Hartford Athletic began their 2024 campaign on a good note, shutting out El Paso Locomotive FC in an intense away game.
The Athletic is entering the season with a desire to do better. After a campaign where they recorded 24 losses and 79 goals allowed, Hartford is looking to improve their record, turn the club around and prove to fans they are back to win. Expectations were all over as nobody knew what to expect with this team that saw many new signings and changes in the coaching staff, but one thing any Hartford fan could agree on was that a win would be a great way to begin the season.
In the opening minutes of the game, Hartford came in hot as they put the Locomotive’s defense on their heels. In just the fifth minute, Deshane Beckford passes the ball to Romario Williams to set up a shot on target in the middle of the box, but missed as the shot was too wide. It didn’t take long for the Athletic to have another scoring opportunity after a penalty was conceded by El Paso’s Tony Alfaro. Williams stepped up and scored the first goal of the season for Hartford and his first goal with the club since signing with the team. However, Hartford was not satisfied with just one goal. Just minutes after the strike, a shot was attempted by Michee Ngalina following a cross from Williams. El Paso soon tried to ramp up their offense as the team started to record shots. In the 27th minute, Justin Dhillon attempted a shot from outside the box, but it was saved by the Athletics goalkeeper, Paul Walters. The rest of the half was a quiet one, up until the end when a powerful left foot shot was attempted by Ngalina but was deflected by El Paso goalkeeper Jahmali Waite. The conclusion of the period also saw a scoring opportunity for El Paso after a corner kick was taken in stoppage time, but the header from Alfaro hit the crossbar, the equalizer narrowly missing.
Being down one goal, El Paso found themselves trying to improve their offense to get back into the game. In the 58th minute they thought they found their answer with a goal by Dhillon; however, the play was ruled offside, saving Hartford a one-to-nothing lead. The Locomotives were still determined to tie this game. Just a couple of minutes later, Lucas Stauffer attempted a right-footed shot from inside the box, but it was too wide. Not too soon after, El Paso once again attempted a shot, this time through a free kick, but again the shot was too wide. As the second half kept progressing, Hartford was holding their breath as it felt like El Paso was coming closer to equalizing as they had recorded dangerous scoring opportunities in just a matter of minutes. Unlike the first half, Hartford’s defense had more pressure. El Paso’s spirit was not deterred as in the closing minutes of the game, Ricardo Zacarías attempted another shot from inside the box, but it proved too weak and was saved by the Athletics goalkeeper. In the second half, El Paso was the more dominant team, but a combination of poor shots and a quality Hartford defense resulted in the Locomotives being shut out.
Hartford Athletic comes back home with three crucial points in hand to start off their season. While it is only one game and the first one on their road to a possible playoff appearance, Hartford needed a victory like this. Many didn’t know what to expect with this game. With a team that looks much different from the last time they took the pitch, this game was a true experiment of Hartford’s capabilities. While there still needs to be more games to see what works and what does not work for the team, starting on the road with a win is a great thing for the team’s morale and to excite fans for this season, especially with the home opener around the corner.
Hartford is set to come back home on Saturday at Trinity Health Stadium with a matchup against Birmingham Legion FC at 2:00 p.m., live on ESPN+ and MyTV9.