Hartford Opens Jägermeister Cup Campaign against Portland

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USL Hartford Athletic

Hartford Opens Jägermeister Cup Campaign against Portland

April 25, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Hartford Athletic News Release


Hartford Athletic vs Portland Hearts of Pine

WHEN: Saturday, April 26, 4 PM

WHERE: Trinity Health Stadium, Hartford, CT

Matchup History

While Hearts of Pine are merely a couple months old, this will be the second matchup between Hartford and Portland. The two teams squared off in early April in the second round of the U.S. Open Cup with Portland emerging victorious in penalty kicks. After going scoreless for the first 105 minutes, Jordan Scarlett opened the scoring for Hartford with a header off a set piece. Shortly before the end of the second extra session, Portland answered with a goal of their own to force penalties where the home side prevailed 4-2.

A New Cup

This matchup is the first in the USL's new Jagermeister Cup, a World Cup-style tournament that will feature all 38 professional clubs in USL Championship and League One. Hartford has been placed in Group 4 which consists of Rhode Island, Pittsburgh, and Detroit from the Championship and Portland and Westchester from League One. Hartford will play Westchester, Detroit and Rhode Island in pool play and the winner of the pool, plus two wild cards, will advance to the knockout stage. A win earns 3 points, a loss earns 0 and a tie earns 1 - but if tied at the end of regulation, we will go directly to a penalty shootout to determine who takes home an extra point.

Open It Up

Want to know the key to securing points for Hartford in the Brendan Burke era? Score first. Hartford are undefeated in USL Championship matches where they score first dating back to September 3, 2023, a streak that spans twelve matches. Hartford have amassed a whopping 30 points during that span with a record of 9-0-3.

First Look at Ten

Fans really got their first up close and personal look at the new number ten, Samuel Careaga on Saturday. Careaga, who was not expected to play much beyond halftime, ended up playing the full 90 minutes and controlled the middle of the pitch in a way the Hartford midfield desperately needed. "Samuel was at the center of everything," Head Coach Brendan Burke said after Saturday's game. "He calms the whole team down. For a guy who missed all of preseason and was out injured for a month to play like that is a great sign of things to come."

Players to Watch

Hartford: Mamadou Dieng, FW, #9

All eyes will be on Dieng on Saturday afternoon as he was the focal point of Hartford's attack the first time these two teams squared off. Mamadou was served cross after cross and ended up putting up 8 shots, 4 of them on target but denied by the keeper. With an expected goals of 1.95, everything about Hartford's plan in early April worked save for the ball going into the net. Expect a lot of the same this time around, with a belief that the man leading the line will finish at least one great chance.

Portland: Patrick Langlois, MF, #6

Langlois has been instrumental in the team's inaugural USL League One season, contributing both leadership and on-field performance. Langlois scored the club's first ever league goal in a 2-1 loss against South Georgia Tormenta FC. His performance in that match earned him an honorable mention in the USL League One Team of the Week for Week 6. Langlois brings a wealth of experience from his time in Australia's second-tier league, where he scored 18 goals in 56 matches for South Melbourne FC. His transition to the U.S. soccer scene has been seamless, previously helping Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC secure the inaugural USL Jägermeister Cup and a second-place league finish.

Check out the Hartford Athletic Statistics

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