Preview: Orlando City-Charleston (Game 1)

Well after a disappointing loss to Rochester last Saturday, the Battery head down to Orlando, Florida for two matches with Orlando City. The first match is on Wednesday, while the second will be on Saturday night. Both will be played in the Citrus Bowl.

Orlando City:
This Season: Orlando City has the most points in the league, and they are leading the American division by 3 points. Orlando is looking to clinch home field throughout the playoffs in this series with Charleston.
Who's Playing Big: Griffin Maxwell leads the league and Orlando City in goals with 9, while Jamie Watson and Lewis Neal are tied for the most assists with 3. Watson has scored 3 goals, and Neal has scored 4.
Who Need's to Step Up: Not really anyone. City has only lost 3 matches, and have only given up 2 goals in their last 5 matches. City is pretty much a lock to win the league.

Charleston really need to grab at least one win in these two matches. With only three matches left in the Battery's season, its crunch time.

The match will be available on  USL Live, and will be played at 7:30. Orlando has a quality broadcast, so make sure to check that out.

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Preview: Charleston-Rochester

This will be a short preview, as I'm not using my own computer, so if there are any grammatical errors or errors in facts, I apologize in advance. And with that said, Charleston hosts the Rochester Rhinos this Saturday night, and here's your preview:

Rochester Rhinos:
This Season: The Rhinos come into Charleston after a win at Charlotte on Friday night. They currently sit in first place in the National Division, 1 point in front of second place Harrisburg.
Who's Playing Big: Andre Hoxie and Kendall Jagdeosingh both lead the team in goals with 5, though Tony Donatelli could be considered the most effective with 3 goals and 4 assists. The Rhinos have had no trouble finding scorers, with 13 players having at least one goal this season.
Who Needs to Step Up: The Rhinos are playing well, and there's not one thing you can really single out that they need to work on. Keeper Neal Kitson has one of the best GAA in the league with a .0894.

This is a crucial point in the Battery's season. They sit one point behind the Kickers (who have a game in hand) and three points in front of 5th place Charlotte. The Battery have two matches at Orlando City left, so they need to win the rest of their home games if they're planning on making the playoffs.

The match will as usual be on USL Live, at 7:30 and the match is at the 'Baud, so if you're in the area head to the stadium and support the Battery.

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Charleston Draws with Pitt, Loses to Rochester

This weekend the Battery had two matches in two nights away at Pittsburgh and Rochester. The Battery only earned one point through both of these matches. Both of the results were disappointing, but understandable.

The first match against Pittsburgh was played Friday night at Chartiers Valley Stadium. Only 624 fans showed up to watch the match, which was understandable because of the bad weather conditions.

The Battery would manage 12 shots with 3 being on goal, while Pittsburgh would take 7 and getting none on goal, making it an easy night for Battery keeper Keith Wiggans.

Dane Kelly and Levi Coleman played well together, with Kelly getting a couple of shots that he sent wide, but the offense was limited for both sides.

Charleston had to play almost half the match short-handed when Evan Taylor was shown a straight red in the 53rd for a reckless tackle on Shintaro Harada.

The back line would stand strong for another 0-0 result, giving the Battery a much needed point on the road.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds:
Players: Hunter Gilstrap, Sterling Flunder, Kyle Veris (Chad Severs 71), Louie Rolko, Jason Kutney, Thabiso Khumalo (Niko Katic 45), Johnny Appiah, Shintaro Harada, Tommy Gray, Matt Fundy (Jeremy Deighton 80), Jason Yeisley
Shots(on goal): 7(0)
Saves: 3
Fouls: 10
Corner Kicks: 3
Offsides: 2
Cautions: Kutney 43, Katic 79

Charleston Battery:
Players: Keith Wiggans, Nigel Marples, Colin Falvey, John Wilson, Mike Zaher, Cole Peverley, Evan Taylor, Nicki Paterson, Stephen Armstrong, Levi Coleman (JC Mack 83), Dane Kelly (Kevin Jackson 79)
Shots: 12
Saves: 0
Fouls: 7
Corner Kicks: 7
Offsides: 1
Cautions: Peverley 51
Ejections: Taylor 53

On Saturday, the Battery would travel up I-79 to face the Rochester Rhinos at the beautiful Sahlen Stadium.

