Hartford Athletic Heads to Pittsburgh
The Latics are aiming for a first point at Highmark since 2021
Hartford Athletic heads back on the road in the USL Championship on Saturday night, traveling to Highmark Stadium to take on Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
The Latics are coming off a victory in the first round of the U.S. Open Cup and will be looking to carry some momentum back into league play, although they will do so without a few key players, as both Kyle Edwards and Emmanuel Samadia are on international duty. Additionally, Adrián Diz Pe and Samuel Careaga were held out of the Open Cup game, and their availability is in question as Hartford heads to the Steel City.
The season opener in Lexington was disappointing for Hartford, as it failed to register a shot on target in a 2-0 loss to the Championship newcomers. It was one of the least dangerous attacking performances so far this season, with the Latics managing an xGF of only 0.53 (per American Soccer Analysis), the fourth-worst performance by any team in 22 league games played to date. It was a discouraging road start for a team that needs to be better away from home in 2025 if they want to improve on the last campaign and reach the playoffs for only the second time in club history.
One potential consolation for Hartford is that Pittsburgh actually owns one of the three performances by xGF so far this season that was worse, a mere 0.38 in their 2-0 road loss to San Antonio FC on the last matchday. Scoring was a problem for the Hounds for long stretches last season — much like it was for Hartford — and one step they took to remedy it in the offseason was the addition of Augustine Williams.
A prolific goalscorer, Williams has 77 to his name for his Championship career, including having bagged ten in a season on four occasions for three different clubs, including the last three years on the trot. He scored in his Pittsburgh debut, netting the equalizer in a 1-1 draw against NCFC and the Hounds will be hoping he continues to deliver more of the same for the remainder of the season.
One player who won’t be on the pitch for Pittsburgh is club legend Kenardo Forbes, who announced his retirement, and will be honored before the game. Forbes, 36, is the USL Championship’s all-time leader in assists and appearances, and spent the last seven seasons with the Hounds, making over 200 appearances along the way.
He started his USL career with three seasons in Rochester, where he won a title with the Rhinos in 2015, before following manager Bob Lilley to Pittsburgh in 2018. The midfielder has also been named to the USL All-League team on seven occasions (a league record), and was a finalist for Player of the Year in 2019.
Hartford desperately need a good performance — and ideally a result — at a stadium where it has only four points from eight games and none since a 0-0 draw on the final day of the 2021 season. Over the last three seasons, the Latics have lost all three games at Highmark by a combined score of 7-2 but the team will be targeting a better outcome nonetheless.