HARTFORD, March 23, 2023 – The Hartford Athletic soccer team which won just four times in 34 matches have already won twice.
The Athletic got a goal from Michee Ngalina in the 23rd minute to beat the Birmingham Legion, 1-0, on Saturday afternoon in the first home match of the season at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford.
Hartford, now 2-0 in the young USL Championship season, was dominant in the first half of today’s match, taking 21 shots, putting seven on target, and owning 58% of the possession through the opening 45 minutes.
Hartford’s Deshane Beckford opened his afternoon with a golden opportunity on goal, sneaking behind the Birmingham back line to force a charging save from Matt Van Oekel and a miraculous block from Arthur Paterson on the open-net rebound attempt.
Hartford took eight more shots before Ngalina found the back of the net in the 23rd minute. Anderson Asiedu lofted the ball high up into the air that Ngalina played off a volley in the box, sliding it past Van Oekel with his left foot into the bottom right corner of the net. The 23 year old’s first goal in Green and Blue gave his side an early 1-0 lead.
An onslaught of Hartford scoring chances followed Ngalina’s goal.
On a corner kick in the 31st minute, Joe Farrell forced a diving save from Van Oekel on a well-placed header. With the ball still loose, Farrell rattled a low cross into traffic in front of goal, forcing three blocked shots on two tries from Thomas Vancaeyezeele, and one for Ngalina.
Jay Chapman sent a shot just over the crossbar in the 38th minute, and Anderson Asiedu challenged Van Oekel with an on-target strike from outside the box for Hartford’s final scoring threat of the half. Athletic totaled 37 touches in the box to Birmingham’s eight.
Birmingham began the second half with some more life. The visitors’ best chance of the game came in the 74th minute.
On the counter attack after a Hartford corner, a two-on-one developed between Enzo Martinez and Tyler Pasher with only Jay Chapman back for Hartford. Martinez played it from right to left to Pasher, and Paul Walters came up with a fantastic left-footed kick save to deny the Birmingham striker from inside the box.
Hartford, which was 4-24-6 a year ago, returns to action on Friday when they travel to face North Carolina FC at 7 p.m. on the road.
