Hartford Athletic Host Indy Eleven, Aim to Stay In Playoff Hunt

The Latics look to gain revenge for a 4-1 defeat earlier this season as they try to keep their playoff hopes alive

Hartford Athletic are back in action again on Saturday night, looking to keep the good results coming as they take on a scuffling Indy Eleven team at Trinity Health Stadium. The Latics will be without some key players for this fixture as Emmanuel Samadia, Triston Hodge and Thomas Vancaeyezeele are all with their respective national teams.

Last weekend’s result in Detroit might be a case of viewing the glass as half empty or half full. While road points have been hard to come by for this team, there were more than a few opportunities to take all three that were on offer and for a side that needs every point it can get, there was a distinct sense that something had been left on the table. Regardless, the result took the Latics unbeaten streak to three games - the second time this season they’ve managed that - and moved them to within five points of the playoff places in the Eastern Conference.

It also continues a run of good form for Hartford that now stretches back to the end of July. The club have twelve points from their last seven games after collecting only 17 points from their first 18 fixtures. Ten of those points have come at home and with four home games remaining, the Latics will be aiming to keep the good feelings - and the goals - flowing at Trinity Health Stadium.

Key to the recent run has been the emergence of Mamadou Dieng as a more reliable scorer. His goal last weekend made him the first Latic since Juan Carlos Obregon Jr in 2021 to score in three consecutive games and takes him to seven on the season in just over 1000 minutes. It’s a good rate of return - only three players in the league have scored more non-penalty goals on a game-adjusted basis - and if Dieng can continue to find the back of the net it will boost the club’s chances of finishing the season on a positive note.

Wheras Hartford are on something of a warm streak at the moment, Saturday’s opposition have been trending in the opposite direction of late. Indy Eleven have won only one of its last ten league games, drawing four times and losing five in that stretch. There’s no easy explanation for this, although the addition of two Open Cup games during their run to the semifinals has stretched the squad a little thinner in recent weeks and Indy’s scoring has been somewhat inconsistent of late; their 3-2 loss to Las Vegas two weeks ago marked only the second time they’ve scored at least two goals in a league game in nearly 100 days.

If the Latics are to continue a push for the playoffs, it has to start at home where they have accumulated 24 points so far this season. With only four games remaining at Trinity Health, there will be a need to pick up some on the road as well but these points are critical and the faithful fans will be looking for another result that keeps the playoff conversation going.