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USL Hartford Athletic

Athletic Look for Three More Points on the Road

September 29, 2020 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Hartford Athletic News Release


Hartford Athletic hits the road for the second of three road matches to finish the 2020 campaign. The Boys in Green are coming off a huge victory over Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday night and now control their destiny in the chase for Group F. Two wins guarantee the top of the table and a home playoff spot and it starts tomorrow night in Philadelphia.

HARTFORD ATHLETIC (9-3-2) at PHILADELPHIA UNION II (2-9-3)

Date: Wednesday, September 30th

Time: 7:30 PM ET

Location: Subaru Park, Chester, PA

Local TV: WCTX MyTV9

Streaming: hartfordathletic.com/watch or ESPN+

International Viewers: YouTube

LAST TIME OUT:

In the third meeting with Pittsburgh Riverhounds this season, Hartford Athletic notched a massive 1-0 victory holding on even though down to 10 men for the final 26 minutes of the match. In the 35th minute, Ever Guzmán was slipped in by strike partner Alex Dixon and with a sliding finish dispatched a right-footed shot into the back of the net. In the second half, after a 50/50 sliding challenge, Parfait Mandanda found himself in a scuffle behind the net. Mandanda was given a red card. Second year goalkeeper Mike Novotny came in to make his USL Championship debut replacing Mandanda. He and the backline stood tall with multiple clearances and goal lines saves in the last fifteen minutes.

DESTINY CONTROLLED:

With Saturday's win against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Hartford now controls its own destiny in Group F. Wins in the final two matches for Hartford clinch the top spot in the table and a home playoff match in the first round. If Hartford were to lose either match, it would need a Pittsburgh loss to clinch the top spot.

WHO IS MIKE NOVOTNY?:

Goalkeeper Parfait Mandanda was issued a Red Card in the 71st minute on Saturday night which brought the debut of backup GK Mike Novotny. Novotny has been part of Hartford Athletic for the past two seasons, but the 17 minutes he played on Saturday night were the first minutes of USL Championship action he's gotten since joining the club. He will be called on for the full 90 minutes on Wednesday night, his first regular-season start since playing for Stode IF in Sweden during the 2018 season (Novotny started and played 45 minutes in the club's friendly match with Jamaican side Portmore United last fall). With no goalies under contract for 2021, this could be an audition of sorts for the young Novotny. If you want to learn more about him, check out our 20 Questions series!

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Hartford Athletic, Sam Strong, D, #24:

Hartford's back line has found its best form of the season at the perfect time. Over the past three matches, Hartford has only conceded one goal and the back trio of Strong, Matheus Silva, and Kevin Politz have done a masterful job shutting down opponents. Strong's play has been quality, but he also brings an extra element offensively on set pieces. He is a big body and is often a target on corners. Strong scored Hartford's only goal against Philadelphia last match, his effort on both sides of the ball will be important in this one.

Philadelphia Union II, Paxten Aaronson, MF, #70:

It would be too easy to put Jack McGlynn who has 3 goals in his last 2 matches (see below), so we'll take it another direction. Aaronson is just 17 years old but has made an immediate impact in the Philadelphia midfield. He has a goal and an assist this season but has also taken 15 shots (3rd on the team) and created 10 chances (5th on the team). He's a player who has caught the eye of Hartford Head Coach Radhi Jaïdi and is someone with a very bright future in the Philadelphia system.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT:

Despite only taking one point in the last 3 matches, Philadelphia Union II have some momentum heading into the match. Last Wednesday, a late Jack McGlynn goal leveled the score and saw Union II leave Hartford with a point. Saturday evening, Union II took a tough loss to NYRBII 5-4 despite being down a man for almost 60 minutes. Two of the four goals came from McGlynn (brother of Hartford midfielder Conor) who should be the focal point of the Hartford defense.

FOLLOW ONLINE:

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

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 29, 2020


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