Battery's Scorless Streak Stretches to 405 Minutes in a Loss to FCNY

Last night, the Battery faced the expansion FC New York in front of 3,328. Up to that point New York had earned two points in 4 matches, had scored just 2 goals, and had earned a fifth place spot in the National Division. The Battery, who hadn't scored a goal in 3 matches, but hadn't lost a home match since the 2009 season would host them.

When you look at it that way it looks pretty even. One team that's apparently not very good, and one team that's been struggling. Seems like a fair fight to me.

But let's be honest, everyone and their grandma expected the Battery to win this. Even I, maybe the most critical person of all, suspected that the Battery were just in a bit of a slump. But this is not so.

Now its not time to panic yet, that's not what I'm saying. All I'm saying is that the Battery aren't as good as many, including myself, thought. There are some good pieces, Armstrong, Dykstra, Wilson, etc., and I do believe that they will make the playoffs, maybe they won't finish first or second, but they'll make it.

The point is, the Battery won't be winning by any huge margins, or going on a road trip and cleaning house, or having the league's leading scorer. None of that is going to happen.

What we will see for the rest of the season, is a team that will fight as hard as it can to find itself, find a scorer, and find some points.

Anyway onto last night's match. By the way I wrote the series of paragraphs above, you should realize that the match did not go in the Battery's favor.

The match started out well enough, defenders Marples and Falvey had a couple of chances in the first 30 minutes, and we saw the Battery dominate the first 30 minutes in both shots and possession.

New York would strike in the 35th Graciano Brito galloped onto a long ball and shrugged off tackles from John Wilson and Colin Falvey to put it in past Wiggans from about 10 yards out.

The Battery put in Dane Kelly for Seedy Bah up front, and Kelly made an immediate impact, getting some shots on goal, receiving some crosses, and passing decently.

Still the Battery couldn't equalize.

In the 90th minute, the Battery had their last chance to find an equalizer. Prince got the ball over on the left, and found a left footed shot on goal, but Steven Diaz saved it to deny the Battery a single point.

This is a disappointing loss, but the Battery just need to work on finishing. The Battery had 10 shots to New York's 3 and the passing was fine, they just need to tweak our boots a little bit.

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

Scoring Summary	Goal (Assist)	Minute
New York	Brito	35
Team Summary	Charleston Battery
Players Keith Wiggans, John Wilson, Colin Falvey, Mike Zaher (Jon Gruenewald 85), Nigel Marples, Nicki Paterson, Kevin Jackson (Alex Caskey 45), Cole Peverley, Stephen Armstrong (Zach Prince 71), Levi Coleman (Brandon Massie 71), Seedy Bah (Dane Kelly 45) Players Not Used - Sean OConner, Mark Wiltse SHOTS: 10 (Falvey 3); SAVES: 1 (Wiggans 1); FOULS: 15 (Peverley 3); CORNER KICKS: 5; OFFSIDES: 1; PENALTY KICKS: (NONE); CAUTIONS: Armstrong 31, Falvey 67; EJECTIONS: (NONE)
Team Summary	New York
Players Steven Diaz, Troy Cole, Kyle Hoffer, Sam Stockley, Josiah Snelgrove, Steven Roche, Tadeu Terra, Quame Holder (Gary Boughton 84), Johnny Arteaga, Owen Morrison (Paul Shaw 65), Graciano Brito Players Not Used - Derby Carrillo, Sam Craven, Steve Covino, Karseten Smith SHOTS: 3; SAVES: 4 (Diaz 4); FOULS: 12 (Brito 3); CORNER KICKS: 2; OFFSIDES: 2; PENALTY KICKS: (NONE); CAUTIONS: Brito 17, Morrison 37; EJECTIONS: (NONE)

Highlights of the Charleston-Dayton Match

Here are the highlights I put together for last night's match against Dayton. Sorry about the poor and choppy quality, it was the best I could do.

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

Charleston Holds off Dayton for Victory

Last night, through the wind and the rain, the Charleston Battery added to their point total for the year with a 2-1 win over the Dayton Dutch Lions.

The first half was played mostly in the midfield and the scoring chances that fell, fell for the Battery.

Charleston did well early earning a corner kick in the 1st minute. They couldn't capitalize on it, as the ball sailed over the box for a goal kick.

Starting forwards Seedy Bah and Levi Coleman were showing some good chemistry up front, but had trouble breaking through a tough Dayton back line. Bah broke through a couple of times, but Dayton keeper Jesper Leerdam did well getting off his line quickly to gather those balls that were played forward.

