Sports stats



USL Charleston Battery

Battery in Miami Sunday Night

July 30, 2021 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release


CHARLESTON, S.C. - After a third straight win Tuesday night at Loudoun United FC, the Battery look to make it four in a row Sunday night against Miami FC with big implications for the Atlantic Division standings. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST and will be the second of four meetings between the two sides.

Key Storylines

The Battery are coming out of a shootout with Loudon that saw 8 goals total as the Battery held on to win 3-5

With a Battery win Sunday, Charleston and Miami would swap slots in the Atlantic Division table, putting the Battery in fourth place and playoff contention for the first time this season

Miami will look to bounce back after a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Hartford Athletic which snapped a 5-game unbeaten streak

Some key new players will be out of Sunday's lineup after the battle in Loudoun Tuesday, including Claudio Repetto and Joel Bunting

The first match between the two sides on June 18 resulted in a Charleston victory as the Black and Yellow won 2-1 at Patriots Point. Miami got off to an early lead via a 7th-minute goal from Lamar Walker on a set piece, but the Battery equalized in the 24th minute when Zeiko Lewis sent a scissor kick shot into the back of the net. The decisive moment came in the 50th minute when Joel Bunting scored his first professional goal, assisted by AJ Paterson, to lift the Battery past Miami.

Looking at the Atlantic Division table, it's a close one. Miami are in fourth with a 7-6-2 record (23 pts) and Charleston are in fifth with a 6-4-3 record (21 pts).

Miami will look to bounce back from a 2-0 defeat on the road against Hartford that snapped a five-match unbeaten streak for the South Florida side. Alex Lara and Conor McGlynn scored Hartford's two goals, both assisted by Danny Barrera, to secure the three points. Miami had a handful of chances in front of the net during the match, but were unable to convert. Hartford's Jeff Caldwell had a strong performance between the sticks following the 3-1 defeat at Patriots Point, tallying five saves, six punches and two high claims to keep Miami scoreless. Ariel Martinez and Christiano Francois led Miami with three shots each.

Charleston are looking to continue the momentum building from their previous three matches, all victories, when they head to Miami for their second straight road fixture. The Battery came out on top in a 3-5 shootout against Loudoun United FC that featured goals from Claudio Repetto (2), Stavros Zarokostas, DZ Harmon and Zeiko Lewis (penalty). Repetto and Harmon teamed up for both of Claudio's goals as the pair continued to build on their connection made at Coastal Carolina University. After a back-and-forth first half that ended 3-3, the Battery settled in to outscore Loudoun 0-2 in the second half. Battery goalkeeper Joe Kuzminsky had a pair of saves in the second half to ensure the 3-5 victory.

The meeting at Riccardo Silva Stadium will be the first for the Black and Yellow since a late-season defeat in 2020 where the hosts came out on top 4-3. The Battery will look to redeem themselves while gaining ground in the Atlantic Division table.

Ones to Watch This Week

Miami FC - Lamar Walker

Last time against the Black and Yellow, Lamar Walker scored to give Miami an initial 0-1 lead. Walker currently is tied for the team lead in shots with 17. During that first meeting, Walker notched three total shots and two key passes in a full 90 minutes of action. FotMob.com graded Walker as Miami's top performer that evening with a rating of 7.4 (out of 10). Walker was recently off for international duty with Jamaica for the CONCACAF Gold Cup but has since returned to Miami. Expect him to try picking up where he left off last time he faced the Battery.

Charleston Battery - DZ Harmon

Harmon is coming off his most productive game of the season ahead on Sunday. The first-year midfielder tallied one goal, one assist, three shots and two key passes last match at Loudoun. He additionally drew the penalty that led to the fifth Battery goal of the night that sealed the win. Harmon has been growing in his role both in the starting lineup and off bench, making three starts on 11 total appearances. Although not credited with an assist, Harmon played an important role in the build up of the first goal last match, receiving the ball from Nicque Daley and getting into a dangerous spot that allowed Repetto to add the finishing touch following a deflection from Loudoun's Matt Di Rosa. Expect DZ to keep building on his first professional career during another road test at Miami.

Training Notes

The Battery returned to training on Thursday following a day of recovery and travel on Wednesday. The Black and Yellow prepare for another road trip against an Atlantic Division foe.

As of posting, Jarad van Schaik is questionable and Robbie Crawford, Claudio Repetto, Joel Bunting, Erik McCue, Nico Rittmeyer, and Mauro Cichero are out.

MATCH INFO

The Miami FC vs. Charleston Battery

Sunday, August 1 - 7:30 p.m. EST Kickoff - Riccardo Silva Stadium

How to Watch: ESPN+

The Battery will be hosting a watch party for fans during Sunday night's away fixture at Madra Rua Irish Pub in Park Circle.

Check out the Charleston Battery Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 30, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central