Jägermeister Cup Champs Return Home for High-Stakes Rematch vs. Sacramento
USL Hartford Athletic

Jägermeister Cup Champs Return Home for High-Stakes Rematch vs. Sacramento

Published on October 10, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Hartford Athletic News Release


Coming back to Trinity Health Stadium as USL Jägermeister Cup Champions and sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference, Hartford Athletic appears to be unstoppable. With huge playoff stakes on the line, the Boys in Green welcome recent foe Sacramento Republic FC to Trinity Health Stadium. This game marks Athletic's last home contest of the year, as well as this season's Match for a Cause presented by Liberty Bank.

HARTFORD ATHLETIC vs. SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC

WHEN: Saturday, October 11th, 7:00PM

WHERE: Trinity Health Stadium, Hartford, CT

PROMOTION: Match for a Cause presented by Liberty Bank

Super Sub, Super Star

With his 64th minute goal against Oakland Roots on Tuesday, Kyle Edwards cemented himself as the USL Championship's most prolific supersub, setting a single season record for goals off the bench, with eight. Edwards first showed his clutch scoring ability with a late-game goal to draw Louisville City FC 1-1 back in May. He also netted a crucial one versus FC Tulsa in August, again digging Hartford out of a deficit and bringing the score to 1-1. Most recently, the 28-year-old added the winning goal in Hartford's 3-1 triumph over Oakland Roots last Tuesday. Whether starting or coming on as a substitute, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines native has shown that he can produce goals, scoring a total of 12 in regular season play, besting Mamadou Dieng's club record of 11 goals in one season and putting him in a tie for fifth place in the league.

As it Stands - The Playoff Push

With just three games left in the regular season, there are a lot of moving parts that will decide who earns a playoff berth and which clubs will host a post-season contest. Luckily, the USL has done all the math and we will happily break it down for you. With Hartford's 3-1 win over Oakland Roots, the Boys in Green moved to third place in the Eastern Conference (on 41 points) and sit within one point of clinching their spot in the playoffs. This means that Saturday's home match against Sacramento Republic FC could be the game that secures Head Coach Brendan Burke's side's trip to the postseason. However, there are many ways the weekend could play out. If Hartford wins or draws, the Boys in Green are automatically headed to the playoffs, no matter the result of their final two games of the regular season. A loss would make things a little more complicated, but not impossible. The Green & Blue would still qualify for the postseason if Indy Eleven doesn't earn their full three points, making their maximum available points for the season either 40 or 39. Additionally, if Rhode Island drops points against Tampa Bay Rowdies, lowering their max available points to 41 or 40, the Boys in Green would still advance, as they hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against the regional rival. The math to determine who will host remains a little tricky with three games left and small margins of points between clubs in the top eight, but dropped points by Loudoun and North Carolina would certainly help Athletic's cause.

Teaming Up to Tackle Cancer

As Saturday marks the last home game of the regular season for the Green & Blue, the club is teaming up with Liberty Bank to put on this year's Match for a Cause in support of the American Cancer Society, a leading cancer-fighting organization with a vision to end cancer for everyone. Hartford Athletic will be sporting uniquely designed uniforms that match the colors and logo of ACS. After the game, the players will autograph their respective jerseys, and fans can bid on their favorite players' signed, game-worn kit. The online auction site can be found here, and it is open from now through halftime of the match. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the American Cancer Society. With these funds, ACS will work to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.

About the Opponent

The California side currently sits in second place in the Western Conference with 44 points on a 12-6-8 record. With this, they have already clinched a spot in the post-season no matter the results of their last four games of the season. Sacramento Republic FC has remained consistently dominant, even as the season gets into the final weeks and fatigue starts to play a role, with a 3-1-1 record over the past five games. Hartford Athletic and Sacramento Republic take the field just seven days after facing each other in the USL Jägermeister Cup Final, where the Boys in Green took home a 1-0 win and the first ever trophy in club history. Prior to last Saturday's Cup Final, Sacramento had come away with the win in both matchups between the two sides.

Players to Watch

Hartford - Jack Panayotou, MF, 16

Jack Panayotou has shown time and time again what he can do in front of the goal. Last week's 3-1 win over Oakland Roots on the road was no different, as he put on a display of selfless teamwork - assisting two of the side's three goals. The first came when Hartford was awarded a corner kick in the 56th minute. Panayotou served a perfectly lofted and curving ball that allowed Josh Belluz to soar above everyone and redirect it into the back of the net with his head. Just under 10 minutes later, the New England Revolution loanee struck again. After receiving the ball just outside the center circle, Panayotou took off towards goal. As all four defenders crashed to shut him down, the 21-year-old dished the ball to a wide-open Kyle Edwards for his second assist of the night. These were his first two assists of the regular season. Despite an injury that sidelined him for several games, Panayotou has added three goals in USL Championship play, while also scoring two in the USL Jägermeister Cup. Whether taking players on, firing off shots or setting up his teammates, Panayotou proves to be a difference maker every time he steps on the field.

Sacramento - Danny Vitiello, GK, 1

Danny Vitiello has played a crucial role in Sacramento Republic's winning season by denying other teams the opportunity to score time after time. The 6'2" goalkeeper leads the league with 11 clean sheets, while sitting in eight place with 61 saves. The 29-year-old veteran has a lengthy bio of success in the USL Championship. He has twice earned the league's Golden Glove honor (in 2020 and 2023) and was named Goalkeeper of the Year in 2023. This season, his fourth with Sacramento Republic, he is the only player to have started and played every minute of the side's 26 games, racking up 2,340 regular season minutes. Vitiello has faced 82 shots and made 61 saves, for a save success rate of 74.4%. Across all USL Championship regular season matches, he has only conceded 21 goals for a goals against average of 0.807 per game. The Massapequa, New York native has also added 27 catches, 11 punts and 30 clearances to anchor his side's backline. With a goalkeeper of this caliber in goal, the Hartford offense is going to have to work hard to sneak one past him.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 10, 2025


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