The match started off slowly, with each team getting a couple of shots, but no great scoring chances. Then in the 25th minute the Rhinos broke through.

Quavas Kirk made a run down the right and crossed the ball into Donatelli who volleyed it off the post. The ball would hit the back of a diving Keith Wiggans, and roll slowly into the net.

The Battery then had trouble gaining possession for the rest of the second half, and they would go in at halftime down 1-0.

Coming out of the locker rooms the Battery were doing well. The ball movement was much better and they had gotten some decent scoring chances, but they still couldn't break through.

Even when the Battery had used all their subs and only had two defenders left on the field, they couldn't put one in the back of the net, and the match would end in a victory for the Rhinos.

Man of the Matches: John Wilson
Wilson played great during both of the matches. He is the anchor of our back line, and still makes some of the best tackles you'll see in the USL. If the Battery didn't have Wilson, the back line wouldn't be very good. This is not just because of his skill, but also because of his experience.

Charleston went scoreless this weekend, and their scoreless streak is up to 315 minutes. The cure for the Battery is simple; put it in the back of the net. The back is playing well, and the Battery are just in a bit of a funk, that they need to shake.

The Battery play this Friday night against FC New York at 7:30 at Blackbaud Stadium. The game will be available on USL Live.

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Preview(s): Charleston-Pittsburgh and Charleston-Rochester

After gaining 4 points in 2 matches last weekend, the Battery now head north for another two game spell against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Rochester Rhinos. Here's what to expect:

Pittsburgh Riverhounds:
This Season: The Riverhounds have only earned 4 points in their first four matches. They defeated Harrisburg 1-0, lost to Richmond 2-1, and lost to Wilmington 3-1. Last Saturday the Battery and the 'Hounds played to a scoreless draw at Blackbaud Stadium.
Who's Playing Big: Forward Jason Yeisley and Midfielder Shintaro Harada have been providing the offense for Pittsburgh, though the goals have been few and far between. Yeisley has a huge physical presence, and Harada has been playing well from what I have seen.
Who Needs to Step Up: The back line has been playing mediocre at best. The performance against the Battery may look good when you look at the stats, but when you look at the chances that the Battery had, at least one goal should have been up on the scoreboard.

Rochester Rhinos:
This Season: Last week the Rhinos finally notched their first points of the season in a 3-2 victory against the Dayton Dutch Lions. This was after opening their first two matches with two 1-0 losses to Richmond and Wilmington.
Who's Playing Big: Rochester is an interesting situation, because in last week's match with Dayton their back line played poorly, and their forwards played well. While in the previous two matches, the back has played well while the forwards couldn't put a single goal on the scoreboard.
Who's Needs to Step Up: Rochester will just be looking to get some consistent play from their whole squad. If they can start to get some goals consistently, they will be fine this season, as they have gotten more quality than poor play from the back.

What to Expect:
Charleston looks to come out in the usual 4-4-2 (Keep in mind that this is the best possible Starting XI as of right now, and will probably not be the line up for both Matches):

Wiggans

Wilson Falvey Zaher Marples

Paterson Peverley Mack Armstrong

Coleman Kelly

Keith Wiggans will continue to be in goal for the Battery while Andrew Dykstra tends to that injury.

The back line has stayed consistent all year, and should stay for these matches. Last week the defense only gave up 6 shots and no goals were scored.

The Midfield will have some changes from last week. We can expect Paterson and Peverley to play, as they have been playing quality ball and should be able to build on their previous performances this year. Armstrong should be back in the line up after a week off. My one "wildcard" if you will, is JC Mack. Mack played great in last weekend's matches.

Levi Coleman and Dane Kelly are no doubt the best two candidates for the forwards. Coleman played possibly his best match of the season last week (and should have scored), and Kelly is also peaking right now, and the chemistry between him and Coleman has been wonderful in recent matches.

The match with Pittsburgh on Friday night will not be available on USL Live, but will be on 1340 in Charleston and on the Battery's website. The Rochester match will be broadcast on USL Live, and coverage will start at 7:00.

If you need to contact me, e-mail me at SCSoccerblog@gmail.com. Also follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/scsoccerblog.



