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USL Charleston Battery

Battery Host Birmingham on Military Appreciation Night

July 8, 2022 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release


CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Charleston Battery host Birmingham Legion FC on Saturday, July 9, at Patriots Point in an Eastern Conference clash. Kickoff for the match is slated for 8 p.m. ET.

The club is also celebrating Military Appreciation Night, with presenting partner Hendrick Volvo Cars of Charleston. The night returns in 2022 after the overwhelming success of last season's game celebrating military members of the Charleston community.

All active duty, reserve and retired military members, Department of Defense professionals and their families will be celebrated throughout the night. A limited number of complimentary tickets will be available for military members and their families courtesy of the night's community partners.

CHSvBHM Match Notes

Legion FC are coming off a shootout against Atlanta United 2, drawing 3-3 in Kennesaw, Georgia. Birmingham held a 0-2 lead through the hour mark, but Atlanta leveled the score in quick succession, scoring in the 65th and 67th minutes. Zachary Herivaux reclaimed the lead for the visitors in the 74th minute as Birmingham looked to close out the road victory. Atlanta, however, equalized in stoppage time via Nicolas Firmino, securing shared points between the clubs.

The Battery are looking to return to their more potent form from mid-June when they take the field at Patriots Point this weekend. Charleston succumbed to San Antonio FC last Saturday 2-0 at Toyota Field. SAFC scored on either side of halftime and controlled much of the night, showcasing why they are the top team in the Western Conference. The Black and Yellow were not without fight, however, but will need to be more productive with the ball against Legion FC to secure points on Saturday.

Last time Charleston and Birmingham met, the Alabama outfit claimed a 2-1 home victory. The Battery will look for revenge in the reverse fixture at Patriots Point.

The Battery, with 17 matches in the books now, will kick off the official second half of the season on Saturday.

Being Military Appreciation Night, the evening will also feature a Color Guard presentation and Coast Guard flyover before kickoff.

Ones to Watch

Birmingham - Prosper Kassim

Kassim had the Battery's number in the first match, scoring both goals in the 2-1 victory for Birmingham. He additionally registered two chances created and completed 81% of his passes in a full 90 minutes of action. On the year, Kassim has four goals, two assists and 26 chances created in 15 appearances. The winger is one Charleston will want to keep in check to keep the Legion FC offense at bay.

Charleston - Augustine Williams

Williams is fresh off a very productive month of June where he tallied five goals, one assist and five chances created - a mark that earned him a nomination for the USL Championship's player of the month honor. Against Birmingham, Williams assisted the Battery's lone goal with a perfectly-placed cross that Aidan Apodaca buried into the back of the net. Look for him to continue the momentum from June into Saturday while the Battery search for three points.

From the Training Ground

The Battery returned to training Tuesday following a period of travel and recovery during the holiday weekend.

Unlike the previous week, the Battery will have more than just a day or two to prepare for their opponent after competing in three matches across seven days. The team will look to use that additional time to their advantage.

"We took a couple of days to get the guys to recover and be able to have a normal week this week to prepare for the game," said Head Coach Conor Casey. "The focus, especially this week, has been defending, making sure we're getting pressure on their offensive players and then being able to transition when we win the ball."

The Battery will look to avenge their previous result against Legion FC when the visitors arrive in the Lowcountry.

"With Birmingham coming into town, they're doing some similar things from when we played them at the beginning of the season," said Coach Casey. "They have some experienced players up top and some weapons out wide, but we want to really focus on how we're going to put pressure on them and then our execution going forward."

Battery midfielder Dominic Oduro said training has gone well with the full week of preparations.

"It's been great training this week because we've been on the road a couple of times," said Oduro. "Coming home to play in front of our fans, it's good in building our confidence and in trying to win the game against Birmingham."

The squad is looking forward to having a chance to get a positive result to open the second half of the campaign.

"The boys are really encouraged, we know when we believe, we can still turn things around in the second half of the season," said Oduro. "I think we are ready for Birmingham, especially after getting in a full week of training."

After two road trips last week, the team is eager to play at home again.

"We're excited to be able to play in front of our full house with Military Appreciation Night too," said Coach Casey. "A packed stadium and some good energy, we're excited to put on a good show."

As of posting, Brett St. Martin and Patrick Hogan are questionable; Andrew Booth, Joe Kuzminsky and Kyle Holcomb are out.

MATCH INFO

Charleston Battery vs. Birmingham Legion FC

Saturday, July 9 - 8:00 p.m. ET Kickoff

Patriots Point

HOW TO WATCH:

Tickets are available for Saturday's match, but sections are starting to sell out. Fan can buy tickets for the game via SeatGeek.com.

All Battery matches will also stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league's YouTube channel for free internationally.

Check out the Charleston Battery Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 8, 2022


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