News

Heviel Cordoves’ fourth goal in seven days wasn’t enough Saturday night as the Charleston Battery lost, 2-1, to Orlando City B at Orlando City Stadium.

Pierre Da Silva opened the scoring in the 31st minute. A Battery turnover at midfield led to the chance. Following the change of possession, Lewis Neal played Da Silva who received the ball and smashed a left-footed strike from about 25 yards out that hit the inside of Odisnel Cooper’s post and in.

The match was very open following the Da Silva’s goal, with both teams pressing high on the opposition and trading counter attacks. Both sides had quality scoring chances throughout the rest of the first half and into the second, but both goalkeepers stood tall keeping the score at 1-0.  

Cordoves found the back of the net for the third consecutive game to level the score late in the second half. Cordoves, who came on as a second half substitute, received a pass from Quinton Griffith, turned, and fired a shot into the bottom corner to equalize. The goal was Cordoves’ sixth of the season and fourth in three games.

Minutes after Charleston equalized, Orlando edged themselves back in front. Danny Deakin’s corner kick bounced around the Battery penalty area before Lewis Neal swept it in, rolling the ball past a diving Cooper. Neal’s 87th minute goal was enough to earn three points for Orlando and move them into seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

The results around the league fell in the Battery’s favor on Saturday night. Rochester and Charlotte also lost, keeping Charleston in third place and in position to host a playoff game. The Battery will have another chance to clinch a playoff spot and move up in the standings next Sunday, October 1st on the road against Ottawa Fury FC. Kickoff against the Fury is scheduled for 2:00 PM.

CHARLESTON – Odisnel Cooper, Quinton Griffith (yellow card, 60), Taylor Mueller, Skylar Thomas (Ricky Garbanzo, 90), O’Brian Woodbine, Nico Rittmeyer (Kotaro Higashi, 71), Justin Portillo, Tah Brian Anunga, Maikel Chang, Ataulla Guerra (Heviel Cordoves; goal, 81), Romario Williams

Unused substitutes – Joe Kuzminsky, Jarad van Schaik, Neveal Hackshaw, Jeffery Otoo

ORLANDO – Jake Fenlason, Rafael Ramos, Conor Donovan, Zach Carroll, Zach Ellis-Hayden (Fernando Timbo, 41; yellow card 70), Lewis Neal (yellow card, 50; goal, 87), Jordan Schweitzer, Paul Clowes, Pierre Da Silva (goal, 31), Danny Deakin, Hadji Barry (Michael Cox, 71)

Unused substitutes – Mason Stajduhar, Scott Thomsen, Ryley Kraft, Austin Martz, Joe Gallardo

Charleston

The Battery are searching for their third win in seven days Saturday night in Orlando. Charleston have never beaten Orlando City B since the team joined USL in 2015. Prior to that, the Battery beat Orlando’s U23s just once in the three years before OCB’s inception, culminating in a 1-11-5 overall record against teams from Orlando since 2011.

With the Battery regaining their early season form, now is as good a time as ever to earn three points in Orlando. Charleston picked up six vital points in five days in consecutive matches at MUSC Health Stadium. In the first of hte two home games, Heviel Cordoves scored a late goal to lift a 10-man Battery squad over Richmond.

Cordoves’ heroics continued in the Battery’s midweek match against the second-place Charlotte Independence. The Cuban striker scored two goals in Charleston’s 3-0 win, finishing chances created by Kotaro Higashi and Ricky Garbanzo. Garbanzo added a goal of his own as well to double his season total.

Romario Williams was suspended for the match against Charlotte after being sent off in the clash with Richmond last Saturday. Williams returns from suspension for the match in Orlando, but the Battery lose center back Forrest Lasso to yellow card accumulation. Williams was used as a second half substitute against OCB at MUSC Health Stadium in July as he had just returned from playing with the Jamaican National Team in the Gold Cup; Lasso helped the team to a shutout in the 0-0 draw.

Should the Battery take all three points in Orlando, they will secure a playoff spot. With the top eight teams in each conference qualifying, 50 points is good enough to earn a playoff berth at this point in the season. A win against OCB could also push the Battery into second place if Charlotte drops points in Tampa.

Orlando

Orlando enters Saturday’s match against the Battery looking to firm up their playoff positioning. OCB currently sit in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 36 points. There are several teams within striking distance behind them, including Bethlehem Steel FC who have two games in hand, making Saturday’s match huge for the hosts.

