Fall 89' Rivas 90+3' |
Stadium: Dillon Stadium Attendance: 2,194 Referee: Kevin Broadley |
U.S. Open Cup
As a USL Championship club, Hartford as enter the competition in the second round, to be played April 7–9.[27] The 2020 U.S. Open Cup was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[28]
| April 9 2nd Round | Hartford Athletic | P–P | Western Mass Pioneers or GPS Portland Phoenix | Hartford, CT |
| 7:00 pm EDT | Stadium: Dillon Stadium | |||
| Note: Match cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[28] | ||||
Statistics
Appearances and goals
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | USLC | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||||
| 11 | FW | USA | Alex Dixon | 16 | 6 | 15 | 6 | ||
| 99 | FW | MEX | Éver Guzmán | 13 | 5 | 12 | 5 | ||
| 4 | DF | USA | Kevin Politz | 15 | 1 | 14 | 1 | ||
| 33 | MF | USA | Harry Swartz | 7 | 1 | 7 | 1 | ||
| 23 | MF | ENG | Aiden Mesias | 14 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| 42 | FW | USA | Dre Deas | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 28 | MF | USA | Conor McGlynn | 10 | 1 | 9 | 1 | ||
| 25 | DF | ISR | Idan Cohen | 8 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 24 | DF | USA | Sam Strong | 14 | 2 | 13 | 2 | ||
| 21 | DF | USA | Nicky Downs | 11 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
| 20 | FW | NOR | Markus Naglestad | 9 | 1 | 8 | 1 | ||
| 17 | FW | USA | Alfonso Vazquez | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | ||
| 16 | MF | BRA | Gabriel Torres | 15 | 2 | 14 | 2 | ||
| 10 | MF | USA | Danny Barrera | 17 | 2 | 16 | 2 | ||
| 9 | FW | USA | Mac Steeves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 8 | MF | DEN | Mads Jørgensen | 12 | 2 | 12 | 2 | ||
| 6 | MF | ENG | Arthur Rogers | 15 | 1 | 14 | 1 | ||
| 3 | DF | BRA | Matheus Silva | 15 | 1 | 14 | 1 | ||
| 2 | DF | USA | Alex Lara | 12 | 1 | 12 | 1 | ||
| 7 | MF | USA | Noah Paravicini | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 80 | MF | USA | Justin Haak | 8 | 1 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Players who left Hartford during the season: | |||||||||
| 85 | MF | ENG | Tyreke Johnson | 14 | 2 | 14 | 2 | ||
| 5 | DF | ENG | Alex Davey | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
Disciplinary record
| No. | Pos. | Name | USLC | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Defender | Matheus Silva | 8 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 10 | Midfielder | Danny Barrera | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 21 | Midfielder | Nicky Downs | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 42 | Forward | Dre Deas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Forward | Alex Dixon | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 28 | Midfielder | Conor McGlynn | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 33 | Midfielder | Harry Swartz | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 5 | Defender | Alex Davey | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Midfielder | Gabriel Torres | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 35 | Goalkeeper | Parfait Mandanda | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 24 | Defender | Sam Strong | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 12 | Defender | Alex Lara | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 80 | Midfielder | Justin Haak | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Defender | Kevin Politz | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 88 | Midfielder | Tyreke Johnson | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | Goalkeeper | Mike Novotny | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | Midfielder | Mads Jørgensen | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | Midfielder | Arthur Rogers | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 99 | Forward | Ever Guzman | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | Forward | Markus Naglestad | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Defender | Idan Cohen | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Clean sheets
| No. | Name | USLC | USLC Playoffs | Total | Games Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Parfait Mandanda | 4 | 0 | 4 | 16 |
| 16 | Mike Novotny | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Transfers
In
| Pos. | Player | Transferred from | Fee/notes | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defender | Sam Strong | Fresno FC | Free | December 1, 2019 | |
| Defender | Gabriel Torres | Chattanooga FC | Free | December 9, 2020 | |
| Defender | Kevin Politz | Greenville Triumph SC | Free | December 9, 2019 | |
| Forward | Dre Deas | CSUN Matadors | Free | December 12, 2019 | |
| Defender | Alex Lara | CSUN Matadors | Free | December 12, 2019 | |
| Midfielder | Noah Paravicini | Napa Valley 1839 FC | Free | December 18, 2019 | |
| Forward | Arthur Rogers | Texas–Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros | Free | December 23, 2020 | |
| Forward | Ever Guzman | San Antonio FC | Free | January 8, 2020 | |
| Midfielder | Matheus Silva | Miami FC | Free | January 13, 2020 | |
| Midfielder | Conor McGlynn | FA Euro New York | Open tryouts | March 12, 2020 | |
