CHARLESTON, SC – The Charleston Battery begin their journey to a fifth USL championship this Sunday at 4:00pm at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Battery will battle USL newcomers FC Cincinnati (16-6-8) in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. FCC finished the regular season in third place, eight points above the sixth place Battery.
Charleston was 1-0-1 against Cincinnati in the regular season, earning a win at home and drawing on the road. Romario Williams scored a 94th minute goal in his first match with the Battery and FCC’s first match ever as a franchise to lift Charleston to a 1-0 in the season opener. Alex Tambakis also played his first match for the Battery in the opener, making three saves and earning the first of Charleston’s ten shutouts this season.
Omar Cummings’ opening goal in the teams’ second meeting was cancelled out by a strike from Heviel Cordoves in the 69th minute. Cordoves’ third goal of the season lifted the Battery to a hard-earned road point in front of 20,000 fans.
The Battery missed out on an opportunity to host a first-round playoff game last week after failing to defeat the USL Regular Season Champions New York Red Bulls II. While Charleston would have preferred to play a home game in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, they’ll find confidence in their road record heading into Saturday’s match. The Battery are 6-3-6 on the road this season; a record that includes a 3-2 win over first place NYRBII and draws with second place Louisville City FC and third place FCC.
Romario Williams returned to training this week after missing out on the regular season finale versus New York because of the birth of his son. Williams leads the Battery in scoring this season with ten goals and one assist. The Jamaican center forward will need to have a big performance against FCC in order for the Battery to advance.
Third-year midfielder Maikel Chang is having the best season of his career and will need to continue his good form into the playoffs in the absence of Justin Portillo who will miss remainder of the year after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis. Chang has been the Battery’s most consistent player in 2016, racking up six goals and six assists in 29 games and collecting Charleston’s MVP award along the way.
In addition Williams and Chang, the Battery will rely on its veteran defense to carry the team through the playoffs, especially on the road. Center backs Taylor Mueller and Shawn Ferguson have anchored the team defensively, allowing outside backs O’Brian Woodbine and Quinton Griffith to get forward and join the attack.
The winner of the Charleston/Cincinnati game will move on to face the winner of the Louisville City FC/Richmond Kickers game. If both the Battery and Richmond earn upsets, the two long-time rivals will meet at MUSC Health Stadium in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Saturday, October 8th.
