The Charleston Battery battled Phoenix Rising FC to a 0-0 draw at Phoenix Rising Stadium on Saturday. The rematch of the 2023 USL Championship Final was not short of intrigue but neither side was able to find the back of the net.
Charleston and Phoenix kicked off with the thermostat reading 101°F. Neither team ceded meaningful ground to the opposition early on and only one shot was recorded through the first 20 minutes, a speculative attempt taken by Phoenix in the 9th minute that went wide.
The best chance of the first half was met with an equally sensational save in the third minute of stoppage time. Goalkeeper Adam Grinwis went airborne to deny Panos Armenakas with a diving save.
Charleston and Phoenix took the 0-0 score into halftime.
Phoenix had a promising chance in the 52nd minute that ultimately came up empty. Mohamed Traore’s initial header off a corner kick hit off the post and Alejandro Fuenmayor, inside the 6-yard box and with an open net in front of him, spilled his follow-up shot wide of the frame before the ball was cleared out.
Charleston began to find their footing toward the hour-mark and posed regular danger against Rising FC’s defense for the first time. Nick Markanich sent in a shot on target that was saved with the help of the crossbar in the 58th minute and Emilio Ycaza forced goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo into a reflex save in the 62nd minute.
Tempers and emotions began to flare in the 85th minute following a Phoenix corner kick centered around Phoenix’s Pape Mar Boye, who was previously booked in the second half for a dangerous challenge against Josh Drack. The altercation, however, did not result in any bookings for either side.
Charleston and Phoenix both pressed forward heavily for the winning goal in the waning moments of the match. Emilio Ycaza’s shot on target in the 94th minute represented the best chance before the final whistle blew.
For the third consecutive meeting, the Charleston and Phoenix’s match ended in a draw at full-time. Rising FC had more overall shots (12 to eight) but the Battery were more accurate with their attempts (four on target to one on target).
The point earned moves the Battery’s record to 8W-2L-6D (30pts), placing them second in the Eastern Conference table.
With the result, Charleston have recorded their league-best ninth shutout of the season. Adam Grinwis’ clean sheet tally now stands at six, tied for second-best in the league.
Leland Archer had a forceful hand in shutting down Phoenix throughout the night, recording a match-high 10 clearances and seven recoveries.
Head Coach Ben Pirmann and defender Graham Smith discussed the match after the final whistle, with key quotes to follow.
Coach Pirmann on his overall assessment of tonight’s match…
Overall, it was an even game. With regards to possession, we actually wanted them to have more because of how hot it was and how depleted we are. So, we knew exactly how things were going to go. We knew things would get open, we knew the heat would play a major role and factor into the game. Right now, there are a couple of things not exactly going our way over the last two or three games, like not finishing chances, whether that’s hitting the crossbar, missing just wide, just an off little touch or miss hit.
If you play a pretty good game, a lot of games, you’re going to be really competitive. In order to win at Phoenix, you have got to play a really good game. We didn’t play a really good game, but we were good and they were good. So, both teams probably feel like they could have earned three points and I think that’d be fair. I thought we had the better of the chances after we made the substitution 10 minutes into the second half, but the game was quite open. I thought in a really tough game, Graham Smith and Leland Archer played their hearts out. I was proud for them to represent the Charleston Battery.
Coach Pirmann on adjustments that influenced the second half…
Two-fold, the first part was in the first 20 to 25 minutes, we were pretty good. We were on top of them. We weren’t really effective in the attacking half but the game was played on our terms. There was a shift for the last 15 minutes to 20 minutes of the first half, where they got on top of us and we had to get out to halftime 0-0. Then, we regrouped a little bit. We were more effective with Juan David Torres in between the lines to cause problems that allowed Aaron Molloy and Chris Allan to arrive. Then when Jackson Conway came on in the last 10 or 15 minutes, his hold-up play was great.
We wanted to be more aggressive at keeping the ball in the attacking half, but because Phoenix are pretty wide open, there are moments to go and when you’re ready to go and it’s there, you want to take it. The way Phoenix play, they’re so aggressive and excellent in the counterattack. So it’s constant, it’s hot, it’s tired. They’re a good team and they’re excellent on this pitch for a reason. Danny does a great job with them and I respect them and their team, but I also thought we were right there to get all three points.
Smith on his breakdown of tonight’s performance…
It was a pretty even game for the most part. We always stress attitude and effort and I think that was there. We had some pretty good chances as did they. Adam came up huge for us in a few key moments. But all in all, I think it was probably a fair result. We knew it would be a little bit more of a back-and-forth game compared to some of the matches we’ve had in the past. I think it lived up to that.
Smith on the defensive solidity of the current squad…
Leland and I complement each other really well. We know when to step, we know when to drop. We try to communicate as best as we can, but it goes further than just the backline. I think Aaron, Chris and Emilio all do a really good job of organizing and being hard to break down. I would include MD and the front three in that as well.
Smith on turning the page to North Carolina FC on Friday…
We’ll reflect on this match and I think the goal is to get back to winning ways. Hopefully we have an entertaining match for our supporters. When we’re playing at home, we want to score goals and win games and keep shutouts, so that’ll be our goal. We’ll just keep working. That’s all you can do when you’re in the situation we’re in right now where you haven’t won in a few games. We’ll be back on Monday and get back to work.
Charleston will now focus on their next match, home vs. North Carolina FC on Fri., June 28. It’s Red, White and Blue Night at Patriots Point, highlighted by post-match fireworks. Tickets for the game are on sale now via SeatGeek.com, the club’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.
Lineups:
CHS: Grinwis, Dossantos, Smith, Archer, Drack (Crawford, 75’), Molloy, Allan, Ycaza, Gutierrez (Torres, 56’), Markanich, Myers (Conway, 83’)
PHX: Novo, Traore, Boye, Fuenmayor, Torres (Gallardo, 66’), Hernandez (Doratiotto, 66’), Zambrano, Rito, Varela (Azocar, 75’), Formella (Cabrall, 75’), Armenakas