Orlando will be trying to stop a three game winless skid against Charleston this weekend. OCB only earned one point in their last three games, losing their last two to Saint Louis and Richmond, each by a 2-0 scoreline. Points have been hard to come by for Orlando playing in their home stadium. OCB only have two wins at Orlando City Stadium, but have managed eight draws. They’ve been solid defensively at home, only conceding 12 times in 13 games and giving up multiple goals in a game just three times.

Pierre Da Silva will be the player to watch for Orlando on Saturday. The tricky winger did not play when the two teams met in July, but is expected to have a big impact this time around. Da Silva is very dangerous with the ball at his feet and delivers quality service to his forwards. Look for him to pull the strings against the Battery.  

Previous Meeting(s)

July 29, 2017 – MUSC Health Stadium – Charleston Battery (0) – Orlando City B (0)

Game Notes

Records

• Charleston: 13-7-8; goals 46; goals against 30; GD +16
  • Home: 9-1-5; goals 31 ; goals against 12 ; GD +19
  • Away: 4-6-3; goals 15; goals against; 18; GD -3
• Orlando: 8-8-12; goals 29; goals against 27; GD +2
  • Home: 2-3-8; goals 13; goals against 12; GD +1
  • Away: 6-5-4; goals 16; goals against 15; GD +1

Form

• Charleston: W | L | L | W  | W
• Orlando:  D | W | D | L | L

Statistical Leaders

• Charleston
  • Goals: Romario Williams (15)
  • Assists: Justin Portillo (6)
  • Points: Romario Williams (32)
  • Minutes: Taylor Mueller, Justin Portillo (2,520)

• Orlando
  • Goals: Hadji Barry (8)
  • Assists: Pierre Da Silva (7)
  • Points: Hadji Barry (16)
  • Minutes: Earl Edwards Jr. (1,980)

The Charleston Battery defeated the Charlotte Independence, 3-0, at MUSC Health Stadium Wednesday night. The emphatic win extended the Battery’s home unbeaten streak to thirteen games.

Charleston opened the scoring early in the first half through Heviel Cordoves who started up front for the suspended Romario Williams. Cordoves received the ball inside the penalty area from Kotaro Higashi after a good bit of play at the top of the box, turned, and slotted a left footed shot past Cody Mizell to put Charleston ahead in the 13th minute.

Minutes after coming on as a second half substitute, Ricky Garbanzo extended the Battery’s lead, finishing another chance created by Higashi. The Japanese midfielder threaded a through ball into Garbanzo’s path in the penalty area and the forward fired a low shot past Mizell, doubling the host’s lead.

Cordoves scored his second goal of the night in the 81st minute to kill the game off. The Cuban forward received a pass from Garbanzo, drove into the 18 yard box, and smashed a left-footed shot in at the back post. The goal was Cordoves’ fourth of the season.

Wednesday night’s 3-0 win is the first time the Battery has scored multiple goals in a match since July 26. The result over second-place Charlotte moves Charleston within a point of the Independence in the Eastern Conference standings.

“We know that we’re one of the best teams in this league and we showcased our abilities tonight,” said Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser. “It’s our goal to win every game at home. Tonight we came out like we wanted to win and we wanted to score goals and it showed. It’s nice to see and I’m happy for the players.”

Following Wednesday’s victory, the Battery will hit the road for consecutive away matches against Orlando City B (9/23) and Ottawa Fury FC (10/1). Charleston will then return home on October 7 to take on the Harrisburg City Islanders.

CHARLESTON: Odisnel Cooper, Skylar Thomas, Taylor Mueller, Forrest Lasso (yellow card, 18) Jarad van Schaik, Maikel Chang (Nico Rittmeyer, 77), Justin Portillo, Neveal Hackshaw (yellow card, 6), Kotaro Higashi, Ataulla Guerra (Ricky Garbanzo, 67; goal 73), Heviel Cordoves (goal, 13, 81; Tah Brian Anunga, 89)

Unused substitutes: Joe Kuzminsky, O’brian Woodbine, Quinton Griffith, Patrick Okonkwo

CHARLOTTE: Cody Mizell, Luke Waechter (yellow card, 22; Lewis Hilton, 74), Austin Yearwood, Bilal Duckett, Dennis Castillo (Caleb Calvert, 52; Jorge Herrera, 53), Callum Ross, Yann Ekra (yellow card, 56), David Estrada, Joel Johnson, Jaime Siaj, Enzo Martinez

Unused substitutes: Kainoa Likewise, Marcus Jun Davidson, David Spies, Donnie Smith

The newly formed Charleston Battery Soccer Club has merged with the Summerville Soccer Club following a vote of approval by the SSC’s Board of Directors and parents Tuesday night. The partnership is subsequent to last week’s announcement of the Charleston Battery’s intentions to start a youth soccer club in partnership with the Charleston Fleet and is effective immediately.

