Athletic in USL's Atlantic Division

Adam Betz, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·2 min read

Mar. 3—The structure of Hartford Athletic's upcoming season became a little clearer Tuesday.

USL Championship announced that the league's 31 teams will be split into four divisions in 2021. Athletic will be in the Atlantic Division within the Eastern Conference.

Traditionally, the league is split into Eastern and Western Conferences. In the COVID-19 pandemic-altered 2020 season, the league was divvied into eight regionalized groups.

Joining Hartford in the Atlantic this season are the Charleston Battery, Charlotte Independence, Loudoun United FC, Miami FC, New York Red Bulls II, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and Tampa Bay Rowdies.

The Central Division will also be in the Eastern Conference while the Western Conference is comprised of the Mountain and Pacific Divisions. Each division features eight teams, except the Mountain, which has seven.

Teams will play their division opponents four times apiece, twice at home and twice on the road. The remaining games will be played against cross-conference or regional teams.

The league previously announced that the season has a flexible start date of May 1, with teams being allowed to start anytime between April 24 and May 15. Teams will play a 32-game schedule across 27 weeks.

Further information, including schedules and playoff format, will be announced at a later date.

Athletic welcome forward

Forward Bradford Jamieson IV has been signed for the upcoming season, the team announced Tuesday.

The 24-year-old Los Angeles native joins Athletic from Vendsyssel FF of the Danish 1st Division, Denmark's second-tier league. In 12 games last season, he scored a goal.

Jamieson IV has also represented the U.S. at the U-17 and U-20 levels. He participated in both the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, scoring two goals in six games, and the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup, tallying a goal in four games.

For coverage of the Connecticut Sun and professional women's basketball, Hartford Athletic pro soccer team, as well as area high school and local youth sports, follow Adam Betz on Twitter: @AdBetz1, Facebook: Adam Betz — Sports Writer, and Instagram: @AdBetzJI.