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CHARLESTON, SC – Charleston Battery midfielder Maikel Chang was voted USL Player of the Week for Week 18 after helping his side earn a 3-2 victory over New York Red Bulls II last Saturday.

Chang scored the game’s opening goal in the 9th minute, heading in an O’Brian Woodbine long throw at the near post. Woodbine also earned a spot on this week’s Team of the Week. The Jamaican outside back played a role in all three of Charleston’s goals Saturday, assisting the first two and making a decisive pass in the build-up to the third.

In a game where his side saw little of the ball, Chang was the key man in the Battery midfield, sparking counter attacks and relieving pressure in the defensive third throughout the match. The Cuban midfielder added to his point tally in the second half, assisting the game-winning goal in the 66th minute.

The goal came against the run of play and after Charleston had given up two unanswered goals six minutes apart. Chang received the ball out wide and ran at the end line before serving a low cross into the Red Bulls’ penalty area. Fellow Cuban Heviel Cordoves connected with Chang’s cross, flicking it past goalkeeper Ryan Meara at the near post.

Chang and Woodbine’s performances helped the Battery earn its fifth win in its last six matches away from home and extended the team’s overall unbeaten streak to six games. The loss was New York’s second of the season, bringing the Red Bulls’ 12-game unbeaten streak to a screeching halt.

The Battery have had a representative on Team of the Week 10 out of the 18 weeks this season, with Chang and Woodbine each earning the honor twice. Charleston will need similar performances from its key players again this week as the team heads to Nippert Stadium to battle FC Cincinnati for third place in the East.

HANOVER, NEW JERSEY – The Charleston Battery extended its USL unbeaten streak to six games Saturday afternoon, defeating New York Red Bulls II, 3-2, at Red Bull Park. The Battery snapped the Red Bulls 12-game unbeaten streak, handing the New Yorkers just their second loss of the season.

Midfielder Maikel Chang opened the scoring early, heading in an O’Brian Woodbine long throw at the near post in the ninth minute. The opening goal was the first Charleston has scored from an attacking throw in this year.

Woodbine, who was involved in all three Battery goals, doubled his assist tally twenty minutes later. The Jamaican defender received the ball out wide after a good spell of possession by the visitors. Woodbine played a through ball behind New York’s center backs into the path of Romario Williams’ slashing run. The center forward calmly slotted the ball under Red Bulls goalkeeper Ryan Meara to bring his goal total to eight for the season.

Coming out of the break trailing 2-0, the hosts put the pressure on the Battery immediately. The Red Bulls cut the lead in half in the 55th minute when Stefano Bonomo capped off an impressive attacking move. Anatole Abang turned with the ball just outside the penalty area and played Florian Valot in behind the Battery back four. Valot dragged a cutback across Alex Tambakis’ six yard box that found Bonomo who knocked it in from a few yards out.

NYRB academy prospect, Kevin O’Toole, scored the equalizing goal six minutes later. The left back floated a cross to the back post that missed everyone and bounced into Tambakis’ goal. The goal was O’Toole’s first as a professional.

The fireworks continued in the 66th minute and it was again Woodbine putting the pressure on the Red Bulls defense. The veteran outside back played a long ball over the top in the direction of Chang on the right flank. The Cuban midfielder latched onto the ball and dribbled towards the end line before delivering a low driven cross into Meara’s penalty area. Substitute Heviel Cordoves beat his defender to the near post, getting enough on the ball to misdirect it past the goalkeeper.

The Battery closed out the rest of the match, limiting the Red Bulls’ clear chances in the attacking third. The win puts space between fourth place Charleston and fifth place Rochester and moves the Battery just two points behind third place FC Cincinnati.

Charleston earned 16 of a possible 18 points in its last six road matches. The ability to consistently win on the road is a testament to the Battery’s veteran leadership, spearheaded by Shawn Ferguson, Taylor Mueller, and Zach Prince. Charleston will put its impressive road record on the line again next week when the team travels to Nippert Stadium for a rematch with FC Cincinnati and a chance to overtake third place in the Eastern Conference.

