Four first-half goals saw the Charleston Battery and Louisville City FC split the points Friday night as the sides played to a 2-2 draw at Slugger Field.
Louisville City started well, earning back-to-back corner kicks inside of the first five minutes, but it was the Battery who scored on the first chance they created. In the 15th minute Ataulla Guerra played a clever pass through to spring Patrick Okonkwo free in behind the Louisville defense. Okonkwo muscled off his defender and calmly tucked the ball in at the far post to score his third goal in two games.
The hosts answered the opening goal immediately. Louisville worked their way into the attacking third after a good spell of possession. A failed clearance fell kindly to Kyle Smith who found Ilija Ilic at the top of the penalty area. Ilic turned and threaded a pass through to Cameron Lancaster who tucked away his 17th goal of the season.
Guerra played provider again as the Battery regained the lead minutes after the equalizer. After chasing down a long ball over the top that came off the foot of Vincenzo Candela, Guerra squared up his defender and beat him to the byline before driving a low cross into the six yard box. Nico Rittmeyer met Guerra’s cross and put the Battery back in front.
Louisville regained their hold on the game following Rittmeyer’s goal and pressed for another equalizer. Late in the first half, Oscar Jimenez received the ball out wide on the left flank and exchanged passes with Niall McCabe. McCabe served an outswinging ball towards the back post. Lancaster met the cross and flicked a header past Odisnel Cooper for his league-leading 18th goal of the season. The two sides went into the halftime break tied at two.
Following the break, the Battery fell into their defensive shape as Louisville kept possession. With Taylor Mueller organizing from the back, Charleston forced Louisville into long-range efforts that rarely troubled Cooper; however, when the Cuban goalkeeper was called into action, he showed sure hands, making five saves on the night.
Despite being pinned back in their defensive end for the majority of the second half, the Battery were inches away from a third go-ahead goal in the 72nd minute. Guerra got on the end of a cross from Rittmeyer, but goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh was equal to his flick from the near post and punched it away.
Minutes later, the Battery put together their best spell of possession in the second half. Kotaro Higashi and Guerra exchanged passes at the top of the 18-yard box before Guerra curled a shot towards the back post. The curled effort struck the outstretched hand of Paco Craig inside the penalty area, but referee Kevin Broadley waved away the penalty appeals.
With the draw, the Battery remains in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Louisville and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds who play first-place FC Cincinnati tomorrow night at Nippert Stadium. Next up for the Battery is a clash with the Tampa Bay Rowdies at MUSC Health Stadium on Saturday, September 8.
Box Score:
CHARLESTON: Odisnel Cooper, Skylar Thomas, Taylor Mueller (yellow card, 74), Neveal Hackshaw, Nico Rittmeyer (goal, 21), Vincenzo Candela (yellow card, 38), Angelo Kelly, Jay Bolt (yellow card, 65), Kotaro Higashi, Patrick Okonkwo (goal, 15; Gordon Wild, 73), Ataulla Guerra (yellow card, 7)
Substitutes: Joe Kuzminsky, Ryan Arambula, Leland Archer, Dante Marini, Ian Svantesson
LOUISVILLE: Greg Ranjitsingh, Kyle Smith, Oscar Jimenez (yellow card, 62), Paco Craig, Sean Totsch, Paolo DelPiccolo, George Davis IV, Devon Williams, Ilija Ilic (Luke Spencer, 73), Niall McCabe, Cameron Lancaster (goal, 18, 41)
Substitutes: Tim Dobrowolski, Shaun Francis, Alexis Souahy, Richard Ballard, Jose Carranza, James Sands
