Carolina Challenge Cup Review

Well it is all over. The largely anticipated Carolina Challenge Cup is over. DC United is the Champion, the attendance and coverage of the tournament was great, and many a memory were made. Here are some notes from the tournament:

• DC is Back: Now we shouldn't get to excited, as last year they won the CCC and then preceded to finish dead last in the MLS. Davies goal against Toronto was solid, and DC is looking like as deep and complete of a team as ever.
• What's up with all the Red Cards?: Chicago had 3, Charleston had 2, Toronto had 1. Are the refs getting card happy? Maybe not, but Stephen Armstrong getting sent off in the final game against the Fire, was one of the biggest surprises of the tournament for me.
• No Extraordinary Performances: Some players did well, but when you get right down to goalscoring, every goal in the tournament was scored by a different player. When you look at the tournament in years past we've usually seen usually one, sometimes two players have an out-of-this-world performance. Last year we saw DC's Jaime Moreno score 5 goals in the tournament. The thing about these tournaments, is that nobody really gets enough consistent playing time to score a huge amount of goals.

In the end this was a successful year for the Carolina Challenge Cup. I hope to see the tournament return next year, and I don't see any reason why it won't. The Battery's organization has shown that it can bring MLS to this tournament and get good attendance numbers, while they're at it.

Sorry that I didn't write a recap of the Charleston-Chicago match, I've been out of town since Thursday and didn't have enough time to write it.

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

Oh What a Night: Charleston 2-1 TFC

Earlier tonight, the Charleston Battery defeated Toronto FC 2-1 in the 2011 Carolina Challenge Cup. The Battery gained a victory in the Challenge Cup for the first time since 2006. The Battery came back from an early 1-0 deficit for a comeback victory.

The first goal of the game came in the14th minute, after the Battery's Nigel Marples got a hand ball in the box giving TFC a penalty. Toronto's Nathan Sturgis calmly stepped up and converted the penalty to give Toronto a 1-0 lead.

Charleston's Dane Kelly was arguably the man of the match. He caused consistent problems for TFC's back line, and in the 43rd minute, Kelly scored a cracker of a goal from the edge of the penalty area. As Kelly continued to cause problems, Toronto couldn't really find an answer at all. Mikael Yourassowsky was moved from left back to centre back for the second half, and fouled Kelly in the box giving Charleston a PK. Mike Zaher stepped up to take the penalty, and missed on his first attempt, but calmly put in the rebound over Toronto's Stefan Frei. Though they pushed forward for the remainder of the game, Toronto couldn't find an equalizer, and the Battery would go on to win by a final of 2-1.

This was a great game for the Battery. Obviously getting any points against an MLS team is a big accomplishment, but winning a match against one is just a great confidence boost. Kelly was the best player on the field, and could really be a great asset for the Battery this season. All in all, it was a great performance and our boys can go home with their heads held high, while Toronto is left trying to find themselves.

Toronto got their first goal in the Carolina Challenge Cup since the 2009 edition of the tournament, but they have to be asking themselves, "What's going on?" Their squad is not showing much promise, and honestly, I could see them finishing last in the MLS. They have some big questions to answer.

In the first game of the two-game session, DC defeated the Chicago Fire 1-0. DC's Blake Brettschneider scored the only goal of the match in the 10th minute, with a header off a Santino Quaranta free-kick. Chicago again had to play most of the match short-handed, when Diego Chaves got sent off in the 37th minute. Chicago apparently has a problem with getting players sent off.

Let's Not Forget About Toronto

On Wednesday night, the Battery will face Canada's Toronto FC in the second set of games in the 8th annual Carolina Challenge Cup. In the first set of games on Saturday night, Toronto went down to a 10-man Chicago Fire SC 1-0, and the Battery also lost, to DC United, 2-1. Here's what to expect on Wednesday night:

Toronto is the MLS' constant underachievers. They are the only team (excluding last year's new expansion Philidelphia Union, and the two new teams, Portland and Vancouver) that haven't made the playoffs. Despite great fans, good attendance, and a great stadium, Toronto just can't seem to get over the hump. Last year they finished 5th in the Eastern Division and 11th overall in the MLS. In last year's edition of the CCC they failed to win a game or even score a goal.

Toronto will most likely come out in a 4-4-2, as they did against the Fire on Saturday. Swiss International Stefan Frei will most likely start in goal for TFC. He played the full 90 against Chicago. The backline will probably consist of some combination of Dan Gargan, Nana Attakora, Mikael Yourassowsky, Matt Stinson, Andrew Ornoch, and Ashione Morgan. In the midfield look for Nathan Sturgis, Javier Martina, and Nick Labrocca. Up front will probably be Maicon Santos and Joao Plata. This is all speculation of course.

