End of an Era: Hartford Athletic Announce Departure of Danny Barrera
The former club captain will not return for the 2025 season
Hartford Athletic announced on Monday that club legend Danny Barrera would not return for the 2025 season, following the expiration of his contract.
The 34-year-old departs as the club’s all-time leader in USL Championship appearances (150), minutes (10,773), goals (17), and assists (34). He also made five appearances for the club in the U.S. Open Cup, recording one assist.
Barrera joined the club partway through the 2019 season, making his first appearance as a substitute in a 3-2 loss to Nashville SC. Shortly thereafter, he made his first significant mark on the club when he recorded two assists in a 2-1 victory over Indy Eleven in the first game played at the then-Dillon Stadium (now Trinity Health Stadium).
In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Barrera was a key driver of the only playoff appearance in club history; scoring two goals and recording seven assists, including two USL Championship Team of the Week performances. His most notable contribution was the “Immaculate Deflection” in the penultimate week of the regular season, which pushed the Latics to the top of their group and helped secure a home playoff game.
The following season, Barrera had his best year in the green and blue; recording seven goals and 12 assists, the latter a single-season club record. He finished the year as the USL Championship Assists Champion and was named to the USL Championship All-League first team, the first, and so far only, player in club history to receive that honor.
His performances that season included a two-goal, three-assist showing in a club-record 7-0 win over NY Red Bulls II.
Barrera continued to contribute over the following seasons, adding two goals and six assists in the 2022 season and another goal and assist in 2023. The 2024 season saw him record his lowest minutes total since joining the Latics - just under 1,000 - but he was able to turn back the clock with a few vintage performances, including a sensational showing against NCFC that saw him score twice, record an assist, and set up the fourth goal in a 4-3 win on his way to being named USL Championship Player of the Week.
In addition to the Player of the Week nod, and his 2021 All-League award, Barrera was also named to the USL Championship Team of the Week six times in his Hartford career (and was twice more named to the bench), both by far the most in club history.
It’s not clear at this time if Barrera intends to continue playing; a statement from the club indicated that he would continue as an academy coach for Hartford Athletic while he explored other options for the next chapter of his career.