In a Memorial Day weekend showdown, Hartford City Football Club held off Long Island with a gritty 4–3 victory at Trinity Health Stadium. Playing in their inaugural NPSL season, The American Soccer Club NY pushed Hartford to the final whistle in a high-octane matchup.
ASC started brightly, nearly opening the scoring in the 1st minute with a volley just over the bar. Hartford responded immediately when Smith Halloran pounced on a defensive mistake and set up Theo Harris, whose curling left-footed effort narrowly missed the target.
The breakthrough came in the 14th minute. After patient build-up play, center back Jacob Humienny surged forward and played a sublime outside-of-the-foot pass to Harris. The striker slipped behind the ASC backline and, although his chipped shot was deflected by the goalkeeper, the rebound rolled off a defender and into the net for 1–0.
ASC nearly answered in the 21st minute with a free kick header that missed wide. Hartford continued to press, with Halloran and Becher combining for a blocked effort in the 22nd, and Becher again denied after a slick through ball from Mark Grant in the 27th.
Against the run of play, ASC equalized in the 31st minute. A lofted ball found Brian Saramago, a former United States youth international, who calmly lifted it over Julian Ballester to make it 1–1.
The excitement continued for the remainder of the 1st half. In the 40th, Ballester launched a long clearance that two ASC defenders failed to deal with, allowing Harris to capitalize with a rocket of a left-footed finish to restore the lead. But ASC answered almost immediately — first with a disallowed goal, then with a deserved equalizer in the 42nd minute, as Julio Espinal curled a left-footed shot through traffic and past a diving Ballester.
Before halftime, ASC nearly snatched the lead when Jorge Nieto Zambrano broke free but hit the side netting in stoppage time.
Hartford came out of the locker room with intent. In the 48th minute, wingback Trevor Rau cut inside and created a flurry of chances, culminating in a captain’s goal. After multiple blocked efforts, Mark Grant unleashed a stunning left-footed volley from 18 yards that curled into the side netting—his first goal since before the pandemic.
ASC continued to battle. In the 50th, Saramago threatened again with a volley into the side netting. But Hartford struck what would be the game-winner in the 61st. Center back Colin Goodhines initiated the move, finding Matteo Azambuja in space. Azambuja drove forward and squared it to Harris, who tapped in his second of the night for 4–2.
Hartford needed heroics from Ballester down the stretch. He made a diving save in the 63rd minute after a controversial no-call on a foul against Humienny. In the 70th, he again denied ASC from a dangerous free kick.
In the 87th, ASC’s high line was nearly punished as Nick Washington broke away from midfield, only to be denied by a brave 1v1 stop from the ASC keeper.
Ballester’s biggest moment came in the 94th minute, making a spectacular top-hand save to keep a curling free kick out of the top corner. However, ASC did pull one back in the 95th via an unfortunate own goal from Daimon Pollard off a corner kick to make it 4–3.
Hartford City held on through the final whistle for another gritty three points. Not their cleanest performance, but every outfield player contributed in a full-team effort. They now turn their attention to their next match – a season series deciding match against New Haven United on June 4th at Reese Stadium.
