Hartford Athletic Signs Goalkeeper Antony Siaha
The former Monterey Bay player projects to enter 2025 as the first-choice keeper for the Latics
Hartford Athletic have signed goalkeeper Antony Siaha ahead of the 2025 season. Siaha is the only goalkeeper currently announced to be under contract with the Latics.
While both Renan Ribeiro and Brooks Thompson were originally announced to be returning, Thompson was subsequently transferred to Lexington SC and Ribeiro was released by mutual consent.
A native of Yaoundé, Cameroon, Siaha has spent the last three seasons with Monterey Bay. The goalkeeper made 58 appearances, keeping a clean sheet in 19 of those. During that time, he was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week six times and was Player of the Week for Week 13 as well.
The highs for Siaha over the last few years have been real — being named to the Team of the Week six times in three seasons is impressive — but there are also some inconsistencies in his game that have kept him from firmly establishing himself as one of the best. On the plus side, he’s an excellent shot-stopper with one of the highest save percentages in the league over the last two seasons, including saving three penalties. He’s also quite clean, having not been credited with a single error leading to a goal over the same period. Additionally, he also showed good progress in 2024 in judging the ball in the air in the box and claiming it successfully, going from roughly league average to one of the better keepers in the league in this area.
If his defensive qualities are good, the other aspects of his game are weaker. His distribution has often been poor, which could be a significant drawback for a team that wants to be aggressive in transition.
In 2024, Renan Ribeiro was one of the best in the league in terms of his distribution and there is real possibility that the switch to Siaha will be a major downgrade. There are plenty of positives here — and as a shot-stopper Siaha is much less of a step down from Ribeiro — but Siaha’s ability to improve his distribution will be one of the keys to making this acquisition a success.
Siaha’s offseason has been tumultuous. After announcing his departure from Monterey Bay at the conclusion of the 2024 season, he signed for Indy Eleven in early December, but may have found himself surplus to requirements with the re-acquisition of Portland Timbers loanee Hunter Sulte and was granted his release before signing with Hartford. This will almost certainly be to Hartford’s benefit.
In the preseason game against the New England Revolution, the Latics utilized Chituru Odunze — a possible loan from MLS side Charlotte FC — and 2024 Academy Contract player Justin DiCarlo in net but Siaha gives the club a more experienced option as they head into the final week of the preseason.
The Blazing Musket will continue to have coverage of all of Hartford Athletic’s offseason moves as they are announced.