Hartford Continues Hunt for Hardware in Semifinal Match against Greenville
USL Hartford Athletic

Hartford Continues Hunt for Hardware in Semifinal Match against Greenville

Published on September 9, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Hartford Athletic News Release


The Green & Blue look to continue the club's historic Jägermeister Cup run when they host Greenville Triumph SC this Wednesday. Coming off a gritty 1-0 road win at Miami FC, the Boys in Green have been building a wave of momentum and confidence over the past two months. Several new roster additions, including MLS NEXT Pro's Cameron Duke and USL Championship Player of the Year Hadji Barry are available to boost the squad as the side powers through another busy stretch of the season.

HARTFORD ATHLETIC vs. GREENVILLE TRIUMPH SC

WHEN: Wednesday, September 10th, 7:30PM

WHERE: Trinity Health Stadium, Hartford, CT

TICKETS: Here

Jack Attack is Back

Jack Panayotou, on loan to Hartford from the New England Revolution, made waves in his first match with the Green & Blue back in April, scoring two goals and powering Athletic to a victory in the side's first USL Jägermeister Cup match of the year. However, an injury several games later kept Panayotou out of the lineup until last Wednesday's match against Indy Eleven, when he came off the bench in the 78th minute. On Saturday, the Cambridge, Massachusetts native proved why he deserved all the hype, starting and scoring the winning goal for the Boys in Green. Beverly Makangila's tough defensive effort to strip the ball off a Miami midfielder set Panayotou up for an uncontested one-touch close-range finish that he executed perfectly. As the 5'7" midfielder works his way back to full health, players, fans and coaches alike will be excited to see what more he can bring to the table.

New Faces, Instant Impact

In Saturday's road win, a couple new faces saw the field for the Green & Blue. Recently signed Cameron Duke earned himself a start and USL Championship Player of the Year Hadji Barry saw almost 20 minutes of playing time. Duke, joining Hartford with 54 MLS appearances, slotted perfectly into the lineup as a left wingback. The 24-year-old put in a solid shift, winning two of five duels, completing 77.8% of his passes, gaining possession three times and adding one successful dribble. Barry, coming in as a substitute for Adewale Obalola, showed in a short amount of time just how dangerous he can be. He fired off two shots and placed one on target, while also creating one chance and completing 85.7% of his passes. As the season goes on and Head Coach Brendan Burke looks to rest players to avoid injury, Duke and Barry will be two excellent options he can reliably turn to.

How We Got Here

Hartford Athletic hosts Greenville Triumph this Wednesday for the semifinals of the USL Jägermeister Cup. Play began for this in-season tournament in April, with the Boys in Green going 3-0-2 so far over the course of the competition. In the group stage, Athletic defeated Portland Hearts of Pine 2-0 and Westchester SC 3-2, before drawing Detroit City FC and Rhode Island FC both 2-2. In the Jägermeister Cup, a tied match went on to a penalty kick shootout, with the winner taking home one extra point in the standings. A heated PK shootout win over regional rival Rhode Island FC gave the Boys in Green the points needed to earn a Wildcard Spot in the Knockout Rounds. Travelling to Texas to face off against San Antonio FC, Hartford faced a tough quarterfinal opponent. Goals from Mamadou Dieng and Marlon Hairston powered Athletic past the home team to advance to the semifinals. The Green & Blue come into this midweek match knowing how hard they have worked to get here and prepared to fight to continue their tournament run.

About the Opponent

Greenville Triumph plays in the USL League one, so Wednesday's matchup will be the first time the two teams face off. To get here, Head Coach Rick Wright's side won their group with nine points on a 3-1-0 record. Greenville lost to fellow League One side South Georgia Tormenta FC, and then went on to best Charleston Battery - who currently sit in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship - along with Miami FC and League One club FC Naples. The quarterfinal draw pitted Triumph against Indy Eleven, who they defeated in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw. The South Carolina side currently sits in 11th place in the USL League One with 24 points on a 6-11-6 record.

Players to Watch

Hartford - Antony Siaha, GK, 77

With Saturday's four-save performance, Antony Siaha moved up to third place in the league (tied with Louisville's Damian Las) with 59 stopped shots so far this year. This match also marked the 6'5" goalkeeper's eighth clean sheet of the season, enough to tie for third place in the league in this stat as well. One of his best saves of this weekend's match came in the 62nd minute. A free kick for Miami FC just outside the 18-yard-box was cleared out of danger but fell to Diego Mercado. The Argentinian midfielder fired off a powerful long-range shot that was headed straight for the bottom left corner. Harford's #77 made a diving save to keep the ball out of the back of the net and maintain the Green & Blue's lead. Siaha's vocal leadership is crucial in keeping Hartford's backline organized, so even when he is not being forced to make saves, the Tucson, Arizona is key to Athletic's defense.

Greenville - Leonardo Castro, FW, 25

In his third year with the Greenville Triumph, Leo Castro leads the team with seven goals, 37 shots and 19 shots on target, while also contributing two assists in USL League One regular season play. He is second on the team with 184 minutes per goal. Defensively, Castro has supplied 11 clearances, three interceptions, 21 tackles (winning 11 of them), 220 duels (winning 94) and 110 aerial duels (winning 49). In the Jägermeister Cup, the Bogotá, Colombia native added the opening goal in Triumph's 2-1 win over FC Naples. The 33-year-old has previously hoisted the South African Champions title twice, the South African Cup, CAF Champions League title, and CAF Super Cup.

Inside the Huddle

Join the Conversation

For live updates, follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #HFDvGVL

Check out the Hartford Athletic Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 9, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central