Two Late Goals Give the Battery a Victory over Wilmington

On Thursday night, the Wilmington Hammerheads ventured to Blackbaud Stadium for a match with the Battery, and Charleston sent the Hammerheads and their fans back to North Carolina with a 2-1 loss. Goals from Brandon Massie and Dane Kelly would seal the victory for the Battery. Here are my thoughts:

• Caskey is Playing Extremely Well: This was Caskey's third straight start, and he's playing like a starter. He makes smart runs, he moves the ball well, and he's by far the fastest player on the team. We should see him starting in the next few matches.
• The Back Four Continues to Play Well: Credit to Wilmington on the one goal that they scored. They mucked up things in the box and good plays were made by both Chris Spendlove and Manny Guzman to put the ball in the back of the net. Outside of that, the legitimate chances for Wilmington were few and far between.
• Dane Kelly Might Be Starting to Come Around: We've seen two sides of Dane this year. The invisible Dane, and the Dane who is constantly moving off the ball and making good runs. We saw the latter last night, and that's how the Battery need it to stay for the rest of the season if they want to make the playoffs.
• Hat's Off to the Port City Firm: The Hammerheads supporters group brought a good contingent of fans for a week day match. This was a prime example of how fans should act towards each other, as the Port City Firm set up shop in the section (E9) beside the Regiment and there were no problems.
• Having JC Mack on the Broadcast Was Great: For those of you who watched the match on USL Live, you were able to hear the currently injured JC Mack sit in with Andrew Bell for the match. It was great to have two people doing the match, and I think that the Battery should do that more often with their injured players.

Man of the Match: Dane Kelly
Kelly played well for the majority of the match. The run he made for his goal was just beautifully timed and executed. The headed finish was good as well.

Here are the recaps from No Quarter and the Battery.

The Battery's next match is at the Dayton Dutch Lions and will be broadcast on USL Live and for those of you in the Charleston area, it will be live on the radio on 1340 AM.

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Southern Derby Part III: Wilmington @ Charleston

On Thursday night the Wilmington Hammerheads will come to Charleston for the Battery's third match in the Southern Derby. Here's your preview:

Wilmington Hammerheads:
This Season: The Hammerheads currently sit 4th in the American Division table after two straight wins against the quickly falling Antigua Barracuda FC last week. The Hammerheads are just a point behind the Battery, and have three games in hand.
Who's Playing Big: Both Luke Mulholland and Chris Banks lead the team in goals with 5 each, and they also both have 2 assists a piece. Banks will not be available for this match after receiving a red card in his last match. The Hammerheads have had 12 different players score during this USL Pro season.
Who Needs to Step Up: The Hammerheads have given up multiple goals in 5 out of the last 6 matches, so I'll go ahead and say that new GK Kyle Polak will need to step up and keep more out of the net if the Hammerheads want to win this match.

What to Expect:
Starting XI:

Dykstra

Marples Falvey Wilson Zaher

Peverley Paterson Caskey Armstrong

Kelly Coleman

Dykstra should once again get the start in goal, as he hasn't given up a goal in the last 2 matches. And the back four should also stay the same as the last few matches.

In the midfield I give you what I think is our best four at the moment. Peverley hasn't gotten a start in a while, and the reason for that is beyond my knowledge. Paterson is obviously one of the best players on the team, if not the best. Caskey has started the last few matches, and is in good form. Not to mention the great headed goal he had against City. And finally, when Stephen Armstrong is in the game, the Battery click on all levels and fire on all cylinders. Call him a leader, call him a game- changer, I just call him the man.

Alright let me make something clear: Dane Kelly and Seedy Bah do not play well together. I have absolutely no explanation for this, but Kelly and Bah just don't seem to click together even though I feel like they should. So play Coleman up front and solve this problem.

The game will be broadcast on USL Live at 7:30 on Thursday night. Its "Thirsty Thursday" at Blackbaud Stadium, so $2 Miller Lite Drafts all night.

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After the Rain: Charleston 1-0 Orlando City

After a rain delay pushed the start of this match to 9:30, the Battery got their biggest win of the season; a 1-0 defeat of league-leading Orlando City SC.
This was another classic 2011 Battery victory, where the possession stayed with the opposition for most of the first half, but the Battery survived without getting far behind. And then the Battery adjusted and struck in the second half to pull a victory out in the end.

