Hartford Athletic Take Down Birmingham Legion In Home Opener
Michee Ngalina nets first Hartford goal as Latics overcome rain and cold to take all three points.
Fans who braved wind, rain, and near-freezing conditions to watch Hartford Athletic in their home opener went home happy as a Michee Ngalina goal in the 23rd minute was enough to secure all three points. The result takes the Latics to six points from two games; their best results to open the season since 2021 and the first time they’ve recorded two consecutive clean sheets in the first two games in club history.
Hartford opened the game on the front foot, exerting pressure on Birmingham almost from the first whistle. An early chance fell to debutant Mamadou Dieng inside the box before Marcus Epps slipped in Deshane Beckford in the third minute, only for Legion keeper Matt Van Oekel to deny his shot from close range.
The Latics continued to ratchet things up before breaking the deadlock when a chipped pass from Anderson Asiedu found Ngalina at the top of the 18-yard box. Ngalina eluded two Legion defenders and slipped the ball past Van Oekel for his first goal of the season and his Hartford career.
The Latics continued to dominate the rest of the first half - outshooting Birmingham 20-2 over the first 45 minutes, and continuing to move the ball into the opposition box with ease - but couldn’t find the net again despite good looks for Jay Chapman, Epps, and Asiedu. At the other end of the pitch, a miscommunication in the Hartford defense threatened to gift Legion an opportunity but Paul Walters recovered and snuffed out the danger as the Latics went into halftime with a well-deserved lead.
Birmingham found a foothold on the game in the second half as conditions deteriorated and Hartford tired. Contrary to the first 45 minutes — which were played almost entirely in and around the Legion 18-yard box — the pitch tilted very much in the opposite direction and Birmingham outshot the Latics 16-7 in the second half. One of their best chances to equalize came when Enoch Mushagalusa misplayed the ball following a corner, allowing Enzo Martinez to play the ball through to Tyler Pasher. The first shot was deflected and Walters was alert to the danger of the rebound. Birmingham continued to pile on the chances, but the Legion were unable to find the back of the net.
After conceding so many late goals in 2023, Hartford fans were on the edge of their seats as the clock wound down, particularly when a rebound from a free kick in stoppage time fell to Miguel Perez but he blazed wide and that proved to be their last chance of note. The final whistle blew shortly after that, giving Hartford two wins from two matches; already halfway to their total number of wins from last season and continuing the perfect start to the Brendan Burke era.