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  • Writer's pictureBenton
    • Aug 26
    • 3 min read

Match Recap – Hartford Athletic vs Louisville City – 08/24/2024

Photo Credit: John Mrakovcich

Things were looking good in Louisville. The boys in purple emerged from the gauntlet of at NM, vs SAC, and vs CHS a perfect 3/3. It was an incredibly important stretch that would dictate the squad’s level of comfort (or discomfort) in their ongoing quest to not only secure home-field for the playoffs but to win the regular season. Points ahead of the Battery and with games in hand, LouCity was in control of their fate. If they can continue at their current trajectory into the final stretch, a relatively more favorable listing of opponents, Louisville could earn the elusive Players’ Shield. First up, Hartford Athletic.


 

Unfortunately, the officiating crew became central figures in this match. At 29’, Adrien Perez, back from injury, was shown a straight red card. The broadcast failed to capture the moment that warranted it and the only details we know about the incident are provided by Coach Danny Cruz after the match. Although most of the stat sites indicate “violent conduct”, it was an exchange between Perez, seeking clarity on a call, and the referee that led to the red being shown. An exchange where the ref told Perez to “fuck off.” While walking off the pitch, Perez could be seen physically, indicating it was a verbal exchange. Conveniently for the league, this is not captured in the published recap videos of the match. Just like the no-call footage of Wilson Harris getting tackled in the box. As the club had the foresight to preserve the clip, I’ll let you be the judge of that potentially game-changing moment.


 

And let’s not forget Coach Cruz’s red card at 66’. “I got sent off for literally clapping and telling Aiden (McFadden) that he done well to earn the foul in the corner,” Coach Cruz said. “I didn't say a word to the fourth official until the 20th minute, 22nd minute, to be exact, and got officially warned.” It’s likely we will never get the full details of either incident. However, between Perez’s astonishment at getting the card and the conviction in which Coach Cruz discussed what he knew indicates, to me, genuine confusion. At a minimum, teams should be able to expect clarity on calls and how the game is being enforced. “The level tonight from the referee crew was below the level of expectation at the professional level,” Coach Cruz stated.


 

Before the emergence of the red cards, Louisville City was doing Louisville City things. The boys in purple prevented Hartford from registering any shots while they had found 6 themselves. Momentum was on their side and it felt more like when rather than if they would score. Going down a man, and later the head coach, changed that. They did find the opening goal less than 10 minutes after losing Perez but the man advantage ultimately turned the tides too much and Hartford found goals of their own at 48’ and 84’. The GameFlow chart highlights the value of Hartford’s man advantage largely thanks to JC Griggs and company.


 

There is not much value in delving into the numbers on this one. 2/3 of the match was played a man down. The boys in purple did an admirable job, considering the circumstances. “I did feel that my group left everything they could on the field and they were hard done by tonight,” Coach Cruz remarked. In the post-match interview, he indicated plans to appeal the card(s), however, as of this writing, there are no plans to pursue that option. All eyes are on the future and the team’s road ahead. “We need to make sure that we keep a good mindset. I think we’ll be better off having gone through this moment. I do hope and feel that this will make our group stronger and better.” The team still has a point lead over CHS as well as two games in hand. They still control their destiny.


Parting Thoughts

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