Sports stats



USL Charleston Battery

Charleston Take on Rivals Tampa Bay Rowdies at Patriots Point on Saturday

March 24, 2023 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release


CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Charleston Battery return home to host the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Sat., March 25 at Patriots Point. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Charleston and Tampa Bay have become familiar adversaries over the years. Last season, the Battery were undefeated against the Florida club and beat them in the most recent meeting, on Sept. 10. Andrew Booth scored both the equalizer and the match-winning goal at Patriots Point that evening.

The Battery return home after a valiant fight against title-contenders Sacramento Republic FC on the road, earning a 1-1 draw. Charleston struck first via an AJ Paterson goal but a goal in the second half from the hosts saw the points shared. The performance was another strong one against a top Western Conference side.

Tampa Bay are in a similar boat and are coming off a 1-1 road draw with a Western Conference club, Orange Country SC. The Rowdies were down 1-0 at halftime but rallied late to grab an equalizer in the 82nd minute via Zachary Herivaux. One can expect Neill Collins, who is in his sixth season in charge of Tampa Bay, to have his squad ready to bounce back and fight for their first win of the season on Saturday.

Forrest Lasso is one to watch for the Rowdies. The center-back and three-time USLC Defender of the Year returned to Tampa Bay after his previous club, GIF Sundsvall, were relegated from the Swedish top flight.

Derek Dodson is a player to keep an eye on for the Battery. Dodson, in his first two games with the club, leads Charleston in duels won and tackles won and is tied for the most interceptions.

Saturday will be the first leg of the No Quarter Derby, a supporter group-led rivalry between the fans that spans the season series. Supporters of the winning team will receive a cooler chest full of beers from the fans of the losing team. The Battery were winners of the 2022 edition.

Tampa Bay will be without goalkeeper Raiko Arozarena, who is off on international duty with Cuba. At the same time, former Battery shot-stopper Phil Breno is likely to start in his return to Patriots Point for the first time since last playing for the Black and Yellow in 2020.

FROM THE TRAINING GROUND

Ben Pirmann and Derek Dodson previewed the upcoming match against Tampa Bay, with key quotes to follow.

Coach Pirmann on training this week after the Sacramento match...

This week has been somewhat tough with a lot of players going out [on international duty], but we're focused on the group. They've been tremendous, working hard, they're ready to go, no matter what system we play, who's playing where. We're ready to go and we're excited to go for it.

Coach Pirmann on what to expect from the Rowdies...

Tampa Bay are a top team in the Eastern Conference. We're excited to play them, they're a rival and I think they're excited to play us. What they have is a very talented team that maybe quite hasn't fully meshed together with a lot of new signings, but they're very talented, rugged and know how to defend without giving up chances. They possess the ball very well.

Dodson on the mindset within the squad this week...

The mood has been really positive. It's been a very good week of training, high energy and a very positive attitude going into a tough game on Saturday after a long trip. We might've felt that we deserved a bit more than just a point, but the spirits have been high.

Dodson on returning home to face the Rowdies...

The boys have been really excited to be back home, I think it's one of the best places to play in the USL. The fans and the community really get behind us and push us on for the 90-plus minutes. After that opening game, we've kind of been itching to get back in front of the fans and give them a worthy performance and a good result on Saturday.

As of posting, Emilio Ycaza is listed as questionable and Handwalla Bwana is listed as out. Additionally, AJ Paterson, Benji Ettienne, Leland Archer, Deklan Wynne and Jesse Randall are unavailable as they are with their respective national teams for matches during the current March FIFA international window.

MATCH INFO

Charleston Battery vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies

Saturday, March 25 - 7:30 p.m. ET Kickoff

Patriots Point

HOW TO WATCH:

Only a very limited amount of tickets are still available for Saturday's match and can be purchased via SeatGeek.com, the Battery's exclusive digital ticketing provider.

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

• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board...

United Soccer League Championship Stories from March 24, 2023


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