The Battery's back line played very well, and really played the balls forward to try to get the counter attack going. It was hard to play it forward quickly though, so not many chances came from it.

There was a lot to be learned during these rainy conditions. Both teams were trying to play long balls over the back line, but in these awful conditions, they would either get caught by the wind, hit the ground and skid away, or both.

Charleston figured out how to connect with each other early in the first half, while Dayton didn't really figure it out until the second half.

As Charleston continued to get in the attacking third, they earned multiple free kicks and corners.

Charleston's Evan Taylor took a free kick in the 27th minute from about 35 yards out. He made solid contact, but it sailed just over the bar.

Just a minute after that, Nigel Marples took a free kick from around 45 yards out. He crossed it in and some physical play caused a few Charleston players to get knocked down inside the box. They appealed for a penalty, but the official would have none of it.

At this point, it was obvious that neither team would score in the first half, and they wouldn't. We went into the half at 0-0.

In the first half, Charleston dominated the possession, but it was still a midfield game as both back lines were standing strong.

The second half started out great for the Battery.

A ball was played into the box, and Seedy Bah galloped onto the ball getting it to Nicki Paterson who would tap it in for Charleston's first goal of the game.

After their first goal, the Battery started getting forward with more confidence and making better passes.

Dayton would try to create more pressure, but their crosses weren't working out quite as they planned.

In the 55th minute, Seedy Bah received a ball from Nicki Paterson, and spun off his man for a turn around shot just outside the 18. It sailed just over the bar. So close in fact, that it hit the cross bar of the field goal posts that were up during the game.

In the 57th minute, Charleston would strike again.

Coleman worked the ball from the right side to Paterson at the top of the 18, who would slot it over to JC Mack on the right side who would pass back to Zaher, who earned a free kick. Nicki Paterson would step up to take the free kick from 25 yards out.

He crossed it in for Colin Falvey, who had come up for the free kick, who headed it in to the back of the net to put the Battery up 2-0.

8 minutes later in the 65th minute, Dayton would pull one back when Luciën Seymour sent a low cross into the box from the right side. Dykstra couldn't handle the cross and it popped out for Kolby Lacrone who easily gathered it and slotted it home.

Dayton would push men forward for the rest of the game, but couldn't find an equalizer, and Charleston would win the match 2-1.

Player Reviews:
Starters:
Forwards:
Seedy Bah: Bah didn't play outstanding in his first start with the Battery. The game was mostly played in the midfield and he didn't get very many touches thew whole game. He did take some shots that were speculative, but he made them work. Because of the poor conditions, he couldn't really get any chances to receive balls that were sent over the top. It looks like he could be successful in the future with those. Overall a mediocre performance.
Levi Coleman: In the sense of getting touches and making plays on the ball, Coleman did much better than Bah. Coleman was a lot more active in the midfield, and got up and down the field a lot more. He still deserves a starting spot, but I'd like to see him take some shots on goal.
Midfielders:
Nicki Paterson: Paterson had a great performance. He took all of the free kicks and corners well. Not to mention he had the first goal, and had the assist on the second. Great performance.
Cole Peverley: Peverley had another decent performance. The whole midfield was effective really, but Peverley moved the ball forward well, and actually had some nice tackles in the midfield to get the counter going. He seems to be better on sending long balls, but today he couldn't really send them over the top because of the poor conditions, which he adjusted to early and started to keep them on the ground.
Evan Taylor: Taylor is a confusing case. He showed that he could get shots from long range off and get them close, but he didn't really pass the ball very well. He wasn't making effective tackles and he got a yellow card in the 40th minute for a reckless tackle. He did show that he could take long throws well, and got a lot of those into the box. Dayton showed to be vulnerable on the long throws that Taylor sent in.
JC Mack: Mack played well today. He got some shots on target and put a lot of pressure on Dayton's back line. He worked the ball well to Coleman, and sent some nice long balls into Bah.
Defenders:
Nigel Marples: The whole back line played well, but Marples had a little trouble on defending the crosses. He didn't really help at all on the goal that Dayton had, but besides that he had a decent performance.
Colin Falvey: Falvey made his season debut for Charleston, and showed that he hasn't lost a beat from last year. He came forward for most of the set pieces, and got that goal. It was a great headed goal, and hopefully he'll continue to come forward for corners and free kicks in the future.
John Wilson: He's still got it. Wilson was again the best player on the back line. He had 2 crucial clearances in the first half that both looked to be goals. Wilson was again making great tackles all game and even went forward a little more than expected. Hopefully he'll keep this up.
Mike Zaher: Zaher really did well today. I liked the way he got forward and sent in some crosses. He should continue to get a starting spot if he continues this play.
Goalkeeper:
Andrew Dykstra: Dykstra played well besides the one goal he gave up. The goal could be contributed to the bad weather, but he did lose a handle on the ball, which you just can't do. His highlight of the night was a crucial save he had in the 90th minute. Davis IV crossed in a ball for Seymour who headed it right at Dykstra. It looked like it could have gone through his legs, but Dykstra handled it and preserved the 3 points.
Substitutes:
Dane Kelly: Kelly came in for Levi Coleman, and immediately got 2 straight offsides in 2 minutes. He's the kind of player that has so much potential, but is having trouble using his talents. He shows that he can use his pace to get around players, but gets their and doesn't really know what to do. When he can do that, he'll do great.
Zach Prince: Prince came in for Mack in the 69th minute. He was quite, but came on and helped the Battery preserve their lead. He had one nice tackle in the midfield, that stopped a quick counter by Dayton.
Kevin Jackson: Jackson came in for Evan Taylor in the 74th, and used his 16 minutes to play defensively and help run down the clock. In stoppage time, he and Nicki Paterson wasted the final four minutes over in one of Dayton's corners.
Brandon Massie: Massie came in for Bah in the 80th minute, and immediately made an impact. He had a shot from the left side that the keeper had to deflect into the side netting for a Charleston corner. He also took a corner or two.