BOX SCORE:

CHARLESTON BATTERY: Alex Tambakis, Quinton Griffith (Forrest Lasso, 88th), Taylor Mueller, Shawn Ferguson, O’Brian Woodbine, Maikel Chang (goal, 9th), Zach Prince, Neveal Hackshaw, Emmanuel Adjetey (Dante Marini, 45th), Ataulla Guerra (Chris Tsonis, 70th), Romario Williams (goal, 29th) (Heviel Cordoves, 64th; goal, 66th)

Unused subs: Odisnel Cooper, Jeffrey Otoo, Robbie Robinson 

NEW YORK RED BULLS II: Ryan Meara, Kevin O’Toole (goal, 61st) (Zoumana Simpara, 82nd), Aaron Long, Tim Schmoll, David Najem, Tyler Adams (Devon Williams, 70th), Daniel Metzger, Vincent Bezecourt (Stefano Bonomo, 52nd; goal, 55th), Florian Valot (Konrad Plewa, 74th), Anatole Abang, Junior Flemmings (Brandon Allen, 61st)

Unused subs: Rafael Diaz, Zachary Carroll

CHARLESTON, SC – The match between the Charleston Battery and Orlando City B ended in a scoreless draw Saturday night at MUSC Health Stadium. The two teams created more than 30 scoring opportunities, but neither could find the back of the net.

The 0-0 draw was the second between the two teams this year, with the first coming all the way back week two of the season. All three matches against the first-year USL side were as equally as frustrating for the Battery, who only picked up two of a possible nine points against OCB this season.

Charleston created 22 of the 30 scoring chances in the match, but could not beat the gritty Orlando defense led by goalkeeper Mark Ridgers. The Battery had several chances cleared off the goal line by outfield players and Ridgers made several quality saves to preserve the lead.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” said Battery captain Shawn Ferguson after the match. “We knew coming into this match that we wanted to keep a clean sheet, especially at home, but obviously we wanted to put a few away as well. We felt like they had a defender on the line every time we put something on frame. We’ve had trouble scoring in all three matches with Orlando this season, so it is frustrating that we couldn’t finally get a result against them tonight.”

The Battery only managed to score one goal in three matches with OCB this season. Despite creating numerous opportunities in the run of play, Charleston’s lone goal from a Justin Portillo penalty kick.

Battery Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser echoed Ferguson’s frustration, saying, “It’s been so difficult against Orlando this season. We’ve created great chances in all three matches, but we can’t seem to break through. I think they cleared three or four shots off the line tonight and the goalkeeper made a couple of great saves again. He’s done fantastic against us this season. In the end, our guys were a bit tired after three games in seven days, so we’ll take the point although we would of liked to get three.”

Charleston will now turn its attention to the Nigerian Olympic team. The Battery will travel to Atlanta to take on the Nigeria U23 team at Silverbacks Park on Saturday, July 16th. Following the match in Atlanta, Charleston hits the road for two weeks for tough back-to-back road matches. The Battery will play New York Red Bulls II and FC Cincinnati, two teams above them in the table. Justin Portillo and Ricky Garbanzo picked up their fifth yellow cards in the match against OCB, meaning both will be unavailable against NYRBII.

It’ll be difficult, but it’s something that happens throughout the season,” Anhaeuser commented on the suspensions. “A couple of guys will have to step in, and they have already this season. We’ve consistently made changes to the lineup this season and players have stepped in and done well, so we’ll be ready.”

Box Score:

CHARLESTON BATTERY: Odisnel Cooper, Quinton Griffith, Taylor Mueller, Shawn Ferguson, O’Brian Woodbine, Maikel Chang, Justin Portillo (yellow card, 42nd), Ataulla Guerra (Neveal Hackshaw, 72nd), Emmanuel Adjetey (Dante Marini, 65th), Romario Williams (Ricky Garbanzo, 79th; yellow card, 89th), Chris Tsonis (Heviel Cordoves, 65th)

Unused subs: Alex Tambakis, Forrest Lasso, Andrew Carleton  

Orlando City B: Mark Ridgers, Zachary Ellis-Hayden (yellow card, 5th) (Michael Ambrose, 88th), Craig Nitti, Kyle McFadden, Tyler Turner, Andrew Ribeiro, Antonio Rocha, Richmond Laryea (Johnathan Mendoza, 72nd), Lewis Neal (Alejandro Garcia, 76th), Marius Obekop (Pierre Da Silva, 45th; yellow card, 81st), Michael Cox

Unused subs: Jacob Fenalson, Antonio Matarazzo, Keegan Smith

Top image: Emmanuel Adjetey reaches for the ball at midfield. Vin Duffy Photo

LOUISVILLE, KY – The Charleston Battery tied league-leading Louisville City FC, 1-1, at Slugger Field Saturday night.