| Forward | Alfonso Vazquez | Windham High School | Open tryouts | March 12, 2020 | |
| Forward | Markus Naglestad | Egersunds IK | Free | August 13, 2020 | |
| Defender | Idan Cohen | Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C. | Free | September 3, 2020 |
Out
| Pos. | Player | Transferred to | Fee/notes | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defender | Alex Davey | Tampa Bay Rowdies | Free | September 2 |
Loan in
| Pos. | Player | Parent club | Length/Notes | Beginning | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Parfait Mandanda | R. Charleroi S.C. | Season long | February 20 | End of season | |
| Midfielder | Tyreke Johnson | Southampton F.C. | Season long | February 24 | October 8 | |
| Midfielder | Justin Haak | New York City FC | Remainder of the season | September 9 | End of season |
Loan out
| Pos. | Player | Loanee club | Length/Notes | Beginning | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kits
Home
|
Away
|
Charity Alternate
|
| Type | Shirt | Shorts | Socks | First appearance / Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | Green | Green | Green | Match 3 vs. Louisville / 6–2–1 |
| Away | White | White | White | Match 1 vs. New York / 4–0–2 |
| Charity Alternate |
Red | Red | Red | Match 15 vs. Philadelphia / 1-0-0 |
See also
References
- ^ "Hartford Athletic – Our Story". HartfordAthletic.com. Hartford Athletic. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
- ^ "USL Championship Unveils 2020 Schedule". January 9, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic, Jimmy Nielsen agree to part ways". New England Soccer Journal. October 27, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic names Radhi Jaidi as head coach". New England Soccer Journal. November 8, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic and COO Part Ways; Andy Smith Named Interim Team President". www.hartfordathletic.com. November 13, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic Welcomes Back Four Players for 2020 Season". www.hartfordathletic.com. October 30, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ "Danny Barrera Returning to Hartford Athletic for 2020 Season". www.hartfordathletic.com. November 5, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ "Mads Jørgensen Returning to Hartford Athletic for 2020 Season". www.hartfordathletic.com. November 14, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ "Mike Novotny Returning in 2020". www.hartfordathletic.com. December 4, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic Signs English Midfielder Aiden Mesias". www.hartfordathletic.com. November 25, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Defender Sam Strong Joins Hartford Athletic". www.hartfordathletic.com. December 2, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic Signs Defender Gabriel Torres". www.hartfordathletic.com. December 9, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic Signs Defender Kevin Politz". www.hartfordathletic.com. December 10, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Forward Dre Deas Joins 2020 Roster". www.hartfordathletic.com. December 12, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic Signs Defender Alex Lara". www.hartfordathletic.com. December 13, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic Signs Midfielder Noah Paravacini". www.hartfordathletic.com. December 18, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Midfielder Arthur Rogers Signs for 2020 Season". www.hartfordathletic.com. December 23, 2019.
- ^ "Athletic Sign San Antonio FC All-Time Leading Scorer, Ever Guzmán". www.hartfordathletic.com. December 23, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic Signs Defender Matheus Silva". www.hartfordathletic.com. January 14, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Return of the Mac: Steeves Returning for 2020". www.hartfordathletic.com. January 15, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic Acquires Goalkeeper Parfait Mandanda on Loan". www.hartfordathletic.com. February 20, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Southampton's Tyreke Johnson Joins Hartford Athletic on Loan". www.hartfordathletic.com. February 24, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic roster". HartfordAthletic.com. Hartford Athletic. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic Announces 2020 USL Schedule". hartfordathletic.com. July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
- ^ "Philadelphia Union II Match Against Hartford Athletic Rescheduled". Philadelphia Union. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2020.
- ^ "Match Against Philadelphia Union II Postponed". HartfordAthletic.com. August 19, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
- ^ "Restructured Competition Format For 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Provides Opportunity For More "David vs. Goliath" Matchups In 107th Edition Of U.S. Soccer's National Championship". U.S. Soccer Federation. Retrieved December 18, 2019.
- ^ a b "U.S. Soccer Temporarily Suspends 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Due to COVID-19 Outbreak". ussoccer.com. March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2020.