Man of the Match: Nicki Paterson
No question here. Paterson had a great performance and showed that he deserves an everyday spot in the Starting XI. He took free kicks so well, got that goal, and the assist on Falvey's goal. We should see Paterson scoring a lot of goals, and getting many assists this season.

Overall it was a good performance by the Battery. I honestly think that Charleston is one of the best teams in the league. They have so many pieces that you need for a good side, and if they can put the pieces of the puzzle together, we'll be seeing a good finish for the Battery.

As for the lack of goals (really only 2 in the first 2 games considering we had one that was an own goal), I have this to say:

If you keep making good runs, you're tactically smart, you play hard, the goals will come. Its as simple as that.

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

Charleston Downs Lions 2-1

The Battery won their second game of the season tonight, away at the Dayton Dutch Lions. The final score was 2-1. Charleston's goals came from Nicki Paterson and Colin Falvey, while Dayton's one goal came from Kolby Lacrone.

I'll post my full recap of the match tomorrow, with my perspective on how the Battery performed, along with player ratings, and my selection for man of the match.

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

Charleston Battery: Possible Starting XI

With the Carolina Challenge Cup coming up in less than a month, the Battery roster should be coming together. But it really isn't. On the Battery website the roster only lists 12 players:

• Goalkeepers: Or should I say goalkeeper. The only keeper listed is the recently signed Keith Wiggans, who is a 6 year veteran for the Battery and I'm perfectly confident in his ability. His GAA (goals against average) is solid at 1.08.
• Defenders: Colin Falvey, Mike Zaher, Nigel Marples, and Brandon Massie round out the current defenders on the Battery roster. Falvey is obviously a solid defender, barring an occasional sloppy challenge like at the USL-2 Championship last year. Zaher is also good and has some MLS experience. Marples also has some experience and logged many useful minutes for the Battery last year. Massie is playing his second season with Battery, and is listed on the Battery's website as a defender though he was brought to the team as a striker/midfielder.
• Midfielders: If there is one position I feel good about, it's at midfield. The midfield will consist of Stephen Armstrong, Alioune Gueye, Kevin Jackson, Nicki Paterson, and Jon Gruenewald. Stephen Armstrong has been in Charleston since 2006 and has become a staple at the Battery's games. He has scored 24 goals and dished out 11 assists in his career. His 24 goals is fifth all time in the Battery's history. It was interesting to see how he adjusted last year, when he was put into less of a goal scoring role. He did well and had 3 assists along with one goal from a PK in the 2010 season. Alioune Gueye scored only 2 goals with no assists last season, but brings a flair to the games that I've enjoyed watching. Kevin Jackson is arguably the most experienced player on the so far 12-man roster. He played for the Battery from 2003 to 2005 before taking a four year break. Last year he returned to the Battery and scored 1 goal and had 2 assists in 17 appearances last year. Nicki Paterson, one of the Battery's newest signings, will be joining the Battery for the first time this season. Last year with Real Maryland Monarchs he scored no goals in 19 appearances. Jon Gruenewald is the least experienced player in the midfield joining the Battery for his second pro season. Last year he appeared 9 times for the Battery, with 3 starts.
• Forwards: Only two forwards are listed on the roster and they are Zach Prince and Levi Coleman. Zach Prince will be returning for a second season with Charleston. He was used a lot last year, usually as a sub. He made 16 appearances with 3 starts. In all of his appearances he scored one goal with no assists. Levi Coleman is also coming back to Charleston for a second season. And he is tall, standing at 6-2. He scored 2 goals and had 2 assists in 2010. Prince and Coleman could play similarly up front as Heinemann and Neagle played last year (Probably not as good though, let's face it Tom and Lamar tore it up), with Prince playing the role of Neagle as the speed and Coleman playing the role of being huge (though not as big as Heinemann who was 6-4) and knocking people around inside the box.