Founded in 1981, Summerville Soccer Club has been home to thousands of youth soccer players in the area for more than 35 years. SSC currently has approximately 1,100 developmental and competitive players in their programs who will now become the first ever players for Charleston Battery Soccer Club.

“We’re really excited to welcome all the players, parents, and coaches from Summerville Soccer Club into the Charleston Battery family,” said Chief Operating Officer Mike Kelleher. “This partnership gets us off and running for 2017 and sets things in motion for the future. The added resources and facilities will help us achieve our goal of growing the sport while continuing to  offer soccer programs to all families in our community.”

Charleston Battery Soccer Club’s merger with Summerville Soccer Club includes all SSC facilities and fields. The SSC Complex consists of eight full-sized fields, four of which are lighted. The Championship Field also includes spectator stands and an electronic scoreboard. The Complex will be Charleston Battery Soccer Club’s primary site for training and matches for the fall of 2017.

“Our merger with Charleston Battery Soccer Club plugs Summerville into a larger professional framework of soccer and instruction,” said Summerville Soccer Club President Mary Brown. “We’re now able to provide a ladder for players to reach highest levels of soccer in this country.”  

Following Tuesday’s vote, Charleston Battery Soccer Club now has teams competing at every age group beginning with U4 and continuing through U18 for the 2017 fall season. Adopting SSC’s structure, CHS Battery SC currently offers Micro (U4-U8), Junior Academy (U9-U12) and Elite/Select (U13-U18). Future plans include a USSF Development Academy and an expanded recreational program.

Rosters and player pools are set for the current fall season, however, Charleston Battery Soccer Club will be hosting open tryouts for eligible players for additional programs, as permitted.  More information will be made available in the near future. For updates regarding Charleston Battery Soccer Club, follow @CHSBatterySC on Twitter.  

Charleston, SC.  The Charleston Battery defeated the Richmond Kickers 1-0 Saturday night at MUSC Health Stadium.  Substitute forward Heviel Cordoves scored the lone goal, flicking a shot inside the near post from an acute angle in the 84th minute.  The Battery played the majority of the game with only ten men after Romario Williams was sent off in the first half but somehow managed to find the result which keeps them in the hunt for a top-four finish in the USL Eastern Conference.

The result lifts the Battery into third place in the Eastern Conference standings with five games remaining; the top four teams host in the first round of the USL post-season.

Head coach Mike Anhaeuser was pleased with his team’s resilience, ‘the back four really stood out tonight. They stayed compact, we won every ball in the air limiting Richmond’s chances and not really giving them a look. Then of course Cordoves getting the goal, it gives us the feeling of winning back and keeps our momentum going here at home.’

The Battery started brightly and Williams was denied by the cross-bar twice in the opening 20 minutes. On the first occasion in the 15th minute he saw a dipping left-footed strike bang back off the bar.  

Five minutes later he tried again this time with a right footed attempt that spun off the underside of the bar.  The ball bounced invitingly for Kotaro Higashi but his header was pushed wide of the post by Richmond goalkeeper Travis Worra.

William’s night took a turn for the worse in the 37th minute as he was shown a straight red-card for kicking out at defender Alex Lee reducing Charleston to ten men for the remainder of the game.

Despite playing with a man disadvantage the Battery continued to push forward looking for a goal and were rewarded with just over five minutes remaining as they earned a corner.  Maikel Chang whipped the ball into the middle and Cordoves met the cross with deft flick that flew past Worra into the goal.

The Charleston Battery returns to action on Wednesday night at MUSC Health Stadium for a 7 PM match versus the Charlotte Independence. The game versus Charlotte was originally scheduled for September 9 but was postponed due to the threat of Hurricane Irma.

