Match info
Riverhounds (13-5-8) vs. Hartford Athletic (4-16-4)
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 23
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Trinity Health Stadium, Hartford, Conn.
Odds: Hounds -125 / Draw +250 / Hartford +290 (FanDuel)
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #HFDvPIT and #HOUNDTAHN
(Aug. 22, 2023) — The Hounds go into the middle game of a three-match road swing Wednesday, when they will face Hartford Athletic for the second time in 11 days in a 7 p.m. kickoff in the Connecticut capital.
The Hounds got the better of Hartford in their meeting in Pittsburgh with a 2-0 win behind goals from Albert Dikwa and JC Obregón, but after a loss last week at Orange County, the upcoming match has added urgency with the Hounds trying to hold off hard-charging Tampa Bay for the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference.
The setting for the game has been a friendly one to the Hounds, who are 4-0-1 all-time at Trinity Health Stadium, but the wins haven’t been easy. It was 13 months ago to the day the teams last met in New England, and despite sizable advantages in possession and shots, the Hounds found themselves behind until the 74th minute after a beauty of a goal by Hartford mainstay Conor McGlynn. Goals by Russell Cicerone and Shane Wiedt sealed the 2-1 comeback in a match also notable for being the return of Robbie Mertz (who assisted Cicerone’s goal) and the debut of Edward Kizza in a Hounds uniform.
The Hounds are nearing full health, as Illal Osumanu returned to training in his recovery from an ankle injury suffered last month at Louisville, though Tony Lopez was added to the injury report after a knock to his knee last week in training. More constraining in the mind of coach Bob Lilley will be how to navigate the last two-match week of the season, as he tries to secure three midweek points while keeping legs ready for a critical Saturday showdown at defending champion San Antonio.
The Hounds could clinch their sixth consecutive playoff appearance as soon as Saturday with a pair of wins, but with 47 points in August, that clinching is a matter of when, not if. In the bigger picture, there’s very little wiggle room if the team wants to finish atop the East or clinch home field throughout the USL Championship Playoffs, so expect a full-strength Hounds side that will be keen to grab an early lead and shutting out “Brass Bonanza” from ever being heard Wednesday.
Hartford, meanwhile, has seen its playoff hopes dwindle with consecutive losses after their big Aug. 5 win over New Mexico. Still at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the hosts need a minimum of 15 points from their final 10 matches to have any shot — and likely at least a handful more, depending on other teams’ progress. The home team does have one boost over their earlier loss to the Hounds, as midfielder Andre Lewis is available after missing the first matchup through suspension.
The Hounds will return to the local airwaves this weekend, but for this Wednesday’s match, the game will only be available through streaming on ESPN+.
Downloadable Game Notes
