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USL Charleston Battery

Battery Heads To Charlotte For Saturday Night Season Opener

April 15, 2010 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release


Charleston, SC. The Charleston Battery heads to Charlotte, NC Saturday (April 17) for its opening match of the USL2 season versus the Charlotte Eagles (Charlotte Christian School, 7:00 PM, 950 AM / www.charlestonbattery.com ). Charlotte lost in the USL2 championship game in 2010; Saturday's match continues a rivalry between the two teams that started back in 1993.

The Charleston Battery first played the Charlotte Eagles in both Clubs' inaugural seasons back in 1993. The teams met twice that year with the Battery winning on both occasions, 3-1 at home and 1-0 in the return fixture.

Over the past 18 years the teams have met 24 times in competitive fixtures (regular season, post-season & US Open Cup) with Charleston winning sixteen games, losing five with three ties. The teams last met in the second round of the 2008 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with the Battery posting a narrow 2-1 win courtesy of a 90th minute Osvaldo Alonso PK.

Charlotte has won the USL Second Division twice (2000, 2005) and has made the finals on eight occasions including 2008 and 2009. Last year the Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the Championship game versus the Richmond Kickers but conceded twice as Richmond came back to win.

Charlotte is led by one of the most experienced coaches in US Soccer Mark Steffens. Steffens enters his 14th season as head coach for the Eagles in 2010 with a career record of 164-97-45.

Charleston Battery head coach Mike Anhaeuser rounded out his roster this week with the loan signing of goalkeeper Tim Melia from Major League Soccer's Real Salt Lake. Melia played for the Battery during the recent Carolina Challenge Cup. Melia spent the last two years with the Rochester Rhinos. Anhaeuser also added former Laredo Heat goalkeeper Ryan Cooper on a short-term contract.

Midfielder Lamar Neagle who spent the 2009 season with Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders has also agreed to terms and should be available for selection on Saturday night in Charlotte.

The Charleston Battery's most recent match was a 2-0 win versus the College of Charleston in their final pre-season game played last Saturday night, forward Tom Heinemann and midfielder Rudolph Mayard supplied the goals.

Charleston's first home match is set for Saturday, April 24 versus the Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Blackbaud Stadium, Daniel Island, SC (7:30 PM, $10 - $18, 971-4625 / www.charlestonbattery.com ). The 2010 Home Opener is sponsored by MUSC Sports Medicine and features post-match fireworks.

Broadcast details - new Twitter updates during the match!

Listen to Saturday's match live on 950 AM with the pre-game show starting at 6:45 PM. The game will also be available via an audio-only webcast at www.charlestonbattery.com . New this year you can receive Twitter updates during the match by following the Charleston Battery at chas_battery; to register visit www.twitter.com .

Check out the Charleston Battery Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 15, 2010


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