Here's No Quarter's recap, and the Battery's as well.

Man of the Match: Alex Caskey
I'll give the match ball to Mr. Caskey for scoring his first professional goal. Well done Alex.

A shout out to Orlando's supporters group, "The Ruckus," for a great showing in Section E1 of Blackbaud Stadium. Definitely one of the best supporters groups in the USL.

Hopefully the Battery will be able to continue their good form in a home fixture with the Wilmington Hammerheads at the 'Baud on Thursday. This is a Southern Derby match and not to mention is a match with a team who is right behind Charleston in the standings.

The match will be broadcast on USL Live as usual, and is at 7:30 on Thursday.

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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.

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Charleston-Wilmington Recap and Charleston-Richmond Preview

Wilmington Defeats Charleston
The Battery headed up to Wilmington yesterday, and had to come home with a disappointing 3-0 loss to the Hammerheads. This loss drops Charleston to 5th place in the American Division with only 11 points in 9 matches.

Wilmington dominated the first 30 minutes or so, getting 3 corners and putting 2 shots on goal. They broke through in the 27th minute when Luke Mulholland knocked it in the back of the net off a pass from Andriy Budnyy.

Charleston would get a couple of chances, but they were few and far between. The best chance of the half came when JC Mack took a shot from outside of the eighteen that would sail just wide. This gave Wilmington the slight advantage at the half.

The Battery would put pressure on Wilmington in the second half, and thought they had equalized in the 72nd minute when Nicki Paterson volleyed a ball in from close range, off a scramble from a long throw in. After looking at the replay on USL Live, it is definitely not offsides. Paterson was even with one of the Wilmington players, and behind another. If you're interested in watching it yourself, go to the archived game on USL Live and the disallowed goal is around the 1:33 mark.

After John Wilson was sent off for a reckless tackle, the Battery's hopes were dashed. Wilmington would add two goals in the 85th and 90th minutes. The first was scored by Luke Mulholland and the second came from Jack Avisyan.

Goals will come, goals will come.

PS: Great showing by both the Wilmington fans, and the Regiment which made a bus trip up to Legion Stadium and the presence in the stadium was felt.

Scoring Summary	Goal (Assist)	Minute
Wilmington Hammerheads	Mulholland (Budnyy)	27
Wilmington Hammerheads	Mulholland	85
Wilmington Hammerheads	Aviyson	90
Team Summary	Wilmington Hammerheads
Players Brock Duckworth, Tom Parrat (Jack Aviyson 78), Gareth Evans, Ivan Beccera, Ryan Riley, Luke Mulholland (Wolfe Tanner 86), Paul Nicholson, Manny Guzman (Tom Taylor 70), Alex Grendi, Andriy Budnyy (Andres Curro 72), Chris Banks (Jyler Noviello 81) Players Not Used - Kyle Polack, Chris Murray SHOTS: 8 (Mulholland 5); SAVES: 2 (Duckworth 2); FOULS: 5; CORNER KICKS: 5; OFFSIDES: 0; PENALTY KICKS: (NONE); CAUTIONS: Parrat 45; EJECTIONS: (NONE)
Team Summary	Charleston Battery
Players Keith Wiggans, Colin Falvey, John Wilson, Nigel Marples, Mark Wiltse, Evan Taylor, Cole Peverley (Zach Prince 59), Nicki Paterson, JC Mack (Stephen Armstrong 71), Diego Walsh (Alex Caskey 81), Brandon Massie (Seedy Bah 74) Players Not Used - Jon Gruenewald, Sean Flatley, Kevin Jackson SHOTS: 5 (Massie 3); SAVES: 3 (Wiggans 3); FOULS: 7 (Taylor 2); CORNER KICKS: 3; OFFSIDES: 2; PENALTY KICKS: (NONE); CAUTIONS: Wilson 28, Marples 38, Taylor 55; EJECTIONS: Wilson 78

Charleston-Richmond Preview:
The Battery will again try to break their scoreless streak, this time at home against the Richmond Kickers.
Richmond Kickers:
This Season: The Kickers are still undefeated through seven matches, and have earned 19 points, which is good enough for 2nd place in the American Division. The second place standing is a little misleading, considering that league-leading Orlando City has played nine games to Richmond's seven.
Who's Playing Big: Matthew Delicate is still playing big, and is second in the league in goals. Other contributors such as Shaka Bangura and David Bulow (Each has 3 goals) have been contributing as well.
Who Need's to Step Up: Let me be blunt. This a well-oiled machine, and is they have the best side in the league. Goals come easy, defending comes even easier, we should be seeing Richmond go very far this year.
What to Expect:
Once again, it is looking like the old 4-4-2:

Wiggans

Marples Falvey Flatley Wiltse

Paterson Walsh Taylor Armstrong

Bah Mack

With Dykstra still out, Wiggans will get another start between the pipes.

