Eagles Battle Back for Draw in Charleston
June 5, 2013 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charlotte Eagles News Release
Charleston, SC -- The Charlotte Eagles battled back on a wet, soggy night in Charleston, SC to earn a 2-2 draw with the Charleston Battery. Stephen Okai opened the scoring and Drew Yates tied the game late for the Eagles. The tie moves the Eagles to 3-2-5 on the season in USL PRO.
Rain pushed back the kick off by fifteen minutes and made the pitch a little soggy as both teams were slipping and sliding trying to get accustomed to the field.
The possession was pretty even in the first 10 minutes until Stephen Okai got on the end of a Christian Ramirez pass in the Charleston box and chipped it over Odisnal Cooper for the 1-0 lead in the 14th minute.
Charleston's best chance came in the 20th minute as Dane Kelly's header sailed just over the goal of Eric Reed.
The rain started coming down heavier in the 35th and both teams had to deal with the sloppy conditions with players slipping and falling on both sides. In the last five minutes of the half Charleston was able to create a couple of chances as both Dane Kelly and Nicki Paterson forced saves out of Eric Reed to keep the score 1-0.
The Eagles took a 1-0 lead into halftime thanks to the Stephen Okai goal.
The Battery came out of the half looking re-energized. The controlled much of the possessionCharleston leveled the scoring in the 60th minute off of a Heviel Cordoves goal. Jamaican forward Dane Kelly slipped past a diving Eagles defender in the 69th minute to put the Battery up 2-1.
With Charlotte pressing for an equalizer in the last 15 minutes, goalkeeper Eric Reed made a save on Bryce Alderson. Alderson is on loan with the Battery from Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whitecaps.
The Eagles looked to have a shot at tying the game in the 89th minute but Shaun Francis' shot sailed high and wide of the Battery goal. Charlotte never gave up on the game and were rewarded with a stoppage time goal by 2nd half sub Drew Yates. Yates found himself alone at the back post and thumped in a Jorge Herrera cross to tie the score at 2-2.
Charlotte ends the season series with Charleston with 1 win and 1 tie.
The tie, Charlotte's 5th on the season, puts them on 14 points and moves them into a tie for 7th in the USL PRO Standings with the Dayton Dutch Lions.
The Eagles next game comes against the Chicago Fire Reserves on Friday, June 14th at 7 pm at Queens Sports Complex.
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