Hartford Return Home for Matchup with Charleston

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USL Hartford Athletic

Hartford Return Home for Matchup with Charleston

July 11, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Hartford Athletic News Release


LAST TIME OUT

Hartford Athletic are coming off a 3-0 loss to Loudoun United on the road last Wednesday, July 3rd. Hartford could not get a foothold of the match after Loudoun opened up the scoring in the 25th minute, then followed with another just before the end of the first half. It was Wesley Legget scoring the first goal, then he picked up the assist on the second goal from Zach Ryan. The two connected again to put the match out of reach at the start of the second half, as Leggett found Ryan in the box in the 46th minute to make the score 3-0. Hartford had 74 final third entries to Loudoun's 40, but could not find a goal.

ON THE TABLE

Hartford Athletic currently sit 10th on the table in the Eastern Conference standings with 16 points, three points behind Rhode Island and five points below the playoff line (North Carolina FC is in the eighth seed with 21 points). Despite losing four our of their last five, Athletic are potentially two wins away from being right back in the playoff conversation as we reach the halfway point of the season with Friday's match.

THE FIRST MEETING

Hartford and Charleston met for the first time this season on May 4th at Patriots Point, and the Battery took the home victory behind a highlight-reel goal from Nick Markanich in the early going. The league's leading goal scorer booted in a bicycle kick from inside the box off a Chris Allan cross in the 11th minute, giving his team and early lead that they would cling to and keep for the remainder of the match. Hartford nearly leveled the score in the first half when Michee Ngalina fed a perfect ball to Romario Williams in front of goal, but his one-timed shot rang off the right post. The Green and Blue continued to apply pressure up through second half stoppage time. Anderson Asiedu worked a give-and-go into the box for Michee Ngalina, and Ngalina's shot forced a quality save from Adam Grinwis. A few minutes later, Ngalina had a breakaway chance and his shot went just wide of the net after being challenged by a charging Grinwis.

MATCHUP HISTORY

Hartford Athletic are 3-7-0 against the Battery all-time, and the series has included some thrilling matches and many high-scoring affairs. Last year at Trinity Health Stadium, Charleston won a back-and-forth match 4-3 that saw eight total yellow cards, a red card, a penalty kick, dueling braces (Kyle Edwards for HFD, Nick Markanich for CHS), and was capped off by a stoppage time screamer from AJ Paterson. Hartford scored their second-most goals ever in a single match on the way to a 6-3 victory over the Battery in 2022, which included the club's first ever hat trick (Andre Lewis). In total, Charleston lead the overall scoring in the matchup's chaotic history 27-23.

BETWEEN THE POSTS

Renan Ribeiro recently cracked the top 10 in the USL Championship in total saves, bringing his total to 44 after making five saves against Loudoun last week. He's put together an impressive campaign since his first start for Hartford on May 4th (debuting against Charleston), posting a 1.41 GAA and a 76% save success rate across 10 starts. He's coming off a quality month of June in which he allowed just four goals in five games, and was voted Hartford's Player of the Month by their fans. The 34 year old made five saves against the Battery in their first matchup.

While Adam Grinwis has not made as many saves as Renan Ribeiro (31), he holds the second-most clean sheets in the Championship (seven). He's stepped up in big moments for the Battery, including a brave punch to clear the ball in the final minute of a 1-0 victory against Birmingham in Week 11. His additional five saves in that match earned him Team of the Week Honors. Grinwis, like Ribeiro, is a veteran who's played at higher levels than the USL championship, including two separate stints with Orlando City SC from 2018-2019 and 2021-2023. The 32 year old gained popularity for his heroics in the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with two saves in the penalty shootout against New York City FC to advance to the semifinals. He also helped Orlando lift the Open Cup trophy in 2022.

ABOUT THE OPPONENT

The defending Eastern Conference champions are back on the top side of the table, sitting in second place with a 10-2-6 record and just two points behind Louisville City. While their attacking play stands out with 34 goals and 289 shots taken (both second in the league), their defending has been nearly as impressive. They're tied with Sacramento for the least amount of goals conceded (13), and hold 10 clean sheets. The Battery have put up these numbers while remaining disciplined as well, as they're tied for the least amount of yellow cards in the league with North Carolina (33). Charleston are coming off a 2-0 win over Birmingham at Patriots Point, and are 4-1-6 on the road this year.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Hartford Athletic: Mamadou Dieng, FW, #33

The 19 year old Dieng has been a frequent insert off the bench for Brendan Burke this season, subbing on to the pitch in nine of his 11 appearances. He's done well to separate himself from defenders and create space in the box, taking 11 shots and putting six on target. For a team that has scored just two goals in their last five games, Dieng could be a difference maker if he can start to convert as Hartford tries to right the ship.

Charleston Battery: Nick Markanich, FW, #13

Nick Markanich has been running rampant all over the USL Championship this season, leading the league with 15 goals. He's coming off a brace in Charleston's 2-0 win over Birmingham last week, and earned Player of the Week honors for Week 18. He scored one of his best goals of the season against Hartford in their first meeting, and will be important to keep an eye on this Friday night.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

For live updates, follow along on twitter using the hashtag #HFDvCHS

Date: Friday, July 12th, 2024

Time: 7:30 PM ET

Location: Trinity Health Stadium, Hartford, CT

Tickets: HERE

Watch: MyTV9, wtnh.com, ESPN+

HARTFORD ATHLETIC (5-10-1) vs CHARLESTON BATTERY (10-2-6)

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