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USL Hartford Athletic

Strong Defense, Vassell Goal Earn Hartford a Point in El Paso

June 5, 2022 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Hartford Athletic News Release


On a beautiful sunny evening in the Lone Star state with temperatures peaking around 100 degrees by kickoff, Hartford Athletic battled the full 90 minutes to a 1-1 draw with El Paso Locomotive FC. The green and blue's backline was stellar throughout in a contest that was clearly controlled by the opposition. The Athletic have now secured at least a point in three of the last four games and are slowly building momentum towards gaining ground in the USL Championship's Eastern Conference playoff standings.

There was minimal action through 10 minutes of play, but Hartford Athletic forward Prince Saydee got the action started with a blazing run down the left sideline, dusting a Locomotive defender in the process. The Liberian's left-footed cross was intended for forward Corey Hertzog, but veteran El Paso defender Yuma was positioned perfectly, clearing the ball away. The home side was constantly on the attack for much of the first 45 minutes and forced the Athletic defense to be sharp. Mo Jadama stopped multiple surging Locomotive chances and his 16th-minute block after an Aaron Gomez strike inside the box highlighted the Gambian's night. Perhaps the most aggressive chance from El Paso came in the 42nd minute after defender Nicholas Hinds snuck through the Athletic defense, booming a left-footed strike that was reluctantly saved by sprawling Hartford goalkeeper, Jimmy Slayton. The University of Hartford alum has been outstanding in net all season and made multiple jaw-dropping stops along the way that could have blown open the score.

Hartford was able to regroup with the score level at halftime, but once again their output offensively wasn't as strong as El Paso. An early second-half substitution of 16-year-old Diego Abarca proved to work out flawlessly in the home side's favor as his 56th-minute stripe from just inside the box gave Locomotive FC a one-goal advantage. Similarly, Hartford gaffer Harry Watling tried to change the team's fortunes with time starting to tick off the second-half clock. Jamaican midfielder Peter Lee Vassell came in for Danny Barrera in the 64th minute with the captain already on a yellow card. After a long throw by Hertzog into traffic around the goal, Locomotive goalkeeper Evan Newton deflected the ball back into the middle of the box. Vassell was the recipient of the ricochet and rocketed his attempt past Newton for the green and blue's crucial equalizer.

El Paso continued to stay busy offensively but wasn't able to convert on their final opportunities in front of a raucous home crowd. Despite losing the possession battle 62% to 38%, Hartford returns home with a point and looks to capitalize on the second leg of their west coast road trip against San Diego Loyal SC next Saturday, June 11th at 10:00 p.m.

FAST STATS:

Shots (On-Target): Hartford 9 (4) - El Paso 20 (7)

Corners: Hartford 2 - El Paso 7

Fouls: Hartford 8 - El Paso 8

Offsides: Hartford 3 - El Paso 0

Possession: Hartford 37.7% - El Paso 62.3%

Passing Accuracy: Hartford 77.3 - El Paso 88.6%

Saves: Hartford 6 - El Paso 3

SCORING SUMMARY:

56' - Abarca (Mares)

68' - Peter-Lee Vassell

DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY:

28 ‚¬Â² - Ander (Yellow)

31 ‚¬Â² - Danny Barrera (Yellow)

34 ‚¬Â² - Luka Prpa (Yellow)

40 ‚¬Â² - Eder Borelli (Yellow)

76 ‚¬Â² - Younes Boudadi (Yellow)

HARTFORD ATHLETIC STARTING LINEUP:

31 (GK) Jimmy Slayton, 2 (DF) Younes Boudadi, 3 (DF) Logan Gdula, 5 (DF) Tom Brewitt, 7 (FW) Prince Saydee, 10 (MF) Danny Barrera, 11 (MF) Luka Prpa 12 (FW) Corey Hertzog 23 (DF) Modou Jadama, 28 (MF) Conor McGlynn, 30 (DF) Joel Johnson

El Paso Locomotive FC STARTING LINEUP:

1 (GK) Evan Newton, 5 (DF) Eder Borelli, 24 (MF) Yuma, 14 (MF) Ander, 13 (DF) Matt Bahner, 10 (MF) Dylan Mares, 6 (MF) Richie Ryan, 54 (MF) Venancio Calderon, 31 (DF) Nicholas Hinds, 7 (FW) Josué Gómez, 17 (FW) Ricardo Zacarías

Check out the Hartford Athletic Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from June 5, 2022


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