Overall not too bad. The roster is obviously thin and leading up to the CCC we should see Charleston sign some more players, and hopefully find some young players to give a shot at playing professionally. We have no depth at all, and we need to fill holes at every position. The current roster suffers from some inexperience, but has enough veterans to survive. At worst we need to get:

• A back up keeper for Wiggans
• Three more Defenders
• Three more Midfielders
• One preferably two forwards. Getting one striker, and one that we can put at midfield would be helpful.

Right now our starting XI would look like this, assuming we come out in a 4-4-2:

This is just my best guess (and I'm sorry Jon Gruenewald somebody had to be left out). But a couple of things, I can assure you of. Wiggans will start in goal, and Armstrong, Falvey, Gueye, and Zaher all look to be locks for starting positions, but we'll see where we're at before and after the Carolina Challenge Cup.

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

Charleston Battery: Bits of News

The Battery have been pumping out the news in the past few days, here's a quick recap:

• 2 Spring Scrimmages Announced: On Tuesday, at the montly Regiment meeting, games against a pair of South Carolina colleges were announced. The first is to be played just after the Carolina Challenge Cup at Blackbaud Stadium against the Clemson Tigers. The game will be played on March 16th. The second game will be against the College of Charleston Cougars on March 22nd at the College of Charleston. These are both good teams to get the Battery warmed up for the upcoming USL-Pro season. Clemson has been an improving side in recent years, after having a few bad years after having such stars as Oguchi Onyewu and Stuart Holden. The Tiger's 2010 season was highlighted by a win over 18th ranked Duke. College of Charleston had a great year and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to the eventual runners up, Louisville.
• Battery Resign Three: On Thursday three players from last year's USL Second Division championship team, we're resigned for another year in Charleston. Colin Falvey, Zach Prince, and Keith Wiggans will all be returning to play for the Battery. Falvey, a midfielder, played in New Zealand during the offseason with Youngheart Manawatu, and played with the Wilmington Hammerheads, who are on the Battery's schedule this year. Prince, who is also a midfielder, will be playing his second season with the Battery. The Battery is the only pro team he has played with, but he played with the College of Charleston. Keith Wiggans, a keeper, will be returning for a sixth season with the Battery. Wiggans also played at the College of Charleston. These are all good signings, I like having experience with Wiggans and Falvey, and Prince should give the midfield some depth.
• Plus, the Carolina Challenge Cup is less than a month a way. Time to get very amped up for the tournament!

Charleston Battery: Five Players Abroad

Winning the USL Second Division championship in 2010 gave the Battery and its players a lot of recognition, not only in the United States, but overseas. Many of the Battery's players are playing for other teams in this off season. Here are just a few:

• Lamar Neagle: Played for IFK Mariehamn in the top flight of soccer in Finland, Veikkausliiga. He scored 2 goals in league play for Mariehamn, which finished 12th in the table in the fourteen team league.
• Colin Falvey: Falvey has been playing in the ASB Premier League in New Zealand during the summer in New Zealand which falls in the months of December-February. He plays for Youngheart Manawatu which currently sits last in the eight team league.
• Amaury Nunes: Is currently playing in the top flight of soccer in India, the I-League, for Churchill Brothers SC. They won the I-League in the 2008-2009 season. The team currently sits in third place in the fourteen team league. Nunes also had a short stint with KSV Hessen Kassel in the fourth division of German soccer.
• Tom Heinemann: Played for the Carolina Railhawks in the USSF D2 Pro League. Heinemann scored 6 goals in seven appearances for the Railhawks.
• Ian Fuller: Played for the Austin Aztex F.C. who played in the USSF D2 Pro League, the team will play in the USL Pro next year and Fuller will be with the team that is now Orlando City S.C.

It is uncertain how many of these five great players we can have back in the 2010. Its just to hard to keep such a great group of players together. The roster for next year could be considerably changed from last year's squad, or we could be seeing a lot of the same. It is pretty up in the air right now, but you can be sure that SC Soccer Blog will have updates on the roster for you as soon as they are announced.