Toronto got 4 yellow cards in Saturday match against Chicago. Plata, Labrocca, Soolsma, and Yourassowksy, all were cautioned in that match. This could be considered Tornto being less talented, but I think that they just got straight out played, and frustration obviously could have been a factor.

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DC Defeats Charleston 2-1, Fire Down TFC

In the opening set of games of the 8th edition of the annual Carolina Challenge Cup, was played Saturday night DC United defeated the Charleston Battery. Charleston went down early after Chris Pontius scored a goal in the 4th minute on after breaking on goal and with a clinical finish put it in the back of the net. In the 15th minute, the Battery got their equalizer when Brandon Massie was brought down in the penalty box. Stephen Armstrong was elected to take the penalty and putting in the bottom right to tie it up. United controlled most of the game and got a majority of the chances, and they finally got the eventual winner in the 71st minute after Josh Wolf assisted Joseph Ngwenya for a goal to put United up 2-1.

In the end, the boys put up a good fight. Honestly I didn't expect to win, but to score the opening goal of the season against an MLS side is a great accomplishment. We definitely got outplayed, and that was to be expected, but we should go away from this with their heads held up.

Before the DC and the Battery played, Chicago Fire SC played the Canadian side, Toronto FC. The only goal of the game was scored in the 6th minute by the Fire's Marco Papa, assisted by Davis Paul. The Fire's Logan Pause was sent off in the first half, forcing Chicago to play the rest of the game with 10 men. Pause is the Fire's captain.

This was a successful first night of the week long round-robin tournament. A great crowd was on hand to watch the two games, and hopefully the crowds will be just as good for the next couple of sets of games.

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

Johnny Wilson Returns, the Gold Cup Draw, and Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

Well its official, one of the most ever capped Charleston Battery players will be returning to Blackbaud Stadium. John "Johnny" Wilson will be returning to Charleston for another season. Oh how great it is. Though he probably won't be an everyday player, Wilson brings so much experience to a team that really needs it. Not to say we don't have some with Stephen Armstrong and Keith Wiggans, among others, but Wilson will bring experience to the defense. Plus he's good. Hard to forget that.

In other news, the CONCACAF Gold Cup draw will be on Tuesday, March 8th. Why is this important? Well, if you by chance read my first article, you know that one of the venues for the Gold Cup will be Charlotte, NC's Bank of America Stadium. I recommend reading that article, to fully understand the importance of the best international squads in the region coming to the area. But, the venue will likely see one of the 3 countries (USA, Mexico, Canada), one of the smaller, but still powerful soccer powers (Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama), and two smaller countries (Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, etc.). Hopefully the USMNT will play in Charlotte, as it would be a good chance for the US supporters in the Southeast to show how much they care about soccer.



Maybe we should get this guy to
do the pregame festivities.



And of course on the tail end of the return of Wilson, comes what we've been waiting for since last season ended; the Carolina Challenge Cup! I'm so ready to get this season started, and what better way to kick off the season than having MLS teams and their great supporters come to Charleston. Charleston starts the season by playing DC United tomorrow night at 7:15. Chicago Fire SC and Toronto FC will play at 5:00. It'll be an interesting tournament, and we'll get to see where we're at as a team. Come out to see some great soccer. The Regiment will be there before the game tailgating, and having just a general good time. So be sure to check that out. There will also be games on Wednesday, and a week from tomorrow on March 12th.

Added to the roster for the Carolina Challenge Cup are some of the preseason trialists from the Battery's preseason training. Three of them are from the College of Charleston; two defenders; Sean Flately and Sean Bateau, along with Kareem Yearwood, a forward. Two goalkeepers also will join Charleston. A former Chicago Fire keeper, Andrew Dykstra, and Pat Hannigan, who formerly played for Miami FC of the NASL.

I recommend checking out CharlestonBattery.com's Preview of the CCC, which has previews of all the teams. I will post a preview for the Battery's match with the Fire and Toronto FC, so make sure to check back for that.

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

What to Expect From DC United

Well we are less than one week away from the beginning of the Charleston Battery's season. It has been way too long. I'm really excited about the upcoming season, and the Carolina Challenge Cup is always the perfect way to kick off the season. And the Coffee Pot Cup is up for grabs also, as DC United is coming to town for the Battery's first match up of the year. Here's what to expect from United:

DC is going to definitely be making some noise in the MLS this season, mainly because of the addition of Charlie Davies which rounds out the attack with last year's MLS Rookie of the Year, Andy Najar. Najar was the leading goal scorer for DC last year, with 5 goals in the league. Australian Danny Allsopp scored 8 goals in all competitions last year for DC, and now plays for Melbourne Victory in the Australian A-League. Argentinian, Pablo Hernandez played with Allsopp up front, but was on loan from Uruguayan club, Defensor Sporting. Davies will be able to fill Hernandez's role as a playmaker, but will also bring the goal scoring aspect of his game to DC. Davies will be one of the best players in the MLS this year.

