Hartford Close out Season in Louisville, 7:30 Kickoff Tomorrow Night
October 14, 2022 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – Hartford Athletic News Release
Seven months later, Hartford Athletic’s 2022 season will come to a close in Louisville tomorrow night.
PRESENTED BY TRAVELERS
Date: Saturday, October 15th, 2022
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Location: Trinity Health Stadium, Hartford, Connecticut
Local TV: WCTX MyTV9
Streaming: ESPN+ or hartfordathletic.com/watch
HARTFORD ATHLETIC (10-17-6) vs. LOUISVILLE CITY FC (21-6-6)
LAST TIME OUT
Hartford closed their 2022 home campaign with a 3-1 loss against Oakland Roots SC last Saturday. Juan Azócar beat Yannik Oettl from outside the box to give Oakland an early 1-0 lead. Hartford was able to weather the storm and head to the locker room down just the one goal. Three minutes after the second half, Hartford equalized through a Tulu header. He beat three Oakland defenders in the air to put the ball over the line and give life to the Green and Blue. However, Roots SC quickly responded when Óttar Karlsson slotted home his 19th goal of the year. Hartford appeared to have a chance to equalize for a moment when Ariel Martínez was tackled in the Roots’ box. Shouts for a penalty arose but were sternly waved off by the referee. Hartford’s fate was sealed just past the 90th minute when Jonathan Rodriguez chipped Oettl from distance to secure the 3-1 Oakland victory.
SIX MORE SAVES
With 69 saves on the season, Yannik Oettl is six saves away from passing Frederick Due for the second most saves in club history. The German keeper joined Hartford Athletic on loan from MLS Next’s New England Revolution II back in May and has had a strong year, posting a 1.40 GAA across 17 starts.
IRON MAN STATUS
The race for the 2022 Hartford Athletic Iron Man is tight heading into the season’s final game. Tom Brewitt Tom Brewitt currently leads the club in minutes played (2,729), but is closely followed by Younes Boudadi (2,706), and Danny Barrera (2,652). Brewitt was out last week with a right quad injury, which helped Boudadi and Barerra close the gap. Depending on playing time this Saturday, the Iron Man title is up for grabs.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Hartford Athletic, Prince Saydee FW #7:
Saydee has started in all five matches under Tab Ramos, failing to play a full 90 minutes in only two matches in which he played 84 and 89 minutes. Over this stretch, the Liberian has scored one goal and assisted on four. His eight assists this season lead Athletic and ranks Saydee in the top ten USL players in the category. The Green and Blue will look to take advantage of every opportunity against a tough Louisville City side, which means Saydee may be the key to any Hartford success.
Louisville City FC, Wilson Harris FW #14
Wilson Harris has been one of the many key players in Louisville City’s squad this season. He leads the team with 15 goals, and is eighth in the USL Championship in that category. Louisville has won 13 games in which Harris has scored, highlighting his role as an attacking catalyst for the team. Importantly, the California native carries a four-match scoring streak into Saturday’s match.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Louisville City has cruised to an overall record of 21-6-6 and is 3-1-1 in their last five. They’ve secured the top spot in the Eastern Conference and are coming off a win over fellow playoff side Detroit City. The two-time USL Champions have been dominant this season, continuing their success since entering the USL in 2015. In each season, Louisville has reached at least the Eastern Conference Final while winning back-to-back USL titles in 2018 and 2019. The Boys in Purple have already secured the top spot in the Eastern Conference, which provides an automatic bye into the Conference Semifinals with home field advantage. Should Louisville continue through the playoffs, they will play each game at home with the only possible away match against San Antonio FC in the potential final. With the result of this final game providing no advantage or disadvantage to Louisville, they may choose to rest many of their starters on Saturday to remain at full strength before the Conference Semifinals.
INJURY REPORT
Hartford Athletic
Out: Tom Brewitt (RT Quad), Mitchell curry (Hamstring), Peter-Lee Vassell (Foot), Jimmy Slayton (Neck)
Louisville City FC
Out: Jorge Gonzalez, Niall McCabe, Kyle Morton
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