Charleston Battery seek their third win in a row this Saturday night in a match against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds at MUSC Health Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00pm, gates open at 5:30pm.
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Game Notes
The Battery are coming off a 2-0 win over Southern Derby rivals Charlotte Independence at Transamerica Field. Second-half goals from Romario Williams and Forrest Lasso helped Charleston defeat the Independence despite a slow start. Goalkeeper Alex Tambakis kept a clean sheet in the match, the team’s first since August 27, 2016.
Pittsburgh lost, 1-0, to FC Cincinnati at Highmark Stadium in their previous match. The Hounds were reduced to ten men when Gale Agbossoumonde received his second yellow card in the 42nd minute. Despite playing down a man for sixty minutes, Pittsburgh still had ten shots and put four on frame. Cincinnati’s Djiby Fall scored the eventual game-winning goal in the 55th minute.
Against the Hounds
Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser and the Battery haven’t lost to the Riverhounds since 2011. During that stretch, Charleston have put together a 7-0-4 record, outscoring Pittsburgh 19 to 6 in 11 matches.
The two teams split points in their first meeting last season, drawing 1-1 at MUSC Health Stadium on April 30th. Justin Portillo scored the Battery’s goal, while Romeo Parks found the back of the net for Pittsburgh.
Taylor Mueller and O’Brian Woodbine scored in Charleston’s 2-1 win at Highmark Stadium in the next match between the two clubs. Both Battery goals came from set pieces with Woodbine converting a penalty and Mueller connecting on a Maikel Chang free kick.
Players to Watch
CHARLESTON – Forrest Lasso is a regular in the Battery’s starting XI for the first time in his three year career. Lasso has scored in each of Charleston’s USL games this season and found the back of the net against Columbus Crew SC during Carolina Challenge Cup. All three of Lasso’s goals have come from set pieces.
Lasso has a two-inch height advantage on Pittsburgh’s tallest defender, giving the six-foot-five center back an edge Saturday night. The Battery have had success from set pieces against Pittsburgh in the past – the team scored three set piece goals against Pittsburgh in 2016. With Portillo’s service from dead ball situations, Lasso could find himself on the scoresheet for the third game in a row.
PITTSBURGH – Forward Corey Hertzog has looked dangerous leading the lines for Pittsburgh in their opening two games. Hertzog scored a brace in the Hounds’ 3-3 draw with New York Red Bulls II on the opening day of the season and led the team in shots in the loss to Cincinnati.
Hertzog has a high workrate and covers a lot of ground in the attacking end. The Reading, Pennsylvania native works across the entire width of the pitch to find the ball and get touches in the opposing team’s defensive third. Lasso and his center back partner, Taylor Mueller, will need to be organized defensively to deal with Hertzog’s movement off the ball.
How to Watch
Tickets are still available for the match. It is Punts & Pints Craft Beer Night at MUSC Health Stadium meaning a $20 ticket gets you admission and your first beer. Click here to purchase.
If you can’t make it out to MUSC Health Stadium, the match will be available on https://www.www.charlestonbattery.com and My TV Charleston – channel 36 over-the-air and satellite and 13 on cable.
