Athletic Looks to Maintain Dominant Run against Visiting Pittsburgh
USL Hartford Athletic

Athletic Looks to Maintain Dominant Run against Visiting Pittsburgh

Published on September 19, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Hartford Athletic News Release


The Boys in Green host Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC after a full week's rest for the first time this month. Despite the packed schedule, the Green & Blue have been able to find results, winning 10 of their last 15 games, plus drawing three and only losing two over that timespan. Additionally, Head Coach Brendan Burke's side has a staggering xG mark of 33.86 over the last 16 regular season matches, equaling about 2.12 expected goals per game. Hartford will be looking to continue building on this record breaking season against Pittsburgh at home on Saturday.

HARTFORD ATHLETIC vs. PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS SC

WHEN: Saturday, September 20th, 7:00PM

WHERE: Trinity Health Stadium, Hartford, CT

PROMOTION: Noche Latina and $2 Beer/$1 Hot Dogs pres. by Modelo

Team of the Week Takeover

Hartford once again swept the USL Championship Team of the Week nominations, with Kyle Edwards, Sebastian Anderson and Head Coach Brendan Burke all getting the nod. Edwards earned his spot after scoring a brace off the bench to buoy Athletic's 4-0 win over Monterey Bay. With those two goals, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines' native tied the single season record for goals off the bench, with seven. He also equaled Mamadou Dieng's single season scoring record for the club with 11. Sebastian Anderson's one goal and one assist performance certainly warranted his spot in the Team of the Week. The 5'8" wingback worked hard both offensively and defensively throughout the match, creating five chances, providing three accurate crosses, completing 79% of his passes, and winning four duels and three tackles. Head Coach Brendan Burke earned his second Coach of the Week nomination - just weeks after being selected Coach of the Month for August - after Hartford defeated Monterey Bay 4-0, the largest road victory in club history. Burke also led the Boys in Green to their first cup final, defeating Greenville Triumph 3-1 last Wednesday to advance in the USL Jägermeister Cup.

Hartford's Clean Sheet King

With last weekend's three-save performance, goalkeeper Antony Siaha secured his ninth clean sheet of the season, putting him in a tie for third in the league with Pittsburgh keeper Eric Dick. These nine regular season shutouts are also enough for Siaha to draw even with Hartford's single season clean sheet record, a standard which Jeff Caldwell set in the 2021 regular season. His best save of the match, which came in the 7th minute, was nominated for USL Championship Save of the Week. After a giveaway on the wing in Hartford's defensive third, Monterey Bay worked the ball into the box and got a cross off. John Klein got on the end of it for a close-range attempt, but Siaha got his right hand - followed by his entire 6'5" frame - down fast enough to stop the ball from going over the line. This save was crucial in defining the energy and momentum of the game, as an early goal for Monterey Bay could have taken the wind out the Boys in Green. The Tucson, Arizona native sits in fourth place in the league with 62 regular season saves. Siaha is quickly establishing himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the league as Hartford's season goes on.

Rotated and Ready

In Week 28, Athletic had two huge games on the schedule with only two days of rest in between. However, the depth of Hartford's squad ensured that this quick turnaround was not a problem for the Boys in Green. Over the two matches, Athletic's coaching staff started 19 different players, with only GK Antony Siaha, DF Jordan Scarlett and DF Sebastian Anderson making the starting XI in both contests. Even with this rotated lineup, the Green & Blue came away with the win in both matchups, scoring seven goals and only conceding one. As the eight or nine month-long USL Championship season draws to a close and the playoff push reaches its peak, being able to rotate players and avoid injuries becomes crucial to a team's success.

About the Opponent

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC currently sits in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, two spots above the playoff line, with 31 points on an 8-9-7 record. As of Week 29, the league gave the Riverhounds an 85% chance of making it to the playoffs, with a projected finish of sixth place. The Boys in Green have faced off against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 16 times in the clubs' history, with a record of 2-12-2 all time. At home, Athletic is 1-7-5 against the Pennsylvania side. So far this season, Head Coach Bob Lilley's squad is 2-6-4 away from home. In March of this year, Hartford fell 1-0 to the Riverhounds on the road, but last year's home contest saw the Green & Blue defend Fortress Hartford with a 2-0 victory, powered by a Michee Ngalina brace within the first 16 minutes.

Players to Watch

Hartford - Jack Panayotou, FW, 16

With his early goal against Monterey Bay FC, Jack Panayotou reminded fans, coaches and players alike of what they were missing while he was out of commission for three months due to injury. In the 24th minute, Adewale Obalola picked off a stray pass in the midfield and played it to USL Championship Player of the Year Hadji Barry, who quickly passed it on to Panayotou, who was streaking forward on the right side. The New England Revolution loanee cut the ball on to his left foot and fired off a beautifully curving shot that nestled itself in the top left corner of the goal. This spectacular goal was nominated for USL Championship Goal of the Week. Additionally, Panayotou contributed four shots, with two on target, one cross and one big chance created before coming off in the 70th minute. This performance earned the 21-year-old a spot on the USL Championship Rising Stars List for Week 28. As Hartford coaching staff continue monitoring his minutes as he returns from injury, Panayotou has shown he can make a difference every time he steps on the pitch, scoring two goals in his last two appearances.

Pittsburgh - Augustine Williams, FW, 9

Augustine Williams is Pittsburgh's leading goalscorer, netting seven goals in USL Championship regular season play so far this season. He is also the club's only player to have scored with his right foot (5), his left foot (1) and his head (1) this year. The 6'3" forward is one of the frontrunners on the team in several other stat categories as well, including shots (35), shots on target (20), duels (327), duels won (140), aerial duels (144) and aerial duels won (60). Williams was nominated for USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 27 after scoring a brace against Oakland Roots to power Pittsburgh to their first win in over a month and first win on the road since May. Williams joined the Riverhounds at the beginning of this season after stints with MLS side LA Galaxy and prolific goal-scoring seasons with USL Championship squads Charleston Battery and Indy Eleven. Prior to the season, the Sierra Leone native had 76 career regular season goals, fifth-most in the league's "modern era" (since 2010) and the second-most among active Championship players.

Inside the Huddle

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 19, 2025


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