Last year, United ran a diamond 4-4-2, with Allsopp and Hernandez up front. The midfield consisted of Americans, Santino Quaranta and Stephen King, along with Costa Rican Kurt Mosink, and Andy Najar. Quaranta was at the top of the diamond, with King and Mosink in the middle two spots, and Andy Najar at the back. The backline consisted of Americans, Devon Mctavish and Jed Zayner at fullbacks, and Julius James and Dejan Jakovic as the centre backs.

This year, we can expect the same diamond 4-4-2 formation from United. Joseph Ngwenya is joining DC from Houston, and should be expected to start for DC in a considerable amount of matches. Davies will play with Ngwenya as a forward. The midfield is a little more confusing. Najar is the only definate starter (probably starting at the back of the diamond), and Branko Bošković is a solid attacking midfielder, and should fill the front of the diamond nicely. The rest of the midfield looks a little fuzzy, though Dax McCarty looks like a front runner for a starting spot. Other candidates for the last 2 spots at midfield include Clyde Simms, who as been with United since 2005, Brazilian, Junior Carreiro, Kurt Morsink, and Conor Shanosky. Zayner and Marc Burch look like a locks for the back line (probably at fullbacks), with Rodrigo Brasesco, Dejan Jakovic, and recently drafted Chris Korb all fighting for the two centre back positions. It is not known at the moment who will play in goal, though the four candidates seem to be Pat Onstad, Joe Willis, Steve Cronin, and from their own academy, Bill Hamid.

This will be, as always, an interesting match up for the Battery. I am indescribably excited to see DC and Charlie Davies come to Charleston. Once we learn more about the Battery's roster, we will see how well the Battery will be able to compete with DC United.

Central SC Cobra News and New Battery Uniforms

In the past couple of days Central SC Cobras FC have been very busy preparing for the 2011 season. Here's a recap of what's been going on:

• The Cobras are finalizing the stadium that they will play in. Not much information has been released on this, but I'm expecting news on the stadium in the coming weeks.
• Their first practice will be on March 1st, though tryouts will still be held to find some more players.
• Central SC Cobras FC will be participating in an "open schedule" this year, meaning that they will not be in the USL's W-League, but will be playing many games against teams from the league. A schedule is to come.

Now on to Charleston Battery news. According to the Battery's facebook page:

"‎2011 Battery Home and Away Jersey to be unveiled at the Carolina Challenge Cup and will feature a new Battery badge and revamped AvVenta logo."

Excited, as always, to see the new Battery kits, and I'm assuming we will continue with the tradition of the yellow/black striped jersey for home matches, and the red/black stripes in away fixtures. Also looks like we will still be having the global marketing company, AvVenta as our sponsor. Hopefully we can get rid of the white box around the AvVenta logo somehow. That always bugged me for some reason.

Also posted on the Battery's facebook page was this picture:

Man I'm ready for the season.

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

Charleston Battery: US Open Cup, Charlie Davies Visiting Charleston, and More

Besides the upcoming USL Pro season, the Battery have the Carolina Challenge Cup in early March, a pair of mid-season matches against local colleges in mid-March, and now the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup to play.

Today it was announced that the Battery's first round match in the US Open Cup will be against a team that qualifies for the tournament from the  USASA (United States Adult Soccer Association). The Battery will play at home on June 14th against one of these teams. The tournament will consist of 40 teams; 8 from the MLS (6 automatic bids, and 2 for the winners of a 10 team playoff), the 11 U.S. based USL Pro teams, 9 from the PDL, and 12 from the USASA. Seattle Sounders FC will be the returning champs and are going for their 3rd straight US Open Cup championship.

The Battery have had success in the US Open Cup (see the 2008 tournament), as well as against MLS teams. Last year the Battery got to the quarterfinals, with wins over the USASA's Capital Area Soccer League Elite (CASL Elite), the USSF D2's Carolina Railhawks (who happen to share a stadium), and the MLS' Chicago Fire on PK's, before losing to the Columbus Crew. The two games against the CASL Elite and Carolina Railhawks were played at Blackbaud Stadium while the two games against Major League Soccer teams were played away.

The US Open Cup is my favorite part about soccer in the United States, due to its similarity to the FA Cup, and I'm excited as always to the see the Battery playing in this great tournament. Hopefully we'll see good first and second round match-ups so we can face an MLS side in the round of 16 like last year. The Carolina Challenge Cup could give us a look to future matches in the US Open Cup. Toronto FC can't play in the US Open Cup because, well they're a Canadian team. DC United and Chicago Fire are not automatic qualifiers for the Cup, but are playing for 2 of the berths, and with the addition of Charlie Davies, DC should have no problem qualifying.

