The Hartford Athletic beat Sacramento on Saturday night to win the USL Jägermeister Cup in California. (Photo courtesy Hartford Athletic)
The Hartford Athletic earned their first major championship trophy on Saturday night with a 1-0 win over the Sacramento Republic FC in the USL Jägermeister Cup final in Sacramento at Heart Health Park.
Hartford’s Samuel Careaga found the back of the net in the 51st minute with a beautiful finish following a well-placed corner kick from Sebastian Anderson for the only goal of the match. Anderson delivered the assist, with a short pass outside the box to where Careaga met it perfectly to score.
The crowd erupted, and Hartford had the lead they’d been chasing all night.
It was just the second goal that Sacramento goalie Jared Mazzola, a Quinnipiac University graduate, had given up in the Jägermeister Cup tournament.
Careaga’s goal was his team-leading third of the tournament, earning Final MVP honors, while goalkeeper Antony Siaha recorded a two-save shutout to complete the side’s undefeated seven-game run through the tournament.
Hartford went 5-0-2 in the tournament, including three consecutive wins to finish out the tournament. The Athletic are now 21-11-8 overall and 11-10-5 in USL Championship action, good enough for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
From the opening whistle, Hartford made their game plan clear by pressing every ball, challenging every pass, and forcing Sacramento to make quick decisions.
That intensity nearly paid off early in the first half when Hartford’s TJ Presthus spun past a defender in the box and fired a shot toward the far post, only for it to be deflected just wide.
Republic FC went close to taking the lead in the 20th minute when Russell Cicerone headed a near-post corner from the right that hit the left post and was cleared to safety by the visitors. Eight minutes later, Hartford also threatened from a set piece, but Junior Moreira’s final finish went high as the game went to the break scoreless.
Michee Ngalina also looked dangerous, using his speed and footwork to draw fouls and stretch the defense. Despite all the pressure, Sacramento stayed composed and created some chances of their own.
The match was physical throughout, with players going to ground on both sides and emotions running high.
Just before the break, Hartford had another golden chance when Samuel Careaga slipped a perfectly weighted ball behind the defense for Ngalina, who crossed it into the box but the finishing touch wasn’t there, and Mazzola cleaned it up.
At halftime, the score was still 0–0, but it felt like a goal was coming.
Athletic almost took the lead early in the second half when Kyle Edwards turned his defender well but was denied by Republic FC goalkeeper Jared Mazzola, who turned the effort wide of the left post. Off the ensuing corner kick, however, Careaga fired home a first-time shot from the top of the penalty area after finding its way through traffic.
After Hartford’s goal, Sacramento turned up the heat in the final 15 minutes, throwing on attacking subs and piling numbers forward.
They came close, forcing goalie Antony Siaha into two smart saves but they couldn’t find the equalizer. Hartford’s defense held strong under pressure, winning crucial headers and clearing their lines with purpose.
When the final whistle blew, it was pure celebration for Hartford. After a gritty, all-out performance, they were crowned champions of the first-ever USL Jägermeister Cup.
Hartford 1, Sacramento 0
At Sacramento
Hartford 0 1 — 1
Sacramento 0 0 — 0
Goal: Samuel Careaga (H, 51) ; Assist: Sebastian Anderson; Saves: Antony Siaha (H) 2, Jared Mazzola (S) 3; Shots: Hartford, 14-13; Shots on target: Hartford, 4-2; Corner kicks: Sacramento, 7-6