CHARLESTON: Alec Kann (Odisnel Cooper, 45), Skylar Thomas (yellow card, 77), Taylor Mueller, Forrest Lasso (yellow card, 34), Jarad van Schaik, Maikel Chang (yellow card, 89), Tah Brian Anunga (Nico Rittmeyer, 90), Justin Portillo, Kotaro Higashi, Ataulla Guerra (Heviel Cordoves, 70, goal, 84), Romario Williams (red card, 37)

 Unused substitutes: Neveal Hackshaw, Ryan Arambula, Laurent Kissiedou, Ricky Garbanzo

 RICHMOND: Travis Worra, Alex Lee, Braeden Troyer, William Yomby, Mallan Roberts, Oscar Umar, Sunny Jane (Jackson Eskay, 52, yellow card, 65), Luiz Fernando (Owusu Sekyere, 80), Yudai Imura, Matt Bolduc, Mikey Minutillo (Franck Tayou, 76)

 Unused substitutes: Makcu Debellis, Paddy McCann, Evan Lee, Raul Gonzalez,

The Charleston Battery have received Atlanta United goalkeeper, Alec Kann, on loan for this Saturday’s match against the Richmond Kickers at MUSC Health Stadium.

Kann, a graduate of Furman University, spent the 2012 USL season with the Battery. Kann was part of Charleston’s championship winning side, but missed much of the year due to injury. Following his season with the Battery, the 6-4 goalkeeper made the leap to Major League Soccer.

Kann has started 18 games for Atlanta United this season, earning four shutouts and an 8-7-3 record. With his Atlanta United teammate, Alex Tambakis, back in Georgia, Kann will likely start for the Battery in this weekend’s clash with Richmond.

The Charleston Battery is launching a youth soccer club beginning in the fall of 2017. The new youth club will play under the name Charleston Battery Soccer Club and will operate with the goal of providing youth soccer programs for the entire community and the area’s highest level of coaching.

In partnership with the Charleston Battery’s WPSL affiliate, the Charleston Fleet, Charleston Battery Soccer Club will offer programs for both boys and girls at the Recreational, Micro, Junior Academy, and Elite levels. Future plans for the Club also include a U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

“We are excited about this endeavor and the opportunities we can offer for aspiring young soccer players in our state,” said Charleston Battery President Andrew Bell. “Launching our own youth club coincides with our commitment to further the growth of the game both locally and nationally. The long-term vision for this Club is to provide a direct path from the early stages of youth soccer to professional teams for both boys and girls, which is something that’s never been done in this area.”

Charleston Battery Soccer Club will offer leagues, camps, and tournaments for boys and girls ages 4 through 18. The boys teams will play under the Charleston Battery crest, while the girls will play under the Charleston Fleet crest.

“We’re thrilled to be able to provide a complete player development pathway for female soccer players,” said Charleston Fleet Head Coach and General Manager Sarah Michner. “We look forward to working with Charleston Battery Soccer Club to teach, motivate and empower the next generation of soccer stars.”

A Youth Soccer Technical Director will oversee coaching and player development for Charleston Battery Soccer Club. Charleston Battery Soccer Club is currently seeking a qualified candidate to lead the daily technical operations of all Club coaches, development programs, competitions, and leagues.

“Hiring a technical director to oversee Charleston Battery Soccer Club allows us to focus on the long-term development of each player that chooses to play for us,” said Charleston Battery Chief Operating Officer Mike Kelleher. “We’ll be able to provide consistent coaching and a high-level experience for all players and instill the professional teams’ traditions, playing styles, and philosophies throughout the youth club.”

More information regarding the Charleston Battery Soccer Club will be made available in the near future. For updates, follow Charleston Battery Soccer Club on Twitter @CHSBatterySC.  

The Charleston Battery’s match against the Charlotte Independence scheduled for Saturday, September 9th has been postponed due to Hurricane Irma.

The Battery will now host the Independence on Wednesday, September 20th at 7:00 PM. Tickets for the originally scheduled match day can be redeemed at any of the Battery’s final three home games: September 16th, September 20th, or October 7th.

With Saturday’s match postponed, Charleston and Charlotte will now meet twice in the final five games of the season. The Battery earned a 2-0 win over the Independence in the first meeting between the teams back in April.

Charleston will play back-to-back home games for the first time since early July on September 16th and 20th. The Battery will be looking to regain their winning form in their first match at MUSC Health Stadium in over a month against Richmond on the 16th.