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USL Charleston Battery

Chang Equalizes for Charleston at the Death, 1-1 at Pittsburgh

September 5, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release


PITTSBURGH - It took 90 minutes of regulation and every second of three minutes of stoppage time, but Maikel Chang's nonchalant back-heel redirection in front of Calle Brown's goal finally gave the Charleston Battery a well-earned draw against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

On a night when the visitors out-shot the hosts 15-7 and the Riverhounds - playing without English scoring ace Rob Vincent - put only two shots on frame, the Battery's quest for a needed point came down to one last-gasp hope. And that last hope came down to two rookies.

First it was rookie substitute Forrest Lasso on the right, who picked out rookie starter Ricky Garbanzo with a sliver of space in the middle of the pitch at the top of the area. Garbanzo smashed a low one through a thicket of legs toward the left post.

That's when the cool Cuban midfielder the team calls "Chino" deftly redirected the shot away from danger and into the net, breaking 2,199 Pittsburgh hearts in attendance, not to mention a local TV audience. The goal was the third this season for Chang, Charleston's assists leader, and gave Garbanzo his fourth USL assist. The game ended in an almost silent Highmark Stadium one short restart later.

Charleston (40 points, 10-6-10) moved at least momentarily into third place, but was still awaiting the outcome of Louisville at New York, where the Red Bulls II needed at least a draw to keep pace. Pittsburgh (10-9-6) entered in seventh, one point behind Richmond and Charlotte. Both teams drew their opponents Saturday.

The teams went to the break tied 0-0 after an evenly played 45 minutes that featured important changes and adjustments by both sides. For Pittsburgh, it was the Riverhounds finding their feet without Vincent, who had produced 37.5 percent of their 48 goals (second in USL). For Charleston, it was integrating midfielder Zach Prince into the right back spot left vacant by Obi Woodbine's knee and Quinton Griffith's international call-up.

Charleston, which took only 16 players on the flight to Pennsylvania, also lined up with Heviel Cordoves in the No. 9 spot, leaving a healthy Dane Kelly - the team's leading scorer - on Coach Mike Anhaeuser's substitute bench.

There were chances, but they were negated by bright defensive plays - midfielder Justin Portillo breaking up attacking mid Lebo Moloto's opportunity at the top of the area in the 13th, defender Sterling Flunder denying Cordoves in the 20th. But Charleston generally held the initiative, and momentarily appeared to have cashed in in the 21st minute, when a flurry of shots after two consecutive corners by the Battery ended with Garbanzo putting a sneaky one past Brown. But the flag went up before the ball even reached its destination.

Cordoves put a header wide a few minutes later, but his night ended in the 26th when he came out of contact with a hamstring injury. Kelly injected more energy and purpose into the match in relief, harassing Brown on defense and blasting a header into the left post in the 33rd minute.

Pittsburgh broke through in the 53rd minute after Battery midfielder Navion Boyd, stuck in a bad position on defense, surrendered a free kick by shoving one Riverhounds player into another. Matt Dallman, a former USL assists champ who has played primarily at right back but started as a forward Saturday, sent a bending cross to the far post.

That's when Kevin Kerr - the smallish Scottish midfielder who trails only Bryan Burke in the USL assists race with nine - burst out of the pack on the right. He emerged unmarked to head the ball smartly on frame - only to have Battery goalkeeper Odisnel Cooper appear to make the brilliant save. The Week 24 Goalkeeper of the Week reacted perfectly, but lost control of the ball, which dribbled across the line.

With the lead in hand, Pittsburgh conceded much of the initiative to the Battery, and it almost cost them in the 71st minute when Portillo's long-range blast forced Brown into his best save of the night. Yet the Riverhounds remained sharp and ready to run on the counter, and came within the narrowest degrees of putting away at least three more goals.

First came a counter in the 82nd minute that ended with the normally deft Kerr piddling away an obvious opportunity. Then in the 87th, after snuffing a Dante Marini cross, Brown's great outlet throw launched an all-out attack that left center back Taylor Mueller isolated with multiple Riverhounds running the channels behind him. Mueller played it perfectly to break up the sure goalscoring chance.

Finally, in the 90th minute, the Battery eventually succeeded in clearing a chaotic situation that could have easily ended with a 2-0 hole.

But in the end, it boiled down to Lasso - a center back Anhaeuser has also deployed as an aerial specialist in the attack - winning a free kick from a dangerous spot on a long ball from Prince. The resulting free kick didn't immediately go for the equalizer, but it set the Battery up with its players in place for the final push - and the ultimate dramatic finish.

Several players turned in praiseworthy shifts - Mueller, Prince, Portillo and Garbanzo among them - but it fell to Chang to make one of the biggest, most memorable plays of the year.

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