Thrilled to be tied
Wild finish sends fans home happy after 1-1 decision vs. Pittsburgh on Saturday night
HARTFORD — For a fairly fresh-to-thearea team, the Hartford Athletic has built quite a fan-based support system.
At 6:30 p.m. Saturday night, a wave of blue and green crashed into Dillon Stadium. Soccer fans of all genders, ages and sizes carried assortments of drums and flags in a swell of both pride and excitement as they paraded to their designated corner of the stands known as “Fortress Hartford.”
“We’re a bunch of different groups and we all come together as one big bonanza, as we like to call it,” Myke Furhman, leader of the Mad Hat Massive based out of Danbury, said. “We show up on match day, obviously, we drum, we sing, we chant, we dance, we do everything we can to make noise. We’re the 12th man on the soccer team. … We support the guys as much as we can on and off the pitch no matter what’s happening.”
The Athletic opened their season at home against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday night, coming away with a thrilling 1-1 tie after Luka Prpa scored a minute into extra time. Per COVID-19 restrictions, the stadium was capped at 50% capacity, but that didn’t affect the thirst for the game and the anticipation for returning to 100% capacity is growing as June edges closer. The announced attendance was 2,750.
“We came out as much as we could, we came in numbers, as much as was allowed,” Furhman said.
With the enthusiasm comes safety. He said that they have made it a point for their groups to maintain safety not only for themselves, but for those around them. Most, if not all, are fully vaccinated.
“We wouldn’t advocate for people being out here if it wasn’t safe. Everybody’s health is paramount (in this situation).”
AbigailO’Keefe,leaderoftheElmCityCasualsbasedoutofNewHaven,saidshevolunteers at vaccination clinics and makes sure to post appointment openings as much as possible.
“Connecticut is doing such a great job. It feels like we have a little bit of our normalcy and our atmosphere back,” she said. The state has fully vaccinated almost 1.7 million people, with almost 2.1 million getting at least one doseas of Saturday. “With that energy, I’m feeling good about this season. Sky’s the limit. … You couldn’t ask for better.”
The pair consider themselves soccer nuts through and through, even though neither played as kids. Coming to Athletic games, it’s like their adult extracurricular, O’Keefe put it. It’s what makes them who they are, Furhman added.
“There’s so much that goes into this game beyond what you see on the field of play, which is what makes soccer special,” he said. “You come here, this is entirely different from what you see at a baseball game, a football game, a hockey game. It’s the people in the stands that really make it special and that’s what we’re here to do. … Plus, you can enjoy everything that’s happening on the pitch without actually ever stepping foot on it.”