Hartford Athletic Resume USL Jägermeister Cup Play Against Detroit City FC
The Latics are hoping to build on a dominant attacking performance against Loudoun United in their last game as they host Le Rouge on Saturday night
Hartford Athletic resumes action in the USL Jägermeister Cup on Saturday night as they host Detroit City FC in an important Group 4 encounter. The Latics, who have won their two fixtures in the competition so far, are looking to build on a sterling attacking performance in their last Championship game against Loudoun United, where they scored three and will rightly feel that they deserved more.
That game was marked by a brace from Kyle Edwards, who earned his second USL Championship Team of the Week nod of the season in the process, and another goal for Mamadou Dieng, as he moved to 16 for his Hartford career, only two behind all-time leader Danny Barrera. For an attack that has been somewhat lethargic for long stretches of the season, it was an encouraging sign, and one key on Saturday night will be whether or not Hartford can show some consistency in that phase of the game. It’s unlikely to be quite the same level of attacking fireworks — per American Soccer Analysis, an xGF of above five, as Hartford’s was last weekend has happened only 10 times in the USL Championship since 2017 (a span of 3,858 games) — but another performance that demonstrates a similar kind of intent and ability will suggest that this team has actually turned a corner.
Attention now turns to the USL Jägermeister Cup, where Hartford are sitting pretty in Group 4, with the maximum of six points from the first two games. In its first Jägermeister Cup game, Hartford cruised past Portland Hearts of Pine 2-0, gaining some small measure of revenge for Hearts’ earlier triumph in the U.S. Open Cup. In the second fixture, the Latics twice came from behind to defeat Westchester SC by a score of 3-2, with a brace and a Team of the Week performance from Samuel Careaga setting up Mamadou Dieng’s late winner to give the Latics all three points.
As for Saturday’s opposition, before a victory over Miami FC in USL Championship play last Saturday, Detroit had dropped four straight games in all competitions, and were winless in eight, with its last previous victory having been a 1-0 win over Pittsburgh Riverhounds in their opening Jägermeister Cup fixture. In that stretch was a 4-2 loss to Hearts in the Cup that epitomized the struggles Le Rouge have been having since April, as they outshot Portland 24-12, but squandered five of six big chances (Hearts, on the other hand, converted all four of theirs).
Much like for Hartford — there has been a sense of a club that is not quite putting everything together — and while a win over Miami is a better result than it was last season, Detroit’s road form still leaves much to be desired as its last win away from Keyworth Stadium came on April 12th.
The last time these two clubs met — just six weeks ago — the game finished in a scoreless draw. While both teams will be hoping to trouble the scorekeeper a little more, and be hoping for the full three points that go along with a victory in regulation, there is no danger of another draw as Jägermeister Cup games require a definitive conclusion. If there is no winner after 90 minutes, the game will immediately go to penalties, with each team receiving one point and the winner receiving a second point.
In the event the game does go to penalties, Hartford supporters will be hoping for a better outcome than the only other penalty shootout the club has participated in, when they lost to Hearts in the Open Cup earlier this season. Settling things in regulation would be a preferable outcome, particularly if it comes alongside an attacking performance that continues to suggest brighter days ahead.