The Charleston Battery (10-3-10) returns home this weekend to host Atlanta United 2 (3-11-7) at MUSC Health Stadium.
The Battery is carrying a ten game unbeaten streak into the match against the first-year USL side. Charleston earned back-to-back scoreless draws at North Carolina FC and Tampa Bay Rowdies over the last week to extend the unbeaten run to double digits.
Joe Kuzminsky earned both shutouts in goal, bringing his season total to ten. Kuzminsky’s ten clean sheets have him one behind league-leader Dan Lynd of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
In addition to Kuzminsky, Taylor Mueller, Skylar Thomas, Neveal Hackshaw and Tah Brian Anunga have contributed immensely to the Battery’s strong defensive record this season. Led by Mueller, the Battery have only conceded five goals in eleven games at MUSC Health Stadium in 2018 and will be looking to extend its 360 minute shutout streak Saturday night.
In the previous match between Charleston and Atlanta, the Battery earned a 3-0 win at Coolray Field which sparked an eleven-game unbeaten run that lasted from the end of April through the beginning of June. Kuzminsky earned his first professional start and Ian Svantesson scored his first USL goal for the Battery in the victory in Atlanta. With his side playing their third match in seven days, expect Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser to make several changes to his Starting XI, including adding Svantesson to the mix Saturday night.
ATL UTD 2 will be dealing with tired legs as well Saturday after playing the final 45 minutes of their previously postponed match against Ottawa Fury FC Tuesday night at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia. The make-up game ended in a 1-1 draw, with neither side finding a breakthrough in the rescheduled 45 minutes.
Atlanta comes into MUSC Health Stadium Saturday night winless on the road. The young side has lost ten of 13 games away from home this season, picking up three draws along the way. It will take a huge effort from them to earn their first away win of the season against a Battery side that has one of the league’s best home records at 7-1-3.
After consecutive scoreless draws, Anhaeuser will be hoping his team can find its attacking rhythm against Atlanta in a similar fashion as the first meeting between the two teams back in April. The Battery will be hoping to open up and find the back of the net early against an ATL UTD 2 side that has only kept one clean sheet all season and has conceded 30 goals away from home.
The Battery currently sits in second place in the table tied on points with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, but the Riverhounds have two games in hand. With ten games left to play, Charleston needs to continue to earn positive results, especially at home, to keep pace with Pittsburgh and first-place FC Cincinnati, who have a five point lead in first place.