Charleston looked the better team through the first 45 minutes and carried a 4-0 shot advantage over the hosts into the break. Louisville struggled to cope with the Battery’s pressure in the first half. The league leaders were careless in possession, which led to counter attack opportunities for Charleston, but the visitors could not take advantage.

Louisville broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute through a Taylor Mueller own goal. Forward Cameron Lancaster received the ball out wide down the right flank and played a teasing ball on the ground through the Battery’s penalty area. A race to the cross between Louisville’s Chandler Hoffman and Mueller ended with a tangle of legs and the ball in the back of Charleston’s net.

Coach Anhaeuser made a host of second half substitutions to try to get back into the match. Forwards Chris Tsonis and Romario Williams entered the game midway through the second period and kept Louisville’s back four under constant pressure.

Tsonis’ work rate led to the equalizing goal in the 84th minute. Justin Portillo played a quick free kick down the right flank to Quinton Griffith who swung a dangerous cross into Louisville’s penalty area. Greg Ranjitsingh appeared to get to the ball first, but Tsonis forced the goalkeeper into a mistake and capitalized, scoring his first league goal of the season.

The draw extended both teams’ unbeaten streaks, Louisville’s to 16 games and Charleston’s to four. The Battery returns to MUSC Health Stadium on Wednesday for a midweek match with Orlando City B.

Box Score:

CHARLESTON BATTERY: Alex Tambakis, Quinton Griffith, Shawn Ferguson, Taylor Mueller, O’Brian Woodbine, Maikel Chang, Justin Portillo, Ataulla Guerra (Forrest Lasso, 83rd), Zach Prince (yellow card, 78th); Emmanuel Adjetey, 78th), Ricky Garbanzo (Chris Tsonis, 70th; goal, 84th), Heviel Cordoves (yellow card, 59th) (Romario Williams, 65th)

Unused subs: Odisnel Cooper, Neveal Hackshaw

LOUISVILLE CITY FC: Greg Ranjiitsingh, Kyle Smith, Paco Craig, Torek Morad, Ben Newnam (yellow card, 69th), Paulo Del Piccolo (Guy Abend, 65th), Aodhan Quinn, Andrew Lubhan, Niall McCabe, George Davis IV, John Chandler Hoffman (goal, 62nd)

Unused subs: Tim Dobrowolski, Ilija Ilic, Conor Shanosky, Magnus Rasmussen, Kadeem Dacres 

CHARLESTON, SC – The Charleston Battery left for Louisville, KY early this morning in preparation for the team’s match against Eastern Conference leading Louisville City FC.

After 17 games, LouCity (11-1-5) sits in first place with 38 points and is currently carrying a 15-game unbeaten streak. The Battery will be seeking redemption on Saturday night at Slugger Field after Louisville ended Charleston’s two-year, 29-game unbeaten streak at MUSC Health Stadium on May 28th.

In the previous match between the two teams, Louisville was the better side throughout the majority of the 90 minutes. George Davis IV and Kyle Smith converted two of City’s 15 chances on the night. Smith, a USL rookie, recorded three points on the night, adding an assist to his goal.

The Battery carries a couple of streaks of its own into the match against the league-leaders; Charleston has recorded three straight league victories, three consecutive shutouts, and has won four road games in a row.

The Battery defeated long time rival Richmond Kickers, 2-0, in its last USL match. Taylor Mueller and Heviel Cordoves scored first-half goals and Charleston’s defense closed out the match easily. Goalkeeper Alex Tambakis earned his third consecutive shutout against the Kickers.

Louisville beat last place FC Montreal on Monday, July 4th at Slugger Field. John Chandler Hoffman and Davis VI scored LouCity’s goals. Hoffman’s tally was his 11th of the year, which is good enough for second in the league.

