Loudoun United lost 2-1 to Hartford Athletic in their seventh match of the 2021 United Soccer League (USL) Championship season. The Red-and-White fell victim to a goal late in second half added time after a lengthy weather delay paused the match in the 89th minute.
The Red-and-White started with Jermaine Fordah in goal and Michael DeShields, Timmy Mehl, and Robby Dambrot in the defensive back three. Ted Ku-DiPietro, Nicky Downs, Jeremy Garay, and Jacob Greene played in the midfield and Jovanny Bolivar, Massimo Ferrin, and Darluis Paz started as the front three.
Hartford scored the first goal of the match in the 6th minute when Juan Obregan capitalized on a counterattacking opportunity. Loudoun United responded well after the goal and dominated possession for the rest of the half thanks to the strong play of Nicky Downs and Jeremy Garay in the midfield. The Red-and-White came close on a couple of occasions, but were unable to find a goal and went into halftime trailing 1-0.
Loudoun United came out strong after the break and outshot Hartford 13-6 in the second 45. They were rewarded for their efforts in the 78th minute when a cross sent in from the left wing caught the hand of a Hartford defender, resulting in a penalty kick to Loudoun. Jovanny Bolívar converted the penalty, sending the keeper the wrong way and tying the match with his third goal of the season. In the 88th minute, the match was delayed for just under an hour due to inclement weather. Hartford Athletic scored the match-winning goal in the fifth minute of added time after the weather delay and won the match 2-1.
Loudoun United’s next match is against the Charleston Battery on June 26 at 7 p.m. EST. The match can be streamed on ESPN+.