Hartford Athletic Searching For Spark, Take On Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Latics also make roster moves ahead of Eastern Conference Clash
Hartford Athletic are still trying to find their way this season as they welcome the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to Trinity Health Stadium on Saturday night. Four points from the previous two-game homestand gave way to another shutout road loss, and with a visit from Tampa Bay Rowdies coming next weekend; the Latics will be aiming to turn this homestand into more points.
Last time out in New Mexico, the Latics put in a creditable performance but ultimately fell short as a late Daniel Bruce goal gave the home team all three points. Key players - notably Deshane Beckford and Triston Hodge - were also missing in that game, as Hartford continued to search for the eleven players that can get the job done.
There will almost certainly be another eleven on the pitch on Saturday night, as the Latics made their biggest roster move of the 2024 season this week, sending forward Romario Williams to Indy Eleven in exchange for fullback Younes Boudadi. Hartford also added another forward in Dantouma Toure, and it’s been rumored that yet another forward - Kyle Edwards - is on his way out the door by way of a loan to Monterey Bay FC. Boudadi - who spent two previous seasons in Hartford in 2021 and 2022 - seems the most likely to start and should give the Latics a much-needed attacking spark from one of the fullback positions.
With the departure of Williams, the question of who is going to provide the scoring punch for this team becomes more acute. While both Beckford and Michee Ngalina have three goals in all competitions, there’s still a serious need for someone to become a reliable source of goals.
Mamadou Dieng figures to be one of the main beneficiaries of the changes in the forward room. While the teenager has shown considerable maturity in other aspects of his game, his finishing has been poor with no goals to show for a number of excellent opportunities. More will be required from him and new arrival Toure in the coming weeks.
Since Bob Lilley arrived before the 2018 season, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds have reached the playoffs in every single year, turned in the best regular-season record in the Eastern Conference on two occasions, and just last season won the Player’s Shield for the best regular-season record in the entire league. Key departures in the offseason - including Golden Boot winner and League MVP Albert Dikwa and Defender of the Year Arturo Ordoñez - left the Hounds in rebuild mode and despite a seven-game unbeaten streak that included a win over defending champions Phoenix Rising, they’ve struggled for consistency and currently sit outside the playoffs.
With both teams in desperate need of the points on Saturday night, fans will hoping for a closely contested game and Hartford supporters in particular will be holding on to hope that this week is the one where things finally begin to click into place.