Hartford’s USL Cup bid comes up short in 1-0 loss to Louisville
HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) - For the second year in a row, the Hartford Athletic earned a shot at the United Soccer League’s in-season championship.
On Saturday in Hartford, the Athletic faced Louisville City FC in the Prinx Tires USL Cup Final in front of an electric home crowd.
Louisville struck early, scoring on a header off a corner kick 12 minutes into the match to take a 1-0 lead.
Hartford had few chances in the first half but controlled possession for much of the second half, creating several scoring opportunities. Louisville goalkeeper Ryan Shaewe turned them all away.
Despite the late push, Hartford never broke through, falling 1-nil in a tense final.
The Athletic have four games left in the regular season — three at home — before the USL playoffs begin.
Copyright 2026 WFSB. All rights reserved.