Hartford Athletic are in search of goals as they take on local rivals Rhode Island FC on Saturday night at Trinity Health Stadium. It’s the second meeting between the two clubs in 2026, as they already went head-to-head in a U.S. Open Cup second-round fixture at Centreville Bank Stadium. That contest was won 2-0 by RIFC.

The Latics are looking for a first goal since March 28, a 2-2 draw against Indy Eleven. They’ve subsequently been shut out in four straight games in all competitions, although a stout defense has rewarded them with two points in the USL Championship over that stretch, in spite of the power outage.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Brendan Burke emphasized that he believes that his team has been close to breaking through, and that he expects their luck to turn around as several key players become available: 

“We've had things hit the crossbar, last week, as well as down in Miami. I mean, we're right on top of it. We need something to fly in. I’m not of the mindset that it's going to be floodgates open once it goes in, but that that confidence breeds the next run, the next effort to get to the right spot and beat somebody by half a yard to the right spot. So I do think it's coming. I've certainly seen signs of it already. And when you add the type of quality that I'm talking about and Samadia and Barry and and Samu, you have entry passes, you have excellent crosses, you have, you know, the ability to really impact the game on a higher level.”

One of those key players – Samuel Careaga – returned to action last Saturday, and figures to take a larger role this weekend, although it remains to be seen exactly how many minutes he’s given. Barry Coffey also figures to be in the lineup, although a limited appearance off the bench seems  more likely for him. And while Emmanuel Samadia will not play in El Clamico, his visa issues appear to be headed for a positive resolution, and the dynamic left-back could be in Hartford as soon as next week.

All of that is good news as Hartford get their 2026 USL Cup campaign underway, looking to defend the trophy they won last October. That was the first silverware in club history, and it capped a stellar run across the summer and  early fall in which the Latics were arguably the best team in the USL.

In 2025, Brendan Burke was vocal in his belief that the USL Cup was a priority for his club, saying multiple times through the group stage that it was the fastest route to silverware. This  year, he’s taking exactly the same approach.

“I think the opposite of the U.S. Open Cup about this competition," Burke said. "I think it's designed for clubs to throw everything they have at it.”

Indeed, unlike the Open Cup fixture which saw Burke start a number of reserves, including two players who were on 25-day contracts, Hartford will almost certainly feature a best-available XI in the USL Cup. Obviously, some key players remain unavailable, and Burke will be forced to select something less than  his actual best XI but Hartford will absolutely be going into this fixture aiming to win.

In 2025, Hartford and RIFC met in the final group stage game, with both club’s being very clear about exactly what they needed from that fixture to advance. This year, they meet in the opening game, with a clear sense that if one team or the other  claims the maximum points from the fixture, they’ll be in the driver’s seat in the group.

For as much as Hartford have been struggling, RIFC are in great form right now. They’ve won their last  two league games by a combined  scoreline of 7-1, battering Lexington and Charleston in back-to-back USL Championship fixtures. For Burke, it means that his team – depleted as it might be – will have to be close to perfect to take what they need from this game.