Charleston (9-4-3) currently sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, eight points off the leaders. The Battery, who has a game in hand on Louisville, could close the gap between themselves and the league-leaders to five points with a victory on Saturday night.

The Battery will return home following the trip to Louisville for a midweek clash with Orlando City B. This Saturday’s match kicks off at 7:30 and can be streamed live here: http://www.uslsoccer.com/game/show/13218161

CHARLESTON, SC – Rangers FC defeated the Charleston Battery 2-1 in an international exhibition at a soggy MUSC Health Stadium Wednesday night.

The visitors started on the front foot after a 90 minute rain delay, immediately putting the Battery under pressure. The Light Blues maintained the majority of possession throughout the first half, but couldn’t find a way through Charleston’s first choice back four.

Rangers’ attackers Kenny Miller, Martyn Waghorn, and Michael O’Halloran connected well in the final third through the first 45 minutes, testing Odisnel Cooper repeatedly, but the Cuban goalkeeper was up to the challenge.

Despite being pinned in its defensive third for most of the first half, the Battery mustered the best chance of the opening period. Midfielder Maikel Chang found Ricky Garbanzo on the back post with a dangerous cross from the left flank. Garbanzo creatively swung a boot at the cross, beating Rangers’ goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, but the forward’s volley rung off the post.

With the score tied at zero coming out of the break, Battery Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser made nine changes in order to rest some of his regular starters for Saturday’s match against league-leading Louisville City FC. Among the changes were teenagers Andrew Carleton, Chris Goslin, and Patrick Okonkwo. Carleton and Goslin both played a full 45 minutes and performed well on the big stage.

Rangers finally broke the deadlock in the 58th minute against the reshuffled Battery squad. Michael O’Halloran muscled his way down the end line through the Charleston defense and served a dangerous cutback in the direction of Josh Windass. Windass smashed the cross first-time into the roof of the net, leaving goalkeeper Alex Tambakis with no chance.

Midfielder Harry Forrester doubled Gers’ lead twenty minutes later. The 25 year old attacker sliced through the Battery midfield creating enough space to fire a shot on frame. Forrester’s strike hit the inside of the post and beat Tambakis.

“It was a good workout for us.” Forrester said after the match. “We’ve had a tough few days here. The heat has been a big factor in our work, but we got through that and to start with three points is a good bonus.”

In the process of  working back from an injury that held him out of Rangers’ final games of the 2016 season, Forrester relished the chance to play some minutes against a quality opponent. He commented, “It’s always nice to score, but the main thing today was to get a workout. It was good to get back out there.”

Battery midfielder Ataulla Guerra grabbed a goal back for the home side in the 81st minute with a fantastic finish from a tough angle. Zach Prince played a long, looping ball over the top towards the end line. Guerra got to the ball first and hit a whistling volley over the head of goalkeeper Matt Gilks to cut the lead in half.

The goal was Guerra’s first in a Battery jersey. Anhaeuser said he hopes the goal will give the midfielder momentum for the tail end of the USL season. He commented, “Guerra’s been unlucky not to score in the league. Hopefully this will spark a little run for him.”

The match ended 2-1 in favor of the visitors, but both teams used the game to learn valuable lessons about themselves. For Rangers, it was a training exercise; a chance for players to get minutes in their legs and for the team to come together before the 2016-2017 season. For the Battery the match was an opportunity for young players to challenge themselves against one of the most historic soccer clubs in the world.

When asked about the match, Rangers FC Manager Mark Warburton commented, “Really useful. Whenever you come over to the States, the teams are in the middle of their seasons. They’re fit, they’re strong, and they’re well organized. It was a fantastic exercise for us. The hospitality we’ve received has been first class, so it’s been a fantastic trip for us.”

Rangers head home tomorrow to continue preparations for its Scottish League Cup match against Motherwell on Saturday July 16th, while the Battery looks towards Louisville. Charleston will leave Friday and head Kentucky, aiming to steal three points on the road from the team at the top of the table.

Top Image: Rangers FC’s Josh Windass turns with the ball at midfield. Vin Duffy photo 

CHARLESTON, SC – “That’s more like it,” were Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser’s first words after the final whistle of Charleston’s comprehensive win over long-time rival Richmond Kickers Saturday night at MUSC Health Stadium. The Battery picked up its third straight win, defeating the Kickers 2-0.