USL Pro: Week 3 Observations

The USL Pro concluded their 4th week of play on Saturday. Bullet time:

• Richmond Defeats Battery: In a match with two candidates for the best team in the USL Pro, we had Charleston fall to Richmond 2-1. Charleston gained an early lead on a Levi Coleman header, but eventually the Kickers got the victory after goals from two subs, David Bulow and Shaka Bangura. Here's a video of Richmond's two goals.
• From Roberto Clemente Stadium to... Roberto Clemente Stadium?: This week we had the odd situation of the LA Blues playing two teams from Puerto Rico, in one stadium. Both Puerto Rico United and River Plate Puerto Rico are playing their home games in Roberto Clemente Stadium (a baseball stadium). The stadium is in Carolina, Puerto Rico and holds 12,500. The real home of these teams are a good ways away from Roberto Clemente Stadium, which causes the attendances to be, well awful. Puerto Rico United's home is in Aguada, around a 2 hour drive from Roberto Clemente, while River Plate's home is in Fajardo a 45 minute drive from their home stadium. Hopefully this problem with the Puerto Rican teams will be fixed in the next couple of months.
• FC New York and Charlotte both get their first points: Two teams that look to be bottom dwellers in this year's USL Pro both got their first point of the season, when they drew 0-0 at Charlotte Christian Stadium. Both teams desperately needed at least a point in this match, and in that sense they both succeeded, but obviously scoring is going to have to come if they want to find success. Neither team has scored a goal yet.
• Barracuda FC gets first win of the season: Stefan Smith, an Antigua native, helped the Barracudas to their first win of the season, by scoring two goals in a 3-2 victory over Sevilla FC Puerto Rico. A great story for the only Antiguan team in the USL Pro. Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was "jubilant" for the teams first ever win in league play.
• Rhinos Back on Track: Rochester won their first game of the season Saturday, 3-2 against the Dayton Dutch Lions. Goals from Alfonso Motagalvan, JC Banks, and Anthony Hamilton gave the Rhinos the win on another rainy night at Miami Valley South Stadium. Hopefully this doesn't become a trend, as the turf makes playing at Dayton on a rainy night quite a challenge.

Biggest Surprise: Puerto Rico United earns a draw at Orlando City.
This was the biggest surprise result, as Puerto Rico United still looks to be a bit of a mess, and hasn't won a match all year. You can increase the amount of surprise when you consider that United played the last 10 minutes or so with only 10 men. This one ended 2-2 with goals for City coming both from Max Griffin, and the two for United coming from Eduardo Silva and Christian Turizo. On a side note, Orlando continues to draw crowds of 7,000+. Good work.
Biggest Disappointment: Charlotte and FC New York Draw at 0-0
I expected Charlotte and FC New York both to at least put up a bit of a fight, but it looked like this was for the most part a snooze-fest. We have two teams that look to finish at the bottom of the table, and neither team can get a goal. Depending on how you look at it, it could be disappointing or what you expected, but for me it seems like we could have at least had a couple of balls put into the back of the net.
Player of the Week: Stefan Smith-Antigua Barracuda FC
Stefan Smith scored two goals in Barracuda FC's first league win in their history, earning him player of the week honors in my opinion. Smith scored two goals in the 19th and the 21st minute, giving the Barracuda's the lead after going down 1-0 early. It would have been easy for Antigua to fold up like a cheap tent, but Smith helped them keep steady and make the comeback.

If you need to contact me, e-mail me at SCSoccerblog.@gmail.com

USL Pro: Week 3 Observations

After missing last week, I'm back for another edition of my weekly look at the results of the USL Pro's matches.

This weekend we had a huge slate of matches that started on Friday night with two matches, Rochester @ Richmond, and LA @ Sevilla FC.

Richmond defeated Rochester on Friday with another goal from Matthew Delicate. Delicate is making an early case for the USL Pro Player of the Year, as this is his 3rd goal in three games. The big surprise for Rochester would come on Sunday afternoon, but we'll get to that a little later.

The expansion LA Blues shocked the league when they went down to Sevilla FC and just demolished the hosts 3-0. This was a shock as many (including myself) had the Blues finishing in the lower half of the league.

On Saturday, the day was highlighted by torrential rains all across the east coast, postponing two games (Harrisburg @ Pittsburgh and Rochester @ Wilmington). Harrisburg and Pittsburgh are yet to reschedule this match, while Rochester and Wilmington would play on Sunday afternoon.

The two games that were played were Orlando City @ Charlotte and Charleston @ Dayton.

