Hartford Athletic
 | |||
| Full name | Hartford Athletic | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | July 11, 2018 | ||
| Stadium | Dillon Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 5,500 | ||
| Owner | Hartford Sports Group | ||
| Head coach | Harry Watling | ||
| League | USL Championship | ||
| 2021 | 5th, Atlantic Division 9th, Eastern Conference Playoffs: DNQ | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
| |||
Hartford Athletic is an American professional soccer team based in Hartford, Connecticut. The club was founded in 2018 and started play in the USL Championship in 2019.[1][2] It is the only pro soccer team in Connecticut.
History[]
On June 8, 2021, Hartford Athletic announced they will be fielding a women's side to compete in the new USL W League beginning in 2022.[3]
Stadium[]
The club plays on the grounds of Dillon Stadium, with a capacity of 5,500.[4] The 1935 stadium was renovated and reopened on July 13, 2019, despite the fact the stadium was not completely finished.[5] Lights were completed and first used for the stadium's first night game on September 14, 2019 (Hartford Athletic vs. Louisville City FC).[6]
During the construction of Dillon Stadium, Athletic played home games at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. They played their first home game in front of more than 11,000 supporters.[7]
Hartford's first U.S. Open Cup match in 2019, which was also the first win in club history, was played at Al-Marzook Field in West Hartford.[8]
Sponsorship[]
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2019–2021 | Adidas | Trinity Health of New England[9] |
| 2022– | Hummel[10] |
Players and staff[]
Hartford Athletic players before a 2021 match
Roster[]
- As of January 18, 2022[11]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | DF | Younes Boudadi |  Morocco
|
| 8 | MF | Christian Gómez |  Venezuela
|
| 10 | MF | Danny Barrera |  United States
|
| 11 | MF | Luka Prpa | United States
|
| 15 | DF | Tulu |  Togo
|
| 21 | FW | Jeciel Cedeno |  Ecuador
|
| 28 | MF | Conor McGlynn | United States
|
| 29 | FW | Juan Carlos Obregón Jr. |  Honduras
|
| 30 | DF | Ash Apollon |  Haiti
|
| — | GK | Austin Pack | United States
|
| — | MF | Andre Lewis |  Jamaica
|
| — | MF | Peter-Lee Vassell | Jamaica
|
| — | FW | Rashawn Dally | Jamaica
|
- ^ USL Academy player
Team management[]
| Front office | |
|---|---|
| Owners | Joseph Calafiore Bruce Mandell Scott Schooley |
| Coaching staff | |
| Head coach | Harry Watling |
| Assistant coach | vacant |
| Goalkeeper coach | Enzo Pereira |
| Strength & conditioning coach | Joe Lucas Santos |
| Athletic trainer | Kevin Hoffmann |
| Technical director | Luiz Silva |
| Technical advisor | Paul Buckle |
Last updated: January 7, 2021
Source: [1]
Club captains[]
| Years | Name | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Philip Rasmussen |  Denmark
|
| 2020 – | Danny Barrera | United States
|
Club culture[]
Supporters at a 2021 match
The supporters for Hartford Athletic are split between five groups based on their geographical location within the state of Connecticut:
- The 19th Regiment – The first supporters group founded in early 2019 shortly after the announcement of the club. Today, it represents supporters based out of the Greater Hartford area and Northern Connecticut.
- Mad Hat Massive – Independent supporters group representing members from Fairfield and Litchfield counties, with their home pub hosting the official supporters away days watch parties at TK's American Cafe in Danbury where the Jell-O Shot tradition began. Members of the Independent Supporters’ Council.
- The Boonies – Members of the Mad Hat Massive in the greater Torrington area.
- Elm City Casuals – Independent supporters based out of the Greater New Haven area. They’re independent. They like pizza and riding trains. Members of the Independent Supporters’ Council.
- East Side Rising – Supporters group founded in 2020 to represent Eastern Connecticut, nicknamed "A Family of Fans."
- Raza Brava – Latino-centric supporters group representing the greater Hartford area.
Each group is separately managed but they stand and chant together on the east end of Dillon Stadium for home matches.
Starting in the 2022 season, the 19th Regiment, Mad Hat Massive and the Elm City Casuals will unite as one group, called The Bonanza
Among the notable chants used is the "Brass Bonanza," a melody sung by the supporters groups after scoring a goal, which was also used for the former NHL team in the city, the Hartford Whalers, for the same circumstances. The groups also use Bob Marley's classic "Three Little Birds" for the beginning of matches and when the opposing team scores. [12]
Team records[]
Year-by-year[]
- As of October 30, 2021
| Season | USL Championship | Play-offs | U.S. Open Cup | Top Scorer | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | L | D | GF | GA | Pts | Position | Player | Goals | |||||
| 2019 | 34 | 8 | 21 | 5 | 49 | 80 | 29 | 17th, Eastern | Did not qualify | Third Round |  Wojciech Wojcik
|
7 | ||
| 2020 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 31 | 24 | 35 | 1st, Group F | Conference Quarterfinals | Not played | Alex Dixon
|
6 | ||
| 2021 | 32 | 12 | 15 | 5 | 50 | 50 | 41 | 5th, Atlantic | Did not qualify | Not played | Juan Carlos Obregón Jr.
|
10 | ||
Head coach record[]
- Includes USL regular season, USL playoffs, U.S. Open Cup. Excludes friendlies.
| Coach | Nationality | Start | End | Games | Win | Loss | Draw | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Nielsen | Denmark
|
September 5, 2018 | October 27, 2019 | 36 | 9 | 22 | 5 | 25.00 |
| Radhi Jaïdi |  Tunisia
|
November 8, 2019 | October 19, 2020 | 16 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 68.75 |
| Harry Watling |  England
|
January 13, 2021 | Current | 32 | 12 | 15 | 5 | 37.50 |
Average attendance[]
| Year | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5,025 | –– |
| 2020 | 1,351* | 2,194 |
| 2021 | 4,640 | —- |
- Quarter capacity for 2020 season
See also[]
- Hartford City FC
- AC Connecticut
References[]
- ^ "Hartford Joins USL For 2019 Season at Dillon Stadium". Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ^ "Pro Soccer Team Announced For Hartford, Set To Begin Play In 2019". Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ^ "USL announces return of the W League from 2022 – SportsPro Media". www.sportspromedia.com. June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
- ^ "What's next for Dillon Stadium and Hartford Athletic? A turf field, players and more". Retrieved November 21, 2018.
- ^ Anthony, Mike. "Mike Anthony: Hartford had it Saturday, and our new soccer team had a lot to do with it". courant.com. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ Hartford Athletic (September 14, 2019). "RECAP: Hartford Athletic Falls in First Dillon Stadium Match Under the Lights". Hartford Athletic.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic Hosts First Home Game". Retrieved May 4, 2019.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic vs. New York Cosmos – Football Match Summary – May 14, 2019 – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
- ^ Athletic, Hartford (February 27, 2019). "Hartford Athletic Announces Trinity Health of New England as Title Partner". Hartford Athletic | Connecticut's Professional Soccer Team.
- ^ "Hummel Named Hartford Athletic's Official On-Field Apparel Provider". November 22, 2021.
- ^ "Roster". HartfordAthletic.com. Hartford Athletic. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic Supporters Make Their Mark During Inaugural Season". NBC Connecticut. September 9, 2019.
External links[]
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Categories:
- Hartford Athletic
- Association football clubs established in 2018
- USL Championship teams
- 2018 establishments in Connecticut
- Sports teams in Hartford, Connecticut
- Soccer clubs in Connecticut