Hartford Athletic turns to youth, potential in 2021 season roster build

Gabi Torres is back with Hartford Athletic for the 2021 season. (Hartford Athletic)

Youth was a central theme for Hartford Athletic during the 2020 season, as the Connecticut-based club made the USL Championship Playoffs for the first time in its short history.

Former head coach Radhi Jaidi turned to those like wingback Tyreke Johnson and central midfielder Justin Haak, who were respectively on loan from the Premier League’s Southampton FC and MLS’s New York City FC. Although his appearances were limited, 18-year-old striker Alfonso Vazquez (Windham, Conn.) also showed great potential after signing straight out of high school.

That approach is expected to carry into 2021, the club’s third season in the second tier of American professional soccer.