And then there were two. On Tuesday night, we grew ever closer to a new USL Cup champion being crowned as Hartford Athletic and Louisville City FC each advanced to the tournament final. The USL doesn’t have a European-style “super cup,” but a battle between last year’s Players’ Shield and USL Cup winners is as close as we’ll get.
What defined each semifinal game? I’m breaking down the major themes that brought Hartford and Louisville one step closer to silverware.
Hartford dominate a master-versus-apprentice battle
Hartford (2) - Colorado Springs (1)
Brendan Burke and his extended coaching tree have defined the Colorado Springs Switchbacks for the better part of a decade – up to and including the club’s 2024 title run. Colorado Springs’ current manager, Alan McCann, first moved to Weidner Field as a match analyst under Burke, succeeding coaches like Stephen Hogan and James Chambers that came from the same lineage. That shared history added delicious intrigue to Tuesday’s USL Cup semifinal between the Switchbacks and Burke-led Hartford Athletic.
Over the last two-plus years, Burke’s Hartford teams have valued possession to a far lesser degree than his Colorado Springs sides ever did, but they’ve maintained an identical sense of aggression without the ball. With high-energy soccer in mind, Hartford rested all 11 of their starters over the weekend to stay fresh for the semifinal. Meanwhile, McCann hedged his bets, prioritizing grit and speed in his front line by deploying Bryce Jamison and Sadam Masereka on either side of striker Juan Tejada.
McCann’s gamble was that the Switchbacks’ 4-1-2-3 press would frustrate and disrupt their hosts, making up for the lack of Khori Bennett – the club’s leader with 13 league goals this season. If Colorado Springs could press man for man, double up on Hartford’s single pivot, and rely on Steven Echevarria (a veteran No. 6) to clean up, they would’ve been in business. It quickly became apparent that Colorado Springs wouldn’t have it so easy.
Mama, there goes that man 😤
— Prinx Tires USL Cup (@USL_Cup) September 8, 2026
Barry Coffey finds @hfdathletic's opener in the third minute! ⚡️#PrinxTiresUSLCup pic.twitter.com/qJtWqt5cKl
Just three minutes in, Hartford scored by leveraging the gaps in that pressing system. Interplay up the left flank drew the Switchbacks’ defense out, allowing midfielder Barry Coffey and forward Augi Williams to chase after a long ball. While Williams’ ensuing cross was overcooked, wingback Sebastian Anderson was able to make a high recovery. At that point, both Coffey and fellow No. 8 Junior Moreira had crashed the box, allowing for a driven ball and tap-in to make it 1-0.
