After playing an important role in the Battery midfield last season, Angelo Kelly will return for the 2021 campaign, pending league and federation approval. Next year will mark Kelly’s fourth in the Black and Yellow as he’ll remain a key piece of Charleston’s defensive efforts while pushing play forward into the attack next season.
Kelly was one of just four players to appear in all 17 matches during the shortened season while making 15 starts and logging 1,414 minutes. He proved his versatility on both ends of the pitch in 2020, notching 3 assists, tied for team lead, and leading the midfield in interceptions (19) while creating 14 chances in the transition.
Angelo’s ability to drive the ball forward and create opportunities for the attack was on full display during an August 29, 1-0 victory over longtime rival, the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Twenty-one minutes into the battle at Patriots Point, Kelly sailed a pass from behind the center line perfectly past a Rowdies defender to an advancing Stavros Zarokostas to score. The play would seal the first of three wins over Tampa Bay for the season.
A fierce competitor, Kelly is already looking ahead to 2021. “The 2020 campaign was decent,” he noted, “but we’re looking to thrive even more into the 2021 season.” Angelo will look to remain a central piece of Coach Mike Anhaeuser’s midfield in what’s shaping up to be an exciting 2021 season.
