Back to Business: Battery Win One, Drop One, and Mexico Wins the Gold Cup

First off, sorry for the lack of posts lately, having no internet connection will do that to you. I'll try to get back to posting more often guys, its just been hard to lately.

Anyways, the Battery were very busy this weekend. They started with a trip up to Wilmington in a match to be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel. This was a chance for the Battery to make a statement.

And a statement was made. Seedy Bah and Dane Kelly got the goals in a 2-0 victory for Charleston in front of 5,117 fans at Legion Field in Wilmington. Shout out to Wilmington for the great atmosphere.

This was an enjoyable match to watch. Despite the lack of domination of possession, shots, and scoring chances in general, it was great to see the boys pull one out with their backs against the wall.

Man of the Match: Dane Kelly
Kelly gets the nod from me. After a good showing in recent matches, Kelly showed why he is our #1 forward right now. His goal was beautiful. Great pass, great move, great finish. He's playing active and smart football, and that's all you can ask.

In the second match, we had a bit of a let down. No rhythm was ever established, and the Battery looked tired in a 2-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Goals from Matt Tuttle and Shintaro would lead to Charleston's dismantling in front of 3,965.

Man of the Match: N/A
Nobody had a standout match for the Battery. Everyone looked tired and the team had trouble finding good scoring chances.

In International Soccer we had the Gold Cup Final in Pasadena, California. The USMNT faced Mexico in the final and it started off well for the Yanks.

Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan would give the US a 2-0 advantage before the 25th minute mark. Then El Tri came marching back and would win the match 4-2.

Let me say this, it came down to that Steve Cherundolo injury early. When Bornstein came in, we had two players playing unfamiliar positions in the back, and our fate was pretty much sealed.

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

What to Do During the Battery's Off Week

Well after last weekend's set of matches, the Battery won't play again until next Friday, June 17th. That's a bit of a buzz kill. What should you do to cope with the loss of the Battery for 12 days? Well here's what I recommend:

• Watch the Gold Cup: 25 matches in 20 days, with 12 of the best teams from CONCACAF, including the United States Men's National Team. The USMNT has 3 matches this week, against Canada, Panama, and Guadeloupe. If you're not a fan of the Yanks or you just want to see some good soccer, head on up to Charlotte on June 9th to watch the matches between El Salvador and Costa Rica, and Mexico and Cuba.
• Watch the MLS: The MLS season is in full swing. Matches are broadcast every weekend on Fox Soccer Channel and ESPN, so head down to your local bar or local couch and enjoy the top level of American Soccer. Lamar Neagle and the Seattle Sounders will be playing on FSC on Saturday night against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
• Watch the Other USL Pro Teams: Just because the Battery are off, doesn't mean the rest of the league is as well. You can still watch matches on USL Live, and Fox Soccer Channel are starting their weekly broadcast of the USL Pro Game of the Week every Saturday. This Saturday we have Harrisburg heading to Rochester for the first televised match of the year. And again, don't be afraid to head up to Charlotte or Wilmington to watch our Southern Derby counterparts play a match or two.
• Watch the Cobras: The Central SC Cobras will be playing a match in Charlotte against the Charlotte Lady Eagles on June 7th. Should be a great match. For more information check out http://www.centralsouthcarolinacobrasfc.com/
• Play Some Soccer Yourself: Don't be afraid to grab a couple of mates and head down to the pitch to practice your best Stephen Armstrong PK or Nicki Paterson free kick. Just remember to keep it friendly!

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

Articles of the Week

So here's a new idea I had today. I'm going to try out a weekly post where I just post some of the best articles from around the soccer world, plus the ones that I just liked. So here we go:

http://www.thefreebeermovement.com/2011/05/better-know-supporters-group-screaming.html
-The Free Beer Movement has been doing this weekly series called "Better Know A Supporter's Group," which you should check out. This week's is on the Screaming Eagles of DC United. I recommend you read the whole series.

http://www.noquartersoccer.com/2011/04/2011-southern-derby-cup-by-jim-gregory.html
http://www.noquartersoccer.com/2011/05/new-banner.html
http://www.noquartersoccer.com/2011/05/charleston-to-play-portsmouth.html
-Three from No Quarter. Always quality.

http://theshinguardian.com/2011/05/02/the-moment-genesis-of-a-salute/
-The Shin Guardian released a great piece called, "The Moment: Genesis of a Salute," about the salute to Charlie Davies at the USMNT's World Cup Qualifier against Costa Rica in 2009, just days after Davies was in car accident. Here's a picture:

http://www.yanksarecoming.com/bradley-faces-tough-gold-cup-choices-in-next-two-weeks

-Good article on the USA's prospective 2011 Gold Cup Roster.

Alrighty, just a quick little thing that I'll try to make a weekly series.

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