Preview: Hartford Host League-Leading Louisville City FC
August 23, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Hartford Athletic News Release
Hartford Athletic have a chance to take six points away from this home stand after an uplifting win over Las Vegas last week, but they'll need to beat the top team in the USL Championship tomorrow night to do it.
LAST TIME OUT
Hartford Athletic are coming off a 2-1 win over Las Vegas Lights FC last Saturday at home. The win came in comeback fashion, as unanswered goals from Mamadou Dieng and Michee Ngalina lifted the Green and Blue. Vegas took the lead on a counter-attacking breakaway that left Khori Bennet one-on-one with Renan Ribeiro, making for a simple finish in the 10th minute. Hartford responded 15 minutes later when Emmanuel Samadia looped a quality cross into the box that was headed perfectly to the upper left corner by Dieng. In the second half, it was a determined individual effort from Ngalina that gave his side the lead. The winger pressed high in the visitors' half and took the ball off the foot of an unsuspecting Grayson Doody, then beat Raiko Arozarena to the bottom right corner with a clinical finish. The goal came in the 53rd minute, and the Hartford defense kept Lights FC off the board the rest of the way.
HITTING THE TARGET
Hartford had one of their best attacking performances of the season last Saturday, tying a season high with 11 shots on target (3/23/24 vs. Birmingham). They came out of the gate aggressively and nearly scored 15 seconds into the match, but Mamadou Dieng was denied by Raiko Arozarena on a one-on-one chance. Athletic proceeded to put two more shots on target in the opening 10 minutes, and continued to pepper Arozarena throughout the night. Dieng took eight shots in total (five on target), Ngalina followed with four (three on target), including a strike off the left post in stoppage time. Kyle Edwards was denied his first goal of the season as well, when Arozarena sprawled to deny his header off an open rebound chance in the match's final minutes. If it weren't for a stellar nine-save performance from the Vegas keeper, the final score could have shown an even more commanding win for Hartford.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Hartford Athletic are 0-6-2 against Louisville City FC all-time, dating back to their first matchup in 2019. While never having beaten the perennial Eastern Conference contenders, Athletic pulled off two draws against Louisville City a season ago. They kept City FC off the board in a 0-0 result at Trinity Health Stadium on June 3rd, 2023, and brought themselves level in the 75th minute on a Luke Merrill goal on October 7th, 2023 to earn a point in a 1-1 draw. Carrying some momentum from last week's win, Hartford can ease the wound from their worst defeat of the season at the hands of LouCity in their first matchup this season (6-0, on April 27th) with a positive result at home on Saturday.
BETWEEN THE POSTS
Renan Ribeiro continues his consistent campaign in net for Hartford, totaling 63 saves (sixth most in the Championship) and bringing his GAA down to 1.29. His steady season has not been highlighted by clean sheets (three), but by reliable and timely shot stopping. Just last week, Ribeiro made back-to-back diving stops in the 82nd and 83rd minute to keep Vegas' late attacking efforts at bay, and he came up with crucial late-game denials against Phoenix and Birmingham to keep important points for Hartford. The 34 year old has kept shots out of the net at a better clip than any keeper in the Championship, proven by his league-best save percentage of 77.6% (15 games played minimum). On the other side of the pitch, Damian Las stands between the posts for Louisville. The 22 year old loanee from Austin FC has started all but one match this year, holding seven clean sheets to go with 55 saves. Las was the 2023 MLS Next Pro Goalkeeper of the Year with Austin FC II.
ON THE TABLE
Hartford Athletic currently sit in 11th place on the Eastern Conference table, eight points below the playoff line with 11 matches and 33 points left to play for.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Louisville City enter Saturday's match as the best team in the USL Championship (53 points), and they currently hold their best form of the season. Winners of their last five matches, the Kentucky-based side most recently defeated the Charleston 3-1 in a battle for the top spot on the Eastern Conference table. It was a comfortable win at home, as goals from Aiden McFadden, Jansen Wilson, and Phillip Goodrum gave Louisville a 3-0 lead before Charleston's Graham Smith put on through in stoppage time. LouCity lead the Championship in goals (60) and conversion rate (22%).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Hartford Athletic, Marcus Epps, FW #7
Marcus Epps has had playmaking vision in the attacking third for Hartford as of late, creating four chances in the win over Las Vegas and nearly scoring on a chance of his own in stoppage time. One his best displays of distribution was in the opening seconds of the match, as he played a line-breaking through ball to free up Mamadou Dieng for a shot on goal. With 35 goals and 22 assists in his career (MLS and USL Championship), the 29 year old is one of the more creative players on Hartford's roster and has proved it recently.
Louisville City FC, Jansen Wilson, MF #25
Jansen Wilson has hit his stride in the midst of Louisville's five-game winning streak, finding the back of the net in each of the last three games. The 23 year old rookie has six goals on the year.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
For live updates, follow along on twitter using the hashtag #HFDvLOU
Date: Saturday, August 24th, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Location: Trinity Health Stadium, Hartford, Connecticut
Watch: MyTV9, wtnh.com, ESPN+
HARTFORD ATHLETIC (7-12-4) vs LOUISVILLE CITY FC (17-4-2)
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