Antoine Hoppenot Joins Elite USL Championship Company
The forward scored his 40th career USL Championship goal on Saturday, becoming only the fourth player in league history to record at least 40 goals and 40 assists.
With two wins and six goals in their last three games, Hartford Athletic’s attack finally seems to be coming to life in the most vital stretch of their season.
A large part of that success comes from nine-year USL Championship and Major League Soccer veteran Antoine Hoppenot, who recently became only the fourth player in league history to reach both 40 goals and 40 assists in their USL Championship career.
Hoppenot initially joined Hartford ahead of the 2023 campaign, his sixth USL team in nine years, after leading the league in assists (11) for Detroit City FC last season. He also netted seven goals in what was a productive season for the forward, who previously was one of only seven players to hit the 30/30 mark in the Championship.
Although Hoppenot struggled to re-discover his league-high form from 2022 during the first half of the 2023 season, the forward had one of his better performances of the season on the weekend and played an instrumental role in Hartford’s 2-1 come-from-behind victory of New Mexico United on Saturday. Starting and putting in an 82-minute shift, Hoppenot scored the go-ahead goal to win the game for Hartford just one week after picking up an assist in a 5-2 loss vs. San Antonio FC.
“He’s playing a little bit more of a forward position, a little bit closer to goal,” Hartford Athletic Head Coach Omid Namazi said. “Just his energy, his running ability to get in behind defenders…He brings a lot of energy, he’s a pest, he gives the other team’s defenders a lot of things to think about. He’s a big headache to play against.”
An active night in the final third saw Hoppenot find the back of the net on three separate occasions, the first two of which were flagged offsides before he eventually scored the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute. The tally was his third of the year in all competitions alongside a pair of assists in 2023, bringing his total to 40 goals and 46 assists through nine years in the Championship.
“It’s a great feeling,” Hoppenot said following Saturday’s win. “We’ve felt hard done a lot this year, it’s one of those seasons where it feels like everything is going against us.”
With two wins at Trinity Health Stadium this season, the go-ahead goal was a breath of fresh air for Hartford fans, who have grown used to late disappointment in the final 15 minutes.
“At some point you just gotta keep fighting through it, and I think you heard the stadium erupt, I think you saw what it meant to the players to the bench,” Hoppenot added. “I saw our subs going nuts after we scored. It’s one of those things where you can feel that energy, and it’s something we feel that we deserve.”
For Hoppenot, a Hartford Athletic side re-invigorated by late defensive substitutions from Namazi boasted a different, improved mentality in the final stages of the game that aided a much-needed win.
“We’ve given up so many goals late, it’s unbelievable, I’ve never been a part of that,” Hoppenot stated. “It’s demoralizing. There was a different energy [Saturday], it didn’t feel like we were gonna give up a goal, I think in a lot of games sometimes it felt like we were gonna give up a goal, tonight it didn’t feel that way, I feel like we felt really strong.”
Although the assistant’s flag denied both of Hoppenot’s first two strikes, the chances displayed attacking awareness and a sharp finishing touch from the French forward, who had no trouble being the centerpiece of the attack in the nine role after spending the majority of the season on the wing.
“I have to see the goals back, but live they felt really, really onsides,” Hoppenot told The Blazing Musket after Saturday’s game. “I got a yellow card for it, at the time I think I told the ref that I was right and she was wrong. So it is what it is.”
Although there is no VAR to confirm or deny the call on the field and he was disciplined as a result of the argument, Hoppenot’s claim is not entirely unjustified. Although it is not a great angle, this view from the broadcast certainly seems to confirm that both Andre Lewis and Hoppenot are well onside after the initial pass leaves the feet of Edgardo Rito in the buildup of the second disallowed goal.
Regardless, Hoppenot’s involvement in the attack still marked on his more positive outings on the season, and his goal in the 73rd minute eventually counted, enough to give Hartford all three points from behind. It came when Connor McGlynn took the ball out of the back and into the middle third in transition, before playing a long ball over the top to Hoppenot’s feet. From there, the 32-year-old calmly slotted the ball past on onrushing Alexandros Tambakis in goal with a low shot to give Hartford the 2-1 lead.
When asked about his connection with McGlynn, who notched his first assist of the season, Hoppenot said it was all to do with the matching orange cleats the two were wearing on the night.
“Orange cleats and orange cleats,” Hoppenot said. “We were talking about it, I was telling [McGlynn] before the game that he should only pass to me and he did not listen until there. He finally passed me the ball, and I scored a goal, so maybe I’ll show him that video to make sure he keeps passing me the ball a lot.”
McGlynn, however, was not so sure.
“Nope, absolutely not, there is no connection,” McGlynn said in response to Hoppenot, who made a surprise appearance in his postgame interview. “It’s just by chance.”
Whether it can be credited to the florescent orange footwear or not, Hartford fans will hope to see Hoppenot continue to produce as Hartford approach a make-or-break month of August. They will hit the road en route to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday, before returning to Trinity Health stadium for three straight home games to round out the summer stretch.