Hartford Athletic have signed Ali Taleb and Dren Dobruna to USL Academy Contracts, pending league and federation approval.
“Dren and Ali are two of our academy players that will benefit from training with our first team on a daily basis,” said Technical Director Ray Reid. “We have seen growth from last season and are excited to have them with us.”
These two young talents bring impressive experience to the club, both training with the Hartford Athletic first team during the 2022 season and making international appearances for their respective countries, Lebanon and Albania, in recent years.
Ali Taleb, a Glastonbury, CT native, was a captain for Hartford’s U19 team during the fall 2022 season. He recorded 11 goals and five assists in nine games for the U19 squad, which helped him become the UPSL top scorer in the New England division. Outside the UPSL, Taleb earned the opportunity to represent his home country of Lebanon in a series of International friendlies for the U21 team in the summer of 2022. In his final high school season with the Glastonbury Guardians in 2021, Taleb received All-Conference and All-State honors, recording 19 goals and seven assists in 14 games. Taleb is a product of the highly regarded Oakwood Soccer Club, playing for them from the U9 level up to U19.
Dren Dobruna, a Waterbury, CT native, has earned his second Academy contract with Hartford, as he previously signed with the club in September of 2022 and made the 18-man roster in the final game of the season against Louisville City FC. Dobruna previously played for the NYCFC Academy from the U14 to U17 level, and appeared in three matches with NYCFC’s MLS Next side in 2022, along with being invited to preseason with the NYCFC first team in back to back seasons. In addition to his time with NYCFC, the defender appeared in two international friendlies with the Albanian National Team.
“Dren and Ali are top players in their age group and have shown the potential to contribute at the first team level,” said Head Coach Tab Ramos. “Both have been training with us since last summer, and we’re excited to officially make them a part of this roster and help them grow into professionals.”
The USL Academy Contract allows both players to train and play for Hartford Athletic in the USL Championship while retaining NCAA eligibility. Taleb and Dobruna are the first and second USL Academy contract signings of 2023 for Hartford Athletic.
The Green and Blue will kick off their opening match of the season against Monterey Bay FC on Saturday, March 11th at 10:00 PM EST.
