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USL Charleston Battery

Charleston Battery Look to Spoil Tampa Bay's Undefeated Season Saturday Night

August 28, 2020 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release


CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Battery host undefeated Tampa Bay Rowdies 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night at Patriots Point and plan for a different result than the first time these two faced off on July 31, a 2-0 loss for Charleston

Key Storylines

The Battery have been undefeated for the month of August (5 games), having not lost since July 31 at the hands of Saturday's opponent.

Charleston's attack has stepped up recently, having scored 9 goals in their past 3 games, the first time in the modern USL Championship era (2014).

The Battery are now even with Tampa Bay in goals scored and field a wide distribution of scoring threats now with 15 goals coming from 9 different players.

Charleston takes to the pitch in front of a limited number of fans for the second time this season and will look to put in an impressive performance for the returning, albeit smaller, home crowd. Approximately 150 season ticket holders will be in attendance with strict social distancing protocols.

A win on Saturday against Tampa Bay will put the Battery within one point of the Rowdies at the top of Group H with matches remaining against Miami (3), Tampa Bay (2) and Loudoun United FC (1).

After successive slow starts in the first half, Charleston broke what had become a recurring theme and came out strong against Miami putting up two goals in the first half. Coach Mike Anhaesuser's lineup will need to repeat Wednesday's first half success against Tampa Bay this weekend and apply pressure early in front of a home crowd.

Charleston hasn't lost since July 31, when the Battery visited Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg and were handed a 2-0 defeat by the Rowdies. Since that loss, though, the Battery's chemistry has only grown as shown by the distribution scoring across the roster and nine goals in their last three matches, a first for Charleston in the USL Championship era.

As the second of four meetings this season, Saturday should see a more evened matchup as both teams are now equal with 16 goals apiece and controlling possession for roughly the same amount. With the Charleston back line's strong performance of late, they'll look to stifle Tampa Bay's attack for a different result than their first meeting.

Ones to Watch This Week

Tampa Bay - Forrest Lasso

A standout performance from Rowdies defender, Forest Lasso, will be the key as his team-leading 49 clearances almost always turn into attacking opportunities for their powerhouse offense. Lasso is a familiar face to Charleston, having scored 7 goals for the Battery across three seasons (2015-17). He plays a dual-threat and will look to pressure Charleston's defenders and add to his single goal on the season.

Charleston - AJ Paterson

AJ Paterson continues to create opportunities and provide his teammates with scoring chances after tallying his third assist for the year on Wednesday night. Opposite Logan Gdula as the outside backs, the two have been playing further up and applying more pressure to opponents which will be key to taking advantage of opportunities early against the Rowdies.

Coach & Training Notes

With a quick turn between home matches, the boys participated in a light practice on Thursday and final game prep at the training ground on Friday.

"We came out well [against Miami]. We need to do that [on Saturday]," Coach Mike Anhaeuser commented while previewing the Tampa Bay matchup. "We're at home. We want to dictate what happens. And we want to put them on the back foot. We know Tampa Bay's a very good team but the first half performance is something we want to try to mirror from Wednesday."

On the recent success of the attack and distribution of goals, Coach added, "You obviously have your 3 or 4 guys that you're leaning on a little more, but we're catching goals from other places. Out of the back. Our wingers. And then our strikers, we're asking them to be dangerous and be there. It's great of our team not being one dimensional."

As of posting, midfielder Kierron Mason is unavailable.

Check out the Charleston Battery Statistics



United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 28, 2020


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