Hartford Athletic

Last updated

Hartford Athletic
Hartford Athletic logo.svg
Full nameHartford Athletic
FoundedJuly 11, 2018;6 years ago (2018-07-11)
Stadium Trinity Health Stadium
Capacity5,500
OwnerHartford Sports Group
CEO Nick Sakiewicz
Head coach Brendan Burke
League USL Championship
2024 10th, Eastern Conference
Playoffs: DNQ
Website hartfordathletic.com
Soccerball current event.svg Current season

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 as of 2024 (though Connecticut United FC is expected to debut in 2026).

Contents

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

Trinity Health Stadium in 2021 HFDvPGH 2021-05-15 - Dillon Stadium (51181684581).jpg
Trinity Health Stadium in 2021

The club plays on the grounds of Trinity Health 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 Trinity Health 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]

Colors and badge

Hartford Athletic's official colors are green and blue, chosen because of their strong association with the sports teams of Hartford. [9] [10] The team's crest and colors were first unveiled in a video on December 6, 2018. [11]

Sponsorship

SeasonKit manufacturerShirt sponsor
2019–2021 Flag of Germany.svg Adidas Trinity Health of New England [12]
2022– Flag of Denmark.svg Hummel [13]

Players and staff

Hartford Athletic players before a 2021 match HFDvPGH 2021-05-15 - Hartford Athletic huddle (51181115597).jpg
Hartford Athletic players before a 2021 match

Current roster

As of December 16, 2024 [14]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos.NationPlayer
4 DF Flag of Jamaica.svg  JAM Jordan Scarlett
6 MF Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  COD Beverly Makangila
8 MF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Jay Chapman
11 FW Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg  COD Michee Ngalina
15 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Joe Farrell
17 FW Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg  VIN Kyle Edwards
21 FW Flag of the United States.svg  USA Griffin Tomas
22 GK Flag of the United States.svg  USA Brooks Thompson
No.Pos.NationPlayer
24 DF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Michael DeShields
27 DF Flag of Cameroon.svg  CMR Pele Ousmanou
29 MF Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  SLE Emmanuel Samadia
31 FW Flag of Jamaica.svg  JAM Deshane Beckford
33 FW Flag of Senegal.svg  SEN Mamadou Dieng
40 GK Flag of Brazil.svg  BRA Renan Ribeiro
94 MF Flag of the United States.svg  USA Marlon Hairston
FW Flag of Mexico.svg  MEX Jonathan Jiménez
  1. ^
    USL Academy Contract

Team management

Front office
OwnersJoseph Calafiore
Bruce Mandell
Scott Schooley
Coaching staff
Head coach Brendan Burke
Assistant coach Dan Gaspar
Goalkeeper coachEnzo Pereira
Strength & conditioning coachJoe Lucas Santos
Athletic trainerKevin Hoffmann
Technical director Ray Reid
Technical advisor Paul Buckle

Last updated: January 7, 2021
Source:

Club captains

Danny Barrera (pictured in 2021) served as captain from 2020 through 2022. HFDvPGH 2021-05-15 - Danny Barrera (51181529667) (cropped).jpg
Danny Barrera (pictured in 2021) served as captain from 2020 through 2022.
YearsNameNation
2019 Philip Rasmussen Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark
20202022 Danny Barrera Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
2023 Niall Logue Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland
2024 Jordan Scarlett Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica

Club culture

Supporters at a 2021 match HFDvPGH 2021-05-15 - Hartford Athletic fans (51182009853).jpg
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:

Each group is separately managed but they stand and chant together on the east end of Trinity Health 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. [15]

Under-19 team

The Hartford Athletic U19 team plays in the United Premier Soccer League New England Conference.

Team records

Year-by-year

As of October 14, 2023
Season USL Championship Play-offs U.S. Open Cup Top Scorer
PWLDGFGAPtsPositionPlayerGoals
2019 34821549802917th, EasternDid not qualify Third round Flag of Poland.svg Wojciech Wojcik 7
2020 1611323124351st, Group F Conference Quarterfinals Not played Flag of the United States.svg Alex Dixon 6
2021 32121555050415th, AtlanticDid not qualify Not played Flag of Honduras.svg Juan Carlos Obregón Jr. 10
2022 341018647573610th, EasternDid not qualify Third round Flag of Cuba.svg Ariel Martínez 9
2023 34424640791812th, EasternDid not qualify Third round Flag of Liberia.svg Prince Saydee 10
2024 341214837514410th, EasternDid not qualify Third round Flag of Senegal.svg Mamadou Dieng 11

Head coaches

CoachNationalityStartEndGamesWinLossDrawWin %
Jimmy Nielsen Flag of Denmark.svg  Denmark September 5, 2018October 27, 2019369225025.00
Radhi Jaïdi Flag of Tunisia.svg  Tunisia November 8, 2019October 19, 2020171142064.71
Harry Watling Flag of England.svg  England January 13, 2021June 25, 20224916258032.65
Ray Reid (interim)Flag of the United States.svg  United States June 25, 2022August 22, 202213463030.77
Tab Ramos Flag of the United States.svg  United States August 22, 2022June 26, 2023246144025.00
Omid Namazi Flag of the United States.svg  United States June 26, 2023November 1, 2023182142011.11
Brendan Burke Flag of the United States.svg  United States December 12, 2023present3512158034.29

Average attendance

YearReg. SeasonPlayoffs
20195,025
20201,3512,194
20214,640
20225,178
20234,089
20244,055

See also

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References

  1. "Hartford Joins USL For 2019 Season at Dillon Stadium" . Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  2. "Pro Soccer Team Announced For Hartford, Set To Begin Play In 2019" . Retrieved July 11, 2018.
  3. "USL announces return of the W League from 2022 – SportsPro Media". www.sportspromedia.com. June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2021.
  4. "What's next for Dillon Stadium and Hartford Athletic? A turf field, players and more" . Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  5. Anthony, Mike (July 14, 2019). "Mike Anthony: Hartford had it Saturday, and our new soccer team had a lot to do with it". courant.com. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  6. Hartford Athletic (September 14, 2019). "RECAP: Hartford Athletic Falls in First Dillon Stadium Match Under the Lights". Hartford Athletic.
  7. "Hartford Athletic Hosts First Home Game" . Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  8. "Hartford Athletic vs. New York Cosmos – Football Match Summary – May 14, 2019 – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  9. "Hartford Athletic unveils crest, teases apparel and player signings". Hartford Courant. December 6, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  10. Arlia, John (December 11, 2018). "Behind the Brand: Revitalizing Hartford's Proud Tradition". USL Championship. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  11. "Hartford Athletic Unveils Official Club Crest". USL Championship. December 6, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  12. Athletic, Hartford (February 27, 2019). "Hartford Athletic Announces Trinity Health of New England as Title Partner". Hartford Athletic | Connecticut's Professional Soccer Team. Archived from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  13. "Hummel Named Hartford Athletic's Official On-Field Apparel Provider". November 22, 2021.
  14. "Player Numbers". Twitter.com. Hartford Athletic. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  15. "Hartford Athletic Supporters Make Their Mark During Inaugural Season". NBC Connecticut. September 9, 2019.