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 was the only pro soccer team in Connecticut from their inaugural season in 2019 until 2025, when Connecticut United FC will make its debut in MLS Next Pro.
 | |||
| Full name | Hartford Athletic | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | July 11, 2018 | ||
| Stadium | Trinity Health Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 5,500 | ||
| Owner | Hartford Sports Group | ||
| Head coach | Brendan Burke | ||
| League | USL Championship | ||
| 2023 | 12th, Eastern Conference Playoffs: DNQ | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
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| |||
History edit
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 edit
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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 edit
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 edit
| Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2019–2021 |  Adidas
|
Trinity Health of New England[12] |
| 2022– |  Hummel[13]
|
Players and staff edit
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Current roster edit
- As of May 15, 2024[14]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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- ^ USL Academy Contract
Out on loan edit
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
Players with multiple nationalities edit
Team management edit
| Front office | |
|---|---|
| Owners | Joseph Calafiore Bruce Mandell Scott Schooley |
| Coaching staff | |
| Head coach | Brendan Burke |
| Assistant coach | Dan Gaspar |
| Goalkeeper coach | Enzo Pereira |
| Strength & conditioning coach | Joe Lucas Santos |
| Athletic trainer | Kevin Hoffmann |
| Technical director | Ray Reid |
| Technical advisor | Paul Buckle |
Last updated: January 7, 2021
Source: [1]
Club captains edit
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| Years | Name | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Philip Rasmussen | Denmark
|
| 2020–2022 | Danny Barrera |  United States
|
| 2023 | Niall Logue |  Northern Ireland
|
Club culture edit
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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 in 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 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 edit
The Hartford Athletic U19 team plays in the United Premier Soccer League New England Conference.
Team records edit
Year-by-year edit
- As of October 14, 2023
| 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 | ||
| 2022 | 34 | 10 | 18 | 6 | 47 | 57 | 36 | 10th, Eastern | Did not qualify | Third round |  Ariel Martínez
|
9 | ||
| 2023 | 34 | 4 | 24 | 6 | 40 | 79 | 18 | 12th, Eastern | Did not qualify | Third round |  Prince Saydee
|
10 | ||
Head coaches edit
- 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 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 64.71 |
| Harry Watling |  England
|
January 13, 2021 | June 25, 2022 | 49 | 16 | 25 | 8 | 32.65 |
| Ray Reid (interim) | United States
|
June 25, 2022 | August 22, 2022 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 30.77 |
| Tab Ramos | United States
|
August 22, 2022 | June 26, 2023 | 24 | 6 | 14 | 4 | 25.00 |
| Omid Namazi | United States
|
June 26, 2023 | November 1, 2023 | 18 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 11.11 |
| Brendan Burke | United States
|
December 12, 2023 | present | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75.00 |
Average attendance edit
| Year | Reg. Season | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 5,025 | — |
| 2020 | 1,351 | 2,194 |
| 2021 | 4,640 | — |
| 2022 | 5,178 | — |
| 2023 | 4,089 | — |
| 2024 | 3,182 | — |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "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 (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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic unveils crest, teases apparel and player signings". Hartford Courant. December 6, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
- ^ Arlia, John (December 11, 2018). "Behind the Brand: Revitalizing Hartford's Proud Tradition". USL Championship. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic Unveils Official Club Crest". USL Championship. December 6, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Player Numbers". Twitter.com. Hartford Athletic. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
- ^ "Hartford Athletic Supporters Make Their Mark During Inaugural Season". NBC Connecticut. September 9, 2019.
