Here in New York, where we have one of the lowest positivity rates in the nation, we are still not allowed to attend outdoor sporting events despite copious amounts of evidence that there is no transmission of the virus when outdoors, wearing masks, and socially distanced. Sadly, our governor has become a petty tyrant, creating idiotic quarantines and ridiculous local shutdowns instead of actually educating the public and getting the economy back on track. Governing by fear is a sure sign of tyranny and that is exactly what Andrew Cuomo is doing.
Fortunately, there are other jurisdictions where the government is actually listening to scientists and allowing limited attendance at certain games. One of those is Connecticut, where USL Championship team Hartford Athletic has been hosting matches since July. Fellow sports traveler Andrew (not Cuomo) is a season ticket holder and invited me up to see a match. I attended their final home game of the season, where they drew 1-1 with Philadelphia Union II. At that time, it looked like they would be on the road for the playoffs, but they won their final three games, all on the road, and clinched first place in Group F. This meant a home playoff tilt on the Saturday before Columbus Day, and so back I went, bringing the family to see the sights of the area.
I met Andrew at Thomas Hooker Brewery (named for the founder of the Colony of Connecticut), just a block away from the Dillon Stadium, where the club plays. The entire area is part of the Coltsville Historical District, where Samuel Colt's factory and armory were located. The district is under consideration to be a National Historic Park, but the process has stalled. But that is not relevant to my visit, which was to add a new venue to my list and see some live sports.
Dillon Stadium opened in 1935 and after years of disuse had become quite a dump. The Hartford Sports Group, founded in 2015, was able to secure $10 million in government funds and $1.2 million from a community foundation, and after adding $2.3 million of their own cash, completely renovated the venue. The new stadium opened in July 2019, in the middle of the team's first campaign, and welcomed a sell-out crowd of 5,500. That had to be a day game, because lights were not added until September. This year, obviously, sellouts would see far less fans, with 25% of capacity during the regular season, which was raised to 40% for the playoff game.
As with most low-level soccer stadiums, there are two stands on either side of the pitch. The west side (above) contains three sections of chairbacks, with the rest as benches, and all seats are reserved. Meanwhile, the east side (below) is entirely general admission ($20), with the sections at the south end taken by the various groups of supporters.
Behind one net is a series of "suites", which seem to be picnic tables with a tarp roof (below). These are marketed to groups, with one costing $600 for six fans, though that $180 in food and beverage for the group. There are picnic tables open to the public at the other end (visible above), and you can also stand here during the game.
Concessions are just inside the main entrance, with the Cantina (below) offering pizza and canned beer among other delights, though you do have to wait inside for a couple of minutes as the line winds around. There is another concession stand a few feet away that was entirely outside, but there was never a problem with pandemic protocols here, as masks were mandatory, even when seated. You could only remove your mask to eat or drink, and you had to put it back immediately after taking a bite. There were even staff members watching fans and if you had your mask off for more than 30 seconds, you were warned, and if you failed to heed that warning, you were ejected, as happened to one perplexed fan.
That is really all to write about the stadium, and I did not do my usual tour due to the restrictions. It is a great place to visit for those who enjoy a bit of history and craft beer with their sports, and once things get back to some semblance of normalcy, I would encourage any soccer fan to make the journey to Hartford to check out an Athletic match at Dillon Stadium.
The Game
The visitors were Saint Louis FC, who had finished second in Group E in what would be their final season, as they will cease operations after the season due to the pandemic and an MLS club coming to the city in 2023. A few of their supporters had made the trip and were sitting in the first few rows in our section.
Both teams use green and blue as their primary colours, with Hartford obviously reprising the Whalers scheme. As the home team, they had the honour of wearing those uniforms, while Saint Louis (not St. Louis) wore road whites. The first 20 minutes saw four great saves, including three by STLFC's Kyle Morton, who I saw last year when he tended goal for Pittsburgh. After that, things hit a bit of a dull stretch and the half arrived without a goal.
More of the same in the second period, with both teams having a couple of chances, but nothing could cross the line and it looked like extra time would be needed. But in the third minute of added time, Hartford defender Kevin Politz fouled Mour Samb (who scored the last goal in Ottawa Fury history), and the ball fell to Joaquin Rivas, who was in alone. The referee correctly played advantage and Rivas drove the ball past Parfait Mandanda to give Saint Louis the last-minute win. The team celebrated with their supporters, violating the social distancing rule, but nobody seemed to care. Highlights are here.
Saint Louis FC is still alive for one more game as they travel to Louisville this weekend and I will update the results here. Update: St. Louis lost 2-0 to Louisville, who then lost to Tampa Bay in the Eastern final. Tampa Bay was to host the championship but a bunch of them got COVID, so the match against Phoenix Rising was cancelled.
Notes
I saw that game in which Samb scored, which Ottawa lost on penalties. That turned out to be their final game as the team ceased operations, to be replaced by a new franchise that will play in the Canadian league. So I was happy that St. Louis won, so I didn't have to witness the end of another team in this league. I was even happier that extra time was avoided, as I was able to stop at the liquor store by my hotel, which closed at 10, and pick up some wine for my wife.
Next Up
A trip to Texas for the World Series action, because chances like this are once in a lifetime. There's also an FCS game at Globe Life Park, and a NASCAR race, so it will be my first real sports road trip since March. As always, check back for recaps, as well as more angry posts about the inept government under which I reside.
Best,
Sean
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