Hartford Athletic and RIFC Back at it in El Clamico
The rivalry between the two sides has been building as they meet for the third time in just over a month
Hartford Athletic put their seven-game unbeaten run on the line as they host Rhode Island FC at Trinity Health Stadium on Saturday night. It’s the third meeting between the two clubs in the 2025 season, and comes with both sides vying for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Latics current unbeaten run in fact stretches back to the first meeting between the two clubs this season. In that game, a somewhat threadbare Hartford squad grinded out a 0-0 draw, fuelled by some key stops from Antony Siaha. A week later, they returned in the USL Jägermeister Cup, and went one better, coming from behind to force penalties, and then triumphing in a shootout to take a bonus point that helped propel them to the quarterfinals.
Subsequently, Hartford have been rolling: a 4-0 win over New Mexico United, a 2-0 win over Miami FC, a 4-1 road victory over Birmingham Legion, a 1-1 draw with Western Conference leaders Tulsa, and finally a 2-0 triumph over San Antonio FC in that cup quarterfinal. Only once before in club history have Hartford gone seven games unbeaten — in the back half of the 2024 season — and this stretch has arguably been more impressive.
On the other side, RIFC went from that cup game to Pittsburgh, where they lost 2-0, but then have bounced back to keep three clean sheets in a row at home: a 1-0 victory over Detroit City, a nil-nil draw with Loudoun United, and then a 1-0 victory in their own cup quarterfinal against Birmingham Legion.
Saturday night’s game features two of the best defenses in the Championship. The 20 goals that RIFC have conceded are the fourth-fewest by any team in the league, while Hartford’s 23 goals conceded is the sixth fewest. At the other end of the pitch, RIFC have the weakest attack in the league, having scored only 15 goals all season. Hartford are more mid-table in this regard, although it has been on a hot streak of late.
That hot streak, though, was driven in large part by Mamadou Dieng, who had six goals in his last five games for the club. Dieng is now on his way out the door to Minnesota United of MLS.
While the deal is financially good for Hartford — an initial fee in excess of $300,000 and a substantial sell-on clause — the timing is difficult as Dieng was absolutely on fire. Hartford will need to find alternatives to break down that very good RIFC defense, with super-sub Kyle Edwards in line for a more featured role.
Hopefully, the absence of Dieng does not unduly affect would should be a hotly-contested encounter, as the two meetings so far have certainly led to a sense of a real rivalry on the pitch.
There has also been as much intrigue off the field in El Clamico as on, with a fan of each team arrested over the last two seasons. In 2024, a Hartford fan was arrested at Beirne Stadium after setting off fireworks from the stands, while this year, an RIFC fan was arrested for an alleged assault on a Hartford fan as the traveling supporters returned to ther bus. With this installment of the rivalry, everyone from both clubs will be hoping that any fireworks remain on the pitch.