Hartford Athletic announced the returns of two key members of their 2025 USL Cup-winning squad as both Jordan Scarlett and Antony Siaha would return for the 2026 season. These are the first returning players to be officially confirmed by the club, with defender Matt Real also announced to be joining from Colorado Springs Switchbacks.
Scarlett, who has worn the captain’s armband over the last two seasons, has been a mainstay of the Hartford defense since his return from injury during the 2024 season. After logging 2914 minutes during the 2025 season, the fourth-most in a single season in club history, Scarlett has played the fifth-most minutes all-time for the club and his 59 appearances in all competitions are the 10th-most by any Hartford player. His contributions in 2025 also earned him a USL Championship Team of the Week appearance in week 25.
Siaha, who was rumored to be a target of MLS side New York Red Bulls – and in fact spent a period of time training at their facility in the offseason – made his mark as the best keeper in club history during the 2025 season. His 13 shutouts recorded in 37 games are four more than any other Hartford keeper. Only John Berner, who made four appearances this past season, has a better goals against average in club history, or has conceded less frequently than Siaha’s one goal given up for every 93 minutes of playing time. Like Scarlett, Siaha was also recognized for his contributions with a USL Championship TOTW appearance.
The confirmation of these two returns – particularly given the rumors that Siaha was on his way out the door – will give Hartford a firm foundation for the 2026 season. With other key players from 2025’s effective defense expected to return, alongside the addition of Real, Burke’s side should have a solid platform to build from.
The Latics have taken a circuitous route to announcing their squad for 2026, being the only club in the USL Championship not to have announced their initial roster decisions before the start of the new calendar year. Before Friday, the only roster announcements made by the club had been the retirement of defender Joe Farrell and the addition of Real. The announcements – or lack thereof – have no material impact as the technical staff have long since made their decisions about the remainder of the 2025 roster, but the process has already served to frustrate some fans.
The Blazing Musket will continue to have coverage of all of Hartford Athletic’s offseason moves, which will hopefully be forthcoming soon as players report to training camp in the coming weeks.