Orlando City traveled up to Charlotte to face the Eagles, who were playing their home opener. Orlando City showed that they are for real, and defeated Charlotte on a goal from Rob Valentino. Orlando City is making a strong case for a playoff spot.

Charleston headed up to Dayton, and defeated the Lions in their home opener 2-1. Here's a full recap.

On Sunday, we had the make up match between Wilmington and Rochester, as well as the Blues second game at Barracuda FC.

Wilmington gained their first points of the season in a 1-0 victory on a Luke Mulholland goal in the second half. This was the Rhinos second straight loss in 3 days.

The LA Blues gained their second win on Sunday night, on 2 set piece goals, against Antigua Barracuda FC. This was Barracuda FC's first game of the year, so it is no time for hitting the panic button.

Biggest Surprise: LA Blues winning their first 2 games
Los Angeles was looking at a brand new team, with brand new players, and in a brand new league. But they have taken the International Division over in their matches this week. Defeating two of the better Caribbean teams is no easy task. Especially when playing away for both matches.
Biggest Disappointment: Rochester Rhinos losing their first 2 games
Rochester was looking to win the National Division this year, but now their fans might have a little doubt. To lose their first two games without scoring a single goal is a cause for some concern. Now the first one wasn't a bad loss (Richmond looks to be one of the hottest teams in the league), but the loss to Wilmington isn't a good sign.
Player of the Week: Walter Gaitan-Los Angeles Blues
No questions here. Gaitan had 3 goals in his two matches with the Blues. His first goal came against Sevilla FC on Friday night in stoppage time, while his next two would come in their match with Antigua Barracuda FC. The first came off a free kick, while the second came from the penalty spot. LA needed to find someone who could consistently put the ball in the back of the net early this season, and I think they've found their man.

If you need to contact me, e-mail me at SCSoccerblog@gmail.com.

USL Pro Preview: Wrap-up

In the last three days, I have given you all, my thoughts on how the teams in the USL Pro will finish in their divisions. Here's a recap of how I had them finishing.

International:

1. River Plate Puerto Rico

2. Antigua Barracuda FC

3. Sevilla FC Puerto Rico

4. Los Angeles Blues

5. Puerto Rico United

National:

1. Rochester Rhinos

2. Pittsburgh Riverhounds

3. Harrisburg City Islanders

4. Dayton Dutch Lions

5. FC New York

American:

1. Charleston Battery

2. Richmond Kickers

3. Orlando City SC

4. Charlotte Eagles

5. Wilmington Hammerheads

The American Division is easily the toughest, with the National and International being about equal for second place, but if forced, I would have to give the edge to the National Division.

The full league table, will determine who gets home field advantage in the Semi-finals and Finals of the playoffs. This is because in the First Round, home field is determined by how the teams finish in their division (Excluding the 2 vs. 2 match up, see below). Here's how I think the full league table will end up:

League:

1. Charleston Battery

2. Rochester Rhinos

3. Richmond Kickers

4. River Plate Puerto Rico

5. Orlando City SC

6. Pittsburgh Riverhounds

7. Antigua Barracuda FC

8. Harrisburg City Islanders

9. Sevilla FC Puerto Rico

10. Charlotte Eagles

11. Dayton Dutch Lions

12. Wilmington Hammerheads

13. Los Angeles Blues

14. Puerto Rico United

15. FC New York

If you have been keeping up with the USL Pro, then you know the playoff format, but if not here is a recap.

As you can see it is pretty obvious where the teams will fall in the playoff system if they finish how I predicted, but here is the playoffs set up, along with my predictions, round by round.

First Round (Winners in bold, Home team on left):

River Plate Puerto Rico vs. Antigua Barracuda FC

Rochester Rhinos vs. Harrisburg City Islanders

Charleston Battery vs. Orlando City SC

Richmond Kickers vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds

The first round should be all chalk, with the exception of my one upset to watch for; Pittsburgh over Richmond. Seed wise this wouldn't be, but Richmond would be playing at home and probably finish higher in the League Table, so I consider it an upset. The one that I won't predict, but I'll mention is Orlando over Charleston. Orlando has a team that could to go deep in the playoffs.

