Hartford vs Loudoun Preview, Odds, and Betting Picks
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Soccer is back in the USA and it’s not just the MLS Is Back tournament. The USL Championship is back as well! In the second round of the competition, Hartford Athletic takes on Loudoun United FC. The reason why we decided to do a Hartford vs Loudoun preview is that this game is special for several reasons, including the fact that fans are going to be in the stands.
- Date: Monday, June 20
- Time: 7 p.m. (Eastern Time)
- Venue: Dillon Stadium in Hartford, Connecticut
- Competition: 2020 USL Championship
- Previous Meeting: 5-1 Hartford Athletic (September 7, 2019)
Hartford vs Loudoun Preview
Hartford Athletic is undefeated in the games with Loudoun United FC, having won both of their duels so far. The game played in September 2019 saw the Connecticut side winning by 5-1. Loudoun would love to get their revenge, but it’s not going to be easy.
It’s not just that Hartford players seem more talented (they do!); it’s also because Hartford is great when playing home. This team has won each of the previous three games played in Connecticut.
Loudoun, on the other hand, is very poor away from home, with only one win on the road in more than a year.
Parfait Mandanda Between the Posts
The younger brother of Steve Mandanda (the former French international goalkeeper and the captain of Olympique de Marseille), is the new goalkeeper of Hartford Athletic. Parfait Mandanda is the team’s most expensive player and is expected to take this team to a whole new level.
Even though his professional career has been overshadowed by the success of his brother Steve, Parfait definitely has a pretty impressive portfolio.
For almost an entire decade, he used to play for Charleroi, a team from Belgian top tier, before moving on several loan spells including the one that he’s going to spend in Connecticut.
According to Transfermarkt, Mandanda is the most expensive goalkeeper in the USL Championship, as well as one of the most valuable players in the competition.
Home Advantage of Hartford Athletic
Hartford Athletic is one of the USL Championship teams that just love playing on their turf. Unfortunately for some of those teams, playing in front of their supporters is not going to be possible for a while due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Hartford United is not one of those teams.
With the state of Connecticut winning the battle against coronavirus, the club has been permitted to allow the fans in the stands. Dillon Stadium will operate at 25% capacity, which is about 1,300 fans in the stands.
Although Virginia is not on the travel advisory list of Connecticut in regards to COVID-19, the chances are that no Loudoun United FC fans will be in the stands. That’s something that surely won’t be of any help to DC United’s reserve team.
DC United’s Reserve Team
based in Leesburg, Virginia, Loudoun United FC is a professional soccer club that serves as the reserve team of the MLS franchise DC United.
It’s fair to say that DC United isn’t the cream of the crop of US soccer. The team does have a couple of really talented players, but their bench isn’t too long. In fact, their best players play in the first XI.
That said, DC United’s reserve team, Loudoun United FC is not packed with super-talented players. In fact, Loudoun is one of the biggest underdogs in the USL Championship.
Hartford vs Loudoun Betting Picks
Last year, Loudoun finished the season in a higher place than Hartford. The reason was that Hartford Athletic was very poor at the back in 2019, allowing 80 goals in 34 matches of the USL Championship. No other team from the Eastern Conference allowed more.
The defensive problems of this team seem to be over now that Hartford has Mandanda between the posts. This guy really has the ability to change things for the better for Hartford Athletic. Loudoun is going to struggle to find the net in this game.
Our picks:
- Hartford to win
- Asian Handicap (Spread) Hartford -2.5
- Hartford to win to nil