Charleston's back is leaking oil, and will be much different from matches past. Wilson is out because of the straight red he received on Saturday. Zaher and Dugoni did not make the trip to Wilmington on Saturday, so they are both out. So Marples and Falvey stay on, while Flatley and Wiltse get rare starts.

The midfield is ailing as well. Peverley has been called up by the New Zealand National Team (We're very proud!), so he won't be available. New addition Diego Walsh played well Saturday, and should get the start along with Paterson, Taylor, and Armstrong.

Levi Coleman and Dane Kelly did not make the trip to Wilmington, so, barring a pair of surprise returns, we won't be seeing either of them. Looks like we'll see Seedy Bah and the versatile JC Mack will slide into those positions.

This may very well be Charleston's toughest match of the year. They're up against the best team in the league and have 6 players out. Hopefully they can find a point some how, but it's not looking to good.

The match will be broadcast on USL Live, and the Charleston Battery's twitter will be giving constant updates as well.

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Preview: Wilmington-Charleston

Tomorrow night, the Battery will head up US-17 to try to break their 3 1/2 game scoreless streak against the Wilmington Hammerheads. Here's a quick preview:

Wilmington Hammerheads:
This Season: Wilmington has been one of the biggest surprises in the USL Pro this season. The Hammerheads have 3 out of their first 4 games (losing the other the Richmond), and have scored a solid nine goals in those four matches. They currently stand 5th in the American Division and only one place behind the Battery, which is amazing considering that they have played half of the games.
Who's Playing Big: The goals have been coming from everywhere for the Hammerheads, as 7 players have scored, while only Chris Banks has scored multiple goals. Goalkeeper Brock Duckworth has a 1.000 GAA (Goals Against Average) this season, which is solid.
Who Needs to Step Up: The whole team is playing well, and the one loss against Richmond is the best loss you could possibly have. Again, having a 1.000 GAA as a team is very good.

What to Expect:
Charleston should come out in the usual 4-4-2:

Wiggans

Marples Wilson Falvey Zaher

Paterson Peverley Mack Armstrong

Coleman Kelly

Andrew Dykstra is still injured, and may not come back for a couple more weeks, so Wiggans will be between the pipes this week.

The back has been playing very well, the 'O is just not producing the way that the Battery need. Marples, Wilson, Falvey, Zaher. Pretty standard stuff.

Paterson, Peverley, and Armstrong continue to play quality ball, but Kevin Jackson played somewhat poorly last week. I'll slide JC Mack into his position and keep the rest of the midfield the same.

Even thought the finishing has been poor lately, I think that Anhaeuser sticks with Coleman and Kelly up front. These two are good players, but they're just having some trouble finding the back of the net. I have no doubt that they will in the future.

This is the Battery's second match of this year's Southern Derby, and it is their first competitive match with the Hammerheads since the 2004 edition of the US Open Cup.

The match is at 7:30 and is at Legion Field in Wilmington. The match will be broadcast on USL Live. The Regiment is taking a bus up their, so the Battery will have strong fan support at this match.

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USL Derby's: Are There Any True Rivalries in the League?

I've been wanting to write this piece for awhile, but with the Portland Timbers-Seattle Sounders match this previous Saturday, it seemed like the perfect time.
Let's start with a fact: Rivalries are crucial to all sports.

Major League Baseball has the Yankees and the Red Sox, the NBA has the Celtics and the Lakers, college football has Michigan-Ohio State, and the list goes on and on. But in soccer, there is something special.


The derby (pronounced darby) is something that is unique to soccer, and is exhibited in leagues all around the world. Barcelona-Real Madrid, Manchester United-Manchester City, Celtic-Rangers, I could name them all day, but that's not the point I'm trying to make.

