The 2020 Hartford Athletic season was the club's second season of existence and their second in the USL Championship, the second tier of American soccer. This article covers the period from October 20, 2019, the day after Hartford's final match of the 2019 regular season, to the conclusion of the 2020 USL-C Playoff Final, scheduled for November 12–16, 2020.

Season in review

Background, off-season and pre-season

Hartford finished its inaugural season in next to last place in the Eastern Conference, seven table positions and fourteen points out of the playoff spots. The club parted ways with head coach

Jimmy Nielsen Jimmy Nielsen (born 6 August 1977) is a Danish-American retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Until June 2007, he played 398 games for Danish team AaB Fodbold. Playing every league match for AaB since 1997, Nielsen won the 1999 Danish ...

just seven days after the 2019 season's end and signed former Southampton U-23 coach

Radhi Jaïdi Radhi Ben Abdelmajid Jaïdi ( ar, راضي بن عبد المجيد الجعايدي; born 30 August 1975) is a Tunisian former footballer who played as a centre back. He was previously head coach of the under-23 team at Southampton, head coach ...

to fill the vacancy on November 8. The club also parted ways with COO Donovan Powell five days later. The club began announcing roster moves in October, also, quickly announcing the return of four players from the 2019 roster (

Harry Swartz Harrison "Harry" Swartz (born March 19, 1996) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for USL Championship club New Mexico United. Career Swartz is from Needham, Massachusetts. He played soccer at Needham High School, ...

Alex Dixon Hugh Alexander Dixon (born February 7, 1990) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a winger for USL Championship club Monterey Bay FC. College and amateur The first youth club Dixon played for was the Texas Heat. He then joine ...

Alex Davey Alexander James Davey (born 24 November 1994) is a former professional footballer who played as a defender. Born in England, Davey is a former Scotland under-19 international. Club career Chelsea Born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, ...

, and

Nicky Downs Michael Newth "Nicky" Downs (born January 8, 1996) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder. Career College and amateur Downs spent four years playing college soccer at Yale University between 2015 and 2018, scoring 9 ...

), with the return of

Danny Barrera Daniel Francisco Barrera (born January 8, 1990) is a professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Hartford Athletic in the USL Championship. Born in Colombia, he has represented the United States at youth level. Early life and educa ...

and

Mads Jørgensen Lars Mads Jørgensen (born 10 February 1979) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder and won two Danish Superliga championships and two Danish Cup trophies with Brøndby IF. He started his career with A ...

being announced in early November, and the return of Mike Novotny being announced in early December. New signings began in earnest in late November with the addition of Aiden Mesias, former Fresno FC defender Sam Strong, Brazilian defender

Gabriel Torres Gabriel Arturo Torres Tejada (born 31 October 1988) is a Panamanian professional footballer who plays for Deportes Antofagasta and the Panama national team. Career Club He was widely regarded as the top prospect from Panama and in 2007 he t ...

, 2019 Greenville Triumph center back

Kevin Politz Kevin Politz (born March 22, 1996) is an American soccer player. Career Youth Politz was born in New Haven, Connecticut, but grew up in the Morganville section of Marlboro Township, New Jersey, where he attended Marlboro High School and was a ...

, Cal State Northridge products

Dre Deas Andre "Dre" Deas (born November 7, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Flower City Union, in the National Independent Soccer Association. Career Youth, College and Amateur Deas played one season with USSDA ...

and Alex Lara,

Dartmouth Dartmouth may refer to: Places * Dartmouth, Devon, England ** Dartmouth Harbour * Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States * Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada * Dartmouth, Victoria, Australia Institutions * Dartmouth College, Ivy League university i ...

midfielder Noah Paravicini, and UT-Rio Grande Valley midfielder Arthur Rogers. In January, the club signed San Antonio FC's all-time leading scorer

Éver Guzmán Éver Arsenio Guzmán Zavala (born 15 March 1988) is a Mexican former footballer who last played as a forward for Guatemalan team Antigua. Professional Although having debuted professionally on 15 May 2004 in a game against C.F. Pachuca, Guzmá ...

, Brazilian defender Matheus Silva, and announced the return of forward Mac Steeves. In February, the club announced loan deals for goalkeeper

Parfait Mandanda Parfait Mandanda (born 10 October 1989) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. Born in France, he represented DR Congo at international level. Club career Born in Nevers, Mandanda began his career at Stade Malherbe Caen, movin ...

and

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

U-23 midfielder

Tyreke Johnson Tyreke Martin Johnson (born 3 November 1998) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Dagenham & Redbridge on loan from Woking. Career On 3 November 2015, Johnson signed his first professional contract with Southamp ...

Roster

Competitions

Exhibitions

Match results

USL Championship

Standings — Group F

Match results

In the preparations for the resumption of league play following the shutdown prompted by the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, Hartford's schedule was announced on July 2.

USL Cup Playoffs

U.S. Open Cup

As a USL Championship club, Hartford as enter the competition in the Second Round, to be played April 7–9. The

2020 U.S. Open Cup The 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup was planned to be the 107th edition of the U.S. Open Cup, a knockout cup competition in American soccer. Atlanta United FC were the defending champions after defeating Minnesota United FC in the 2019 final. Th ...

was cancelled due to the

Statistics

Appearances and goals

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Disciplinary record

Clean sheets

Transfers

In

Out

Loan in

Loan out

Kits

References

{{2020 in American soccer Hartford Athletic Hartford Athletic Hartford Athletic Hartford Athletic

Season in review

Background, off-season and pre-season

Roster

Competitions

Exhibitions

Match results

USL Championship

Standings — Group F

Match results

USL Cup Playoffs

U.S. Open Cup

Statistics

Appearances and goals

Disciplinary record

Clean sheets

Transfers

In

Out

Loan in

Loan out

Kits

See also

References