The two longest continuously operating clubs in American professional soccer used the first quarter of an hour of the match to feel each other out. The Battery put Richmond under pressure as the half wore on and broke the deadlock in the 28th minute through Taylor Mueller.

Mueller beat everyone to the near post and rose up to meet a Justin Portillo corner kick. The veteran center back flicked Portillo’s service to the back post, beating goalkeeper Charlie Horton for his third goal of the season. The goal was the Battery’s fifth from set pieces in the last four matches.

“We talked before the game together, we said, ‘Free kicks. That’s how you beat Richmond’” said Anhaeuser after the match. 

Heviel Cordoves entered the match shortly after Mueller’s opening goal, replacing an injured Romario Williams. The substitute made his presence felt immediately and tallied his first goal of the season in the 39th minute. Outside back O’Brian Woodbine, who looked dangerous running the flanks all game, served in a pinpoint cross into Cordoves in the area who headed it past Horton to double the advantage for Charleston.

“We scored two great goals tonight,” said Anhaeuser. “Woodbine’s cross to Cordoves was fantastic, it’s always good to get our outside backs involved in the attacking third. It’s nice to get another shutout and it’s great to see us attacking as a unit again at home.”

Unhappy with his side’s performance, Richmond Head Coach Leigh Cowlishaw made four of his allotted five changes at halftime. The Kickers created a few chances and struck a shot off the post in the early portion of the second half, but the Battery weathered the storm and escaped unscathed.

Goalkeeper Alex Tambakis earned his third straight shutout, despite playing behind nine men for the final 15 minutes of the match. Dante Marini was sent off in the 77th minute for a mistimed challenge in the middle third of the field. Tambakis was well-protected by his veteran back four for the majority of the match, but looked sure-handed when he was called into action. The Atlanta United loanee made a fantastic diving save in stoppage time of the second half to preserve the shutout.

The win improves Charleston’s record to 9-4-3 and moves the team to 30 points. The Battery remain in fourth place, one point behind FC Cincinnati who have a game in hand. Following Wednesday’s friendly with Rangers FC at MUSC Health Stadium, Charleston will head to Louisville to take on the league-leaders. Depending on Louisville’s result on Monday night, the Battery could move within two points of LouCity with a win at Slugger Field.

Box Score:

CHARLESTON: Alex Tambakis, Quinton Griffith, Taylor Mueller (goal, 29th), Shawn Ferguson, O’Brian Woodbine, Maikel Chang (Emmanuel Adjetey, 83rd), Justin Portillo, Ataulla Guerra (Neveal Hackshaw, 61st) , Zach Prince, Romario Williams (Heviel Cordoves, 28th; goal, 38th; Chris Tsonis, 90th), Ricky Garbanzo (Dante Marini, 75th; red card, 77th)

Unused subs: Odisnel Cooper, Forrest Lasso

RICHMOND: Charlie Horton, Hugh Roberts, William Yomby (Travis Pittman, 70th), Braeden Troyer, Luke Mishu, Samuel Asante (Luiz Fernando, 46th), Brian Ownby, Fred Sekyere Owusu (Anthony Grant, 46th), Yudai Imura, Lucas Paulini (Sascha Gorres, 46th), Jason Yeisley (Michael Callahan, 46th)

Unused subs: Sawyer Gaffney, Sunny Jane

Top Image: Woodbine picks out Cordoves with a perfect cross in the first half.
Kim Morgan Gregory photo

CHARLESTON, SC – The Charleston Battery hosts the Richmond Kickers Saturday, July 2nd at MUSC Health Stadium in a continuation of the oldest rivalry in American professional soccer. Saturday’s match between the two longest operating professional soccer clubs in the U.S. is the first of three this season. The match kicks off at 7:30 and will be followed by fireworks.

The Battery (8-4-3) is aiming to keep pace with the teams at the top of the table and the Kickers (5-5-5) are looking to sure-up playoff hopes. Charleston is coming off of back-to-back wins, while Richmond is seeking its first win in three weeks.