What I'm trying to get at here is; Are there any real derby's in the USL? And the answer is a challenge.
You may be wondering, "Why the USL? What about the MLS? There are plenty of clubs that have a hatred for each other in the top league."

Well a couple of reasons. First off, its the league I cover, so I know the more about it than a lot of other leagues, and also the USL has been around longer than the MLS, so they've had more time for the rivalries to develop.

Plus their are only two real rivalries in the MLS, the Rocky Mountain Cup between Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids, and the Cascadia Cup which involves the Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers, and Vancouver Whitecaps.
The latter laid its ground in the NASL in the 70's and 80's, but developed in the USL in the late 90's and early 2000's. So its obvious that the USL can support rivalries, and that they aren't always friendly.
Right now the rivalries are a little more laid back, and are a lot more likely to be discussed between the sides over a couple of drinks in the parking lot before the match than in previous years. But inside the stadium and within the various forms of internet taunting we still see some bad blood between a couple of teams.

The Battery are involved in the Southern Derby, which currently also includes the Charlotte Eagles and Wilmington Hammerheads. Other teams that have participated in the past are; the Raleigh Express, Atlanta Silverbacks, and the Carolina Railhawks. This derby was completely fan-started and fan-based. Here's an article on No Quarter about it.

Most of the others are pretty obvious, but not really official. You have the North Carolina Derby between the Eagles and the Hammerheads, and a brand new one up in Pennsylvania that's contested between the Harrisburg City Islanders and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

Another rivalry/derby of note, is the most historic USL rivalry of all time. The Richmond Kickers and the Charleston Battery have played each other 42 times dating back to 1993. It couldn't be any closer, as both teams hold the same record (19-19-4) in this rivalry. They will face one more time this season to decide who will take the edge.

Luckily for the fans in Chucktown, we have a few matches to look forward to every year that can be considered "derby's" or "rivalries." They may not be what they have over in Europe, but its our own little slice of what the rest of the world gets to enjoy.

(Sorry about the formatting issues if there are any, Blogger seems to be having some technical difficulties.)

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USL Pro: Week 4 Observations

Once again here's my review of the on-goings in the USL Pro last week:

• Kickers Stay Undefeated: In Richmond's first road match of the season, they faced the Dayton Dutch Lions at Miami Valley South Stadium. And they won it convincingly, 6-0. What a result. This team is hot, and there's a reason why; They're the best team. The Kickers are getting quality play from everywhere, and the Kickers will easily cruise to the American Division title if they keep this form.
• Battery Gain 4 Points in Two Matches: Charleston played two matches this weekend, one on Friday and one on Saturday. The first match was a 2-1 victory against the Charlotte Eagles in a match played in Rock Hill. The second was a home match for the Battery against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. The Battery out shot the 'Hounds 17-6, but couldn't find the back of the net and the match ended in a scoreless draw.
• Wilmington Continue Hot Streak: The Hammerheads have opened the season with two straight wins, and this 3-1 result against Pittsburgh can only boost their confidence. Late goals from Paul Nicholson and Alex Grendi put the Hammerheads over the Riverhounds, and gave Wilmington their second win of their young season. We will see what they are really made of when they travel to Richmond next week.
• FC New York Score First Goal, But Can't Hold Off City: New York got their first goal from Owen Morrison in the 54th minute of their home opener. But the capacity crowd would go home unhappy with New York losing on two Orlando City goals.
• News for Both Lions: On the Orlando City side, we have City signing two new players, forward Dennis Chin and former College of Charleston player Justin Fojo. Over in Dayton, the Dutch Lions have announced a benefit match for the Connor Senn Memorial Fund, where they will play the Ohio State University. The match will be played in Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, which is where the Ohio State soccer and lacrosse teams play.
• Blues Drop Home Opener to 'Cudas: Antigua Barracuda FC spoiled the Blues' party on Sunday when they sent LA home with a loss in their first ever home match. Stefan Smith would get the only goal in the match to bring his scoring total for the year up to 3.

