Hartford Athletic Aim to Bounce Back Against Miami FC
The Latics will try to put a disappointing loss to Indy Eleven behind them as they head to south Florida
Hartford Athletic heads south on Saturday to take on Miami FC. It’s the third game in eight days for the Latics, part of a stretch that will see them play five games in 15 days. Following Saturday’s fixture in Miami, they’ll return home for a USL Jägermeister Cup semifinal against Greenville Triumph, and then finish things off with a trip to Monterey Bay for further Championship action.
The busy stretch got off on a good note for Hartford, as it came from behind to defeat North Carolina FC last Saturday, but then stumbled midweek, falling 2-0 to Indy Eleven despite a wealth of opportunities. The loss was the first time that the club had been held scoreless since a nil-nil draw at RIFC in the middle of June.
With a crowded schedule on the horizon — and Wednesday’s result emphasizing the need to add another forward to replace Mamadou Dieng — Brendan Burke has been busy reinforcing his squad. Having already added defenders Baboucarr Njie and Owen Presthus and goalkeeper John Berner, Burke added three more players this week.
The first and most significant was former USL MVP Hadji Barry. The forward, who recorded 55 goal contributions over two seasons while playing for Burke in Colorado Springs in 2021 and 2022, has been without a club since departing Future FC in the summer of 2024. It’s not a signing without risk, but with the options limited, and a definite need for a forward, everyone involved will be hoping that a reunion with both Burke and former teammate Michee Ngalina will bring the best out of Barry.
In addition to Barry, Hartford also added midfielder Cameron Duke on a 25-day contract and defender Joshua Belluz on loan from Colorado Rapids 2 of MLSNP. Both players provide additional depth for Burke’s squad as they navigate not only the current stretch of games, but hope to push on to a cup final and a playoff place as well.
As for the opposition, Miami are essentially collapsing. The collapse is not quite as dramatic as the lows hit last season, recording only 11 points while conceding 89 goals (the most in the league since 2013, when Antigua Barracude gave up an incredible 91 goals while losing every single game), but it’s still remarkable. Miami still has one of the worst defences in the league, and over the last three games have conceded 10 goals.
Things are better at the other end of the pitch, but really only because of Francisco Bonfiglio. The Argentine has 13 goals (60% of Miami’s league output this season) and could become the first player since Milan Iloski to win the Golden Boot while playing for a team that finished at the bottom of its conference. Hartford have shown some vulnerability — particularly on the counter — and Bonfiglio will not need many chances to put the ball in the back of the net. Hartford will be strong favorites, but as long as Bonfiglio is on the pitch, Miami will have a chance to take something from this game.