Former UMass Keeper Set to Join Hartford as Emergency Replacement, Bloyou Returns
With only 12 healthy players and no keepers following the news of a COVID outbreak, Hartford have announced a pair of additions for Saturday's match.
After news came out that 10 Hartford Athletic players — including both goalkeepers — were out with COVID ahead of Saturday’s match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, the Green and Blue were left with under 24 hours to find an emergency replacement between the sticks.
With Saturday’s match set to be played as scheduled to the disapproval of both the club and their fans, and “despite multiple requests to the League and Tampa Bay Rowdies organizations recommending to reschedule,” Hartford will add French shot-stopper Marvyn Dorchin on a 25-day contract. The former University of Massachusetts standout started all 17 games for the Minutemen in his graduate season in 2021, before opening a brief stint overseas in Norway and Spain.
Former Penn State and FC Tulsa forward Daniel Bloyou is also set to return on a short-term basis in an effort to fill out Hartford’s depleted bench, following the expiration of his initial 25-day contract earlier in the week. Although no immediate renewal was pursued by Hartford, the 23-year-old will now receive a further 25-day extension. In his first stint, Bloyou registered 49 minutes across two appearances off the bench for the Green and Blue.
Finally, sources tell The Blazing Musket that academy product Dren Drobruna is a part of the Green and Blue squad for the match tonight.
The addition of the three men brings Omid Namazi’s roster for Saturday up to just 14 players, including only one goalkeeper. The full roster set to face the Tampa Bay Rowdies is as follows:
GK:
Marvyn Dorchin
DEF:
Niall Logue
Triston Hodge
Luke Merrill
Robin Lapert
Edgardo Rito
Dren Drobruna
MID:
Ash Apollon
Danny Barrera
Andre Lewis
FWD:
Antoine Hoppenot
Daniel Bloyou
Elvis Amoh
Kyle Edwards
Kickoff from Al Land Stadium on Saturday is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on WCTX MyTV9 and ESPN+.