July 30, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Hartford Athletic News Release
After picking up a point against Phoenix Rising FC last Friday, Hartford Athletic are back at Trinity Health Stadium to finish off their two-game home stand against Detroit City FC this Wednesday.
LAST TIME OUT
Hartford Athletic are coming off a 0-0 draw to Phoenix Rising FC last Friday. The final score was true to the action of the match, as neither team significantly outweighed the other in possession or chance creation. Phoenix owned 55.6% of the ball to Hartford’s 44.4%, and the two teams were separated by just one in shots (PHX seven, HFD six), touches in the box (HFD 16, PHX 15), and just five in final third entries (PHX 64, HFD 59). Emmanuel Samadia nearly snuck a corner kick delivery into the net in the first half, whipping the ball off the crossbar for a rare strike of the woodwork from a tough angle. Rising FC’s best chance of the game came when Juan Carlos Azócar got behind Hartford’s back line in the 53rd minute and forced a diving save from Renan Ribeiro. Hartford were on the front foot in the final stages of the match, but couldn’t find a game-winner. Mamadou Dieng took a header that soared right over the crossbar, Michee Ngalina fired a shot on target, and Kyle Edwards created a dangerous opportunity in the first minute of stoppage time. The striker weaved through two defenders and took contact, but no penalty was given.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Wednesday will be the fifth time Hartford face off against Detroit City FC. The team holds an 0-3-1 record in the series all-time, looking for their first win against the familiar Eastern Conference foe on Wednesday night. The two clubs first met in April of 2022 at Trinity Health Stadium in a match that ended in heartbreak for Hartford. Tied 1-1 in the 81st minute, Luka Prpa came inches from giving Athletic the late lead after hitting the crossbar from just in front of goal. 12 minutes later in stoppage time, Detroit captain (and still captain in 2024) Stephen Carroll netted the game-winning goal off a corner kick. A year ago at Trinity Health Stadium, Detroit took the 3-1 victory behind a brace from Ben Morris.
FAMILIAR FACES
Detroit City’s Elvis Amoh, Matt Sheldon, and Jeciel Cedeno all played for Hartford Athletic in 2023. Amoh made 23 starts for Athletic, contributing five goals and registering one assist across nearly 1,900 minutes of play. After one season with the Green and Blue, the Ghanaian striker signed with…