Biggest Surprise: Richmond dismantiling Dayton
Now the result of the match wasn't surprising (as most people would agree that Richmond was the favorite), but for Richmond to lay the smack down on Dayton this bad is surprising. The goals came from Nyazamba, Heins,  Bulow, Bangura, with Matthew Delicate also adding two goals to his season tally. This was the biggest defeat for any team in the league this season.
Biggest Disappointment: Blues lose their home opener
The LA Blues have been playing great all season, and even had a win at Antigua Barracuda, but they couldn't find the net even once during their home opener. I fully expected the Blues to come out and play with the same quality they have been playing on their trip in the Caribbean, but apparently that was not the case.
Player of the Week: Matthew Delicate
Delicate continues to put balls in the back of the net. Delicate has scored a league leading 4 goals in his 5 games with the Kickers this season and a two-goal performance against Dayton last weekend can only help his case for USL Pro Player of the Year.

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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.

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USL Pro Preview: American 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. The final division we will look at is the American Division:

The American Division looks to be the best out of the three divisions in this year's USL Pro. The division is based in the Southeast, and contains 3 teams in the Carolinas, 1 in Florida, and 1 in Virginia. Here is how I think they will finish:

5. Wilmington Hammerheads: After a season off where it looked like the team would dissolve, the Hammerheads are back and ready to get back out on the pitch. They've already won the biggest battle, but can they come back with a full head of steam into the USL Pro? I think not. The Hammerheads lost most of the players from their 2009 USL-2 Regular Season Champion Team, and are basically starting over. Two players that are returning from that 2009 team are Chris Murray and Jyler Noviello. Murray was one of the brightest young stars for the Hammerheads in both 2008 and 2009. Noviello had 8 goals and 5 assists in 33 appearances for Wilmington in 2008 and 2009. Their main hope on attack seems to be Andriy Budnyi, who played well for the Carolina Railhawks in the 2010 season. The defense is fairly young, and goalkeeper Kyle Polak will have a huge task in keeping the goals out.

4. Charlotte Eagles: Last season, Charlotte finished 4 in the 6 team USL Second Division, 7 points out of the playoffs. Charlotte returns a lot of their team from last year's squad, in fact all 11 starters are returning. The depth was hurt a little, but that may not be a problem for the Eagles. Their two main losses were midfielders Chris Klotz and Chris Lemons. Former PDL Goalkeeper of the Year, Eric Reed will be in goal for Charlotte, and should put on good performances, assuming that the backline can stand strong in the toughest division of the USL Pro. Charlotte will have to see Orlando City fall out if they plan on making the playoffs, but this is unlikely.

3. Orlando City SC: Orlando comes into the league after making a move from Austin, Texas, where they were the Austin Aztex. They finished 2nd in the USL division of the USSF D2 Pro League. They brought many of the players from that team down to Florida, but Eddie Johnson, who scored 14 goals last season, moved on up to the Portland Timbers of the MLS. Jamie Watson and Maxwell Griffin will lead Orlando's attack, and scored a combined 20 goals last season. Or 10 each. The team is experienced, former Battery player Ian Fuller will be one of the leaders of the young team. One player that I'm excited to see is Devorn Jorsling, who has scored 13 goals in 24 games for the Trinidad and Tobago Senior National Team, including a hat trick against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

2. Richmond Kickers: Last year, the Kickers fell to Charleston in the USL Second Division Championship game. Richmond comes into this season looking for revenge, and didn't lose a starter from last year's runner up squad. The Kickers bring Nozomi Hiroyama to the squad this year. Hiroyama is the most experienced player on the squad, and even played 2 games for the Japanese National Team in 2001. Last year he played for the Japanese club, Thespa Kusatsu, scoring 3 goals in 73 appearances. They added Ryan Heins, who scored 5 goals for the Rochester Rhinos last year. Goalkeeper and Captain Ronnie Pascale returns to the Kickers for a 12th season. He has made 242 appearances in his career for Richmond, and will be the biggest leader on the team.

1. Charleston Battery: Now I may be a little bias, but I think that Charleston is the strongest team in the Division and one of the strongest in the league. Charleston won the USL Second Division Championship last year, over the Richmond Kickers. The Battery lost a lot of keys to that team, including forwards Tom Heinemann and Lamar Neagle, who both moved on to the MLS. Stephen Armstrong returns for the Battery for a 6th season, will be the captain of the team, and will take on assistant coaching duties as well as his playing duties. They add young promising players such as Dane Kelly and JC Mack, and I can easily see the Battery not only winning the American Division, but the whole league. The Battery have a good head coach in Mike Anhaeuser, giving them all the attributes to make a playoff run.

Tomorrow, I'll be doing a wrap up of the USL Pro, including my playoff predictions and how I think the league table will end up.

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