Semi-Finals (Winners in bold, Home team on left):

Charleston Battery vs. River Plate Puerto Rico

Rochester Rhinos vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds

And the chalk keeps coming. Charleston handles the International champs, while Rochester takes care of business up in New York. The rematch of the USL Second Division Championship game is not meant to be, and the Championship will be played between the Rhinos and the Battery at Blackbaud Stadium

Finals (Winners in bold, Home team on left):

Charleston Battery vs. Rochester Rhinos

This one was a tough decision. Obviously I'm a little bias towards the Battery, but I really do think that they are the best team. Charleston has the depth, experience, and even the youth to build a championship team this season. Charleston celebrates a second consecutive championship, while Rochester will have to wait another year for their first trophy since 2001.

I will be making as many posts as possible this USL Pro season, with my thoughts and predictions, as well as previews for most Charleston Battery games and recaps of as many of those games as I can.

If you need to contact me, e-mail me at SCSoccerblog@gmail.com

USL Pro Preview: National Division

The first year of the USL Pro will definitely be an interesting one. With the 15 team league being divided into 3 divisions, I will cover each one separately in the lead up to the first game on Saturday, April 2nd. Today we'll cover the National Division:

The National Division consists of teams in the Northeastern part of the United States. The division consists of 2 teams in New York, 2 in Pennsylvania, and 1 club in Ohio. The teams are much closer, and this set up is perfect for creating local rivalries in both New York and Pennsylvania. Here's how I think the teams will place:

5. FC New York: The expansion squad will have the toughest time of any team in the league. 37 year old Englishman, Paul Shaw, will be the captain of the otherwise young squad. He has played many years in England, including a successful stint at Millwall where he scored 25 goals in 109 games. The rest of the team consists of mostly former PDL players. Bright spots include defenders Troy Cole, Josiah Snelgrove, and Karsten Smith, who all will have to lead a very young back line. This team could be feisty, but not a major contender at any point during the season.

4. Dayton Dutch Lions: Dayton has been "promoted" to the USL Pro for the 2011 season, after playing last season in the PDL. A few players, including Julius Wille, Brett Jones, and 2010 PDL Defender of the Year Joe Tait, move up to the USL Pro with the Lions. The attack is lead by Kolby LaCrone, who has played with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Cleveland City Stars, and is a talented indoor soccer player, scoring 21 goals in 14 games for the Louisville Lightning last indoor season. This is another young team, but I think having some players coming up with the team will help the Dutch Lions make a playoff run late in the season.

3. Harrisburg City Islanders: Harrisburg is coming off a disappointing season in 2010. They failed to make the playoffs in the USL Second Division. The loss of Sheanon Williams to the Philidelphia Union will hurt the back line of the Islanders, as he was a great defender as well as a bit of a goal-scoring threat out of the back field. Their captain Dustin Bixler returns for his seventh season with the Islanders, and he brings the leadership and quality to an otherwise mediocre back-line. Last year, they were the worst in the USL-2 last season, and goalkeeper Chase Harrison and defender Andrew Marshall have been brought in to address this problem. I wouldn't have Harrisburg finishing this high, if it weren't for the two expansion teams that are in their division.

2. Pittsburgh Riverhounds: Coming off a successful 2010 season, where they were knocked out in the semi final of the USL-2 playoffs. Pittsburgh set a good foundation for a successful season this year. The club has lost, get this, not one player from last years team. This blows my mind. But anyway, the USL-2 Keeper of the Year Hunter Gilstrap returns to the Riverhounds, along with USL-2 Defender of the Year, Shintaro Harada who will lead what looks to be the league's best defense. Last year they Riverhounds gave up exactly one goal per game. South African Thabiso Khumalo comes to Pittsburgh from DC United, and looks to add some punch to this young Riverhound attack.

1. Rochester Rhinos: Rochester was one of the most successful lower division teams in the early years of lower level soccer in the US, and are looking to add another piece of hardware to the trophy case. Their last major championship was in 2001, when they won the USL A-League championship. Tony Donatelli is a good addition to the squad. He brings experience, and talent to the club, having played successfully with the Montreal Impact and the Vancouver Whitecaps. He scored 19 goals in the 132 games he played with these two clubs. Troy Roberts and Tyler Bellamy lead a defense that took hits this offseason, losing Aaron Pitchkolan and Frankie Sanfillipo, as well as goalkeeper Scott Vallow.

If you need to contact me, e-mail me at SCSoccerblog@gmai.com