Sadat Anaku Lifts Hartford Athletic Past Detroit City FC in Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Sadat Anaku scored in either half as No. 6 seed Hartford Athletic claimed a 2-1 victory against No. 3 seed Detroit City FC on Friday night at Keyworth Stadium, securing the club’s first postseason win in history and advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Eastern Conference Quarterfinal matchup turned dramatically in the 19th minute. Detroit City FC midfielder Kobe Hernández-Foster was shown a red card following an altercation with Hartford substitute Adrian Diz Pe during a dead-ball situation. The ejection left Le Rouge with 10 players for the remainder of the contest, upending a positive start that featured early scoring bids from Darren Smith and Alex Dalou.
Capitalizing on the Advantage
Playing with a numerical advantage, Hartford seized the lead in the 33rd minute. Anaku intercepted a pass in midfield, broke behind the Detroit back line, and slotted a left-footed finish off the inside of the right post past goalkeeper Carlos Herrera.
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Despite the deficit, Detroit struck back just before halftime. Aedan Stanley sent a cross from the left side that deflected to Devon Amoo-Mensah. The defender fired a first-time shot that took a deflection off a Hartford defender and found the net, leveling the score at 1-1 entering the break. The strike marked Amoo-Mensah’s second career postseason goal following his game-winner against Louisville City FC last year.
Second-Half Pressure and the Decisive Goal
The second half brought aggressive play from both sides as Darren Smith tested Hartford goalkeeper Antony Siaha with a near-post flick just past the hour mark, which Siaha turned wide. Smith later fired a shot over the crossbar after stealing possession in midfield.
With 15 minutes remaining, Hartford reclaimed the advantage. Emmanuel Samadia delivered a bouncing cross into the penalty area that took a deflection on its way through, allowing Anaku to redirect the ball home for his second goal of the night.
Le Rouge mounted a heavy push during five minutes of added time. A Maxi Rodriguez free kick from 22 yards out was met by a diving save from Siaha, and Cheikhou Niang sent the ensuing rebound from inside the six-yard area off the crossbar and over. The final whistle confirmed Hartford’s 2-1 triumph.
Next Steps in the USL Championship Playoffs
Detroit City FC bowed out early at home for a second time, finishing the match with 20 total shots and eight on target against Hartford’s seven. The early red card to Hernández-Foster—who led the team with five assists during the regular season—stands as the definitive turning point for Le Rouge.
Hartford Athletic advances to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where the club will face Louisville City FC in a rematch of the Prinx Tires USL Cup Final.
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