Speaking of Charlie Davies, we're gonna be seeing him in the Carolina Challenge Cup! A couple of days ago it became official that Davies will be playing for United next year. I can't begin to explain how excited I am about DC signing Davies. Though having USMNT players playing against the best over in Europe is great, it's also nice to be able to see them play here in the US, and when they're coming to Charleston, that quadruples the excitement.

On the women's side, the Central SC Cobras have been very busy. This Saturday, the Cobras will be holding an open tryout from 9:00-4:00 at North Springs Park in Columbia. Good luck to all that will be trying out, and hopefully in a while they'll be competing for a W-League championship. They also have been releasing videos on a YouTube page called OPP2434. Make sure to check that out as well as this page where they are selling shirts, and keep giving support to the Cobras as they make the transition into the W-League.

Also check out this article on The Shin Guardian. The article talks about the possibility of an MLS expansion team in the Southeast.

If you have any questions or if you need to contact me, you can e-mail me at SCSoccerblog@gmail.com.

Some Possibilities for the Carolina Challenge Cup

So we're just now entering February and in a month is the biggest preseason tournament there is; the Carolina Challenge Cup. For those of you that don't know, the Carolina Challenge Cup (I'll shorten it to CCC for my sake) is the tournament that has been hosted by the Charleston Battery annually since 2004. Since the beginning of the tournament, the Battery have been able to bring in MLS clubs to play. This year is no different, with Toronto FC, DC United, and Chicago Fire SC all coming to play in the Battery's tournament. A month before the tournament, here are some updates, and what you can expect for the eight edition of this tournament:

• Charlie Davies Coming to Charleston: As mentioned in my last article, Charlie Davies is now training with Major League Soccer's DC United. Well, it just so happens that they're playing in the CCC. Isn't that just wonderful? Actually it is. I'd be really excited to see Davies come to Charleston. Any chance to get USMNT players to town is something that needs to be jumped on. Hopefully the transfer will go through, and I see no reason why it wouldn't. Davies wants playing time, and at DC he will get it, and at Sochaux he won't. Simple as that.
• 9th Edition of the Coffee Pot Cup: DC United will be playing Charleston in one of the only MLS-USL rivalries. I'm always happy to see DC in Charleston, because I love this rivalry. For more of the history on the Coffee Pot Cup check out this Wikipedia article.
• A Chance for Revenge for Chicago: Way back in the summer of 2010, the Battery faced the Fire in front of 2,526 at Toyota Park, (Yes that does mean for every two seats filled there were eight teen empty.) The game went nil-nil through 90 minutes of regular time and 30 minutes of extra time. After this, the Battery won 3-0 on PK's and were sent through to the Quarter Finals of the 98 year old tournament. Charleston deserved to win just as much as Chicago, with the Fire completely underachieving. The best chance came in the 5th minute when Stephen Armstrong hit the post off a left-footed strike.
• Toronto Returning for 5th Straight Year: Every year since the club's founding in 2007, Toronto FC has participated in the CCC. They have never won the tournament, but came in second in the 2007 and 2009 editions of the tournament. Toronto has definitely brought the most supporters to the CCC during all of the tournaments they have participated in. Check out this video on YouTube of their supporters making the trip down to Charleston. Its in four parts:

This year's tournament looks to be a good one. Having a USMNT player in Davies coming to Charleston will hopefully bring more fans to the CCC. With DC also comes the Coffee Pot Cup which is always great. Chicago will be looking for some revenge and I'm excited to see Toronto back. I'll be expecting a large contingent of their fans down here in Charleston.

Top Ten South Carolina Soccer Stories of 2010: 6-4

Yesterday we reviewed  the 10-7 soccer stories in South Carolina this year. Here is 6-4:

• 6: Columbia Gets a Women's Team: This year Columbia, South Carolina got a USL W-League franchise in the Central SC Cobras. The Cobras are set to start play in 2011. The official announcement is expected to come in February. The team has already had some tryouts and hopefully this team will be a great addition to the  growth of the game in South Carolina.
• 5: Lamar Neagle Comes to the Battery and Leads the Team: In 2009 Lamar Neagle played for the MLS side, Seattle Sounders FC, came to Charleston for the 2010 USL Second Division season. He lead the Battery with 14 goals in 24 appearances. Neagle also won the Scoring Champion and Goal Scoring Champion for the USL Second Division. He was named to USL All-League First Team and was the USL-2 MVP. He became an integral part of the Battery's USL Second Divison Championship. But we'll get to that later.
• 4: Carolina Challenge Cup Returns to Charleston: In 2010 the seventh edition of the annual Carolina Challenge Cup returned to Blackbaud Stadium, bringing in three Major League Soccer Sides. This year the tournament was highlighted by 2009 MLS champions, Real Salt Lake, coming to Charleston. They came along with Charleston's MLS rival, DC United, and Canadian side, Toronto FC. The tournament was a success with the average attendance being 4,326 spectators per match. DC United took home the title.