Saturday’s match is the 57th meeting between the two historic clubs. The series is always tightly contested, the overall record is dead even at 24-24-8. The rivals met four times last season, including a dramatic playoff match at MUSC Health Stadium that went to extra time. Forrest Lasso scored in the 114th minute to lift the Battery over the Kickers and advance in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Charleston defeated Toronto FC II, 1-0, at Ontario Soccer Centre in the team’s last match on Sunday, June 26th. The Battery controlled the match from the outset, putting the Young Reds under pressure immediately. Despite having the majority of possession, Charleston didn’t break the deadlock until the 79th minute. Romario Williams buried a rebound from a Ricky Garbanzo shot to push the Battery in front. The goal was Williams’ seventh this season and first in over a month.

The Kickers drew with Bethlehem Steel FC at home in the team’s last match despite having a 14-6 shot advantage. Richmond will try to get back on track Saturday against the Battery in the first of three straight road games.

Following the match with the Kickers, the Battery will take on Rangers FC in a midweek exhibition. Tickets to the Rangers match can be purchased here! Charleston will resume league play on Saturday July 9th in a match with league-leading Louisville City FC.

Top Image: Justin Portillo dribbles up field against TFC II on May 14th.
Roxy Taylor photo

TORONTO – Romario Williams scored late to lift the Charleston Battery over Toronto FC II at Ontario Soccer Centre Sunday night.

The Battery spent the majority of the 90 minutes in its attacking half, controlling the game in every facet from the outset. Despite sustained possession, Charleston had a tough time creating chances in the first half. After the break, the Battery looked more dangerous in the attacking third, with the front six causing TFC II’s back four several problems.

With a strong wind at its back, Charleston relentlessly pressured Toronto in its defensive third and forced the Young Reds to try to play out of the back. That pressure ultimately led to the winning goal.

Substitute Ricky Garbanzo and Zach Prince forced a turnover deep in Toronto’s half that sprung Justin Portillo loose through the middle. After picking up the ball, Portillo found his central midfield partner Ataulla Guerra posted up at the top of the penalty area. Guerra laid the ball off first time into Garbanzo’s path, freeing him up for a shot from about 16 yards out.

TFC II goalkeeper Phil DiBernardo made the initial save on Garbanzo’s shot, but the rebound fell kindly to Williams who smashed the ball into the open net. The opportunistic goal was the Jamaican’s seventh on the year.

Williams’ tally was the first Battery goal from the run of play since the previous meeting between the two teams on May 14th. The center forward will be happy to have found the back of the net again after failing to do so in his previous five appearances.

Alex Tabmakis earned his second straight start and shutout in Toronto. The rookie goalkeeper was well protected by his back four, led by captain Shawn Ferguson. Charleston’s veteran defense handled Toronto’s young attack, spearheaded by 16-year-old Shaan Hundal, with ease making Tambakis’ night fairly mundane.

The win was Charleston’s fourth straight on the road. The three points picked up in against TFC II will keep the team in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Battery faces a big week following the win in Toronto. The team returns home to face long-time rival Richmond Kickers on July 2nd and world soccer power Rangers FC on July 6h. Following the exhibition with Rangers, Charleston will head to Louisville looking to upset the league-leaders at home.

BOX SCORE:

CHARELSTON BATTERY: Alex Tambakis, Quinton Griffith, Taylor Mueller, Shawn Ferguson (yellow card, 70th), Emmanuel Adjetey, Zach Prince, Justin Portillo, Ataulla Guerra (Neveal Hackshaw, 80th), Maikel Chang (Dante Marini, 90th), Heviel Cordoves (Ricky Garbanzo, 63rd; yellow card, 89th), Romario Williams (goal, 79th) (Chris Tsonis, 85th)

Unused subs: Odisnel Cooper, Forrest Lasso

TORONTO FC II: Phil DiBernardo, Wesley Charpie, Mitchell Taintor, Skylar Thomas (yellow card, 70th; 90th), Anthony Osorio, Liam Fraser, Aidan Daniels (yellow card, 74th), Brian James, Shaan Hundal, Salvador Bernal, Bubacarr Jobe (Malik Johnson, 58th) (Ayo Akinola, 66th)

Unused subs: Gianluca Catalano, Robert Boskovic, Luca Uccello, Phil Boerger

Top Image: Taylor Mueller and Shaan Hundal race to a loose ball.