This week the Charleston Battery attempt to finally fulfill some of the expectations that have been laid at the doorstep of Blackbaud Stadium since its opening by winning their first A-League championship. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball you have the Minnesota Thunder who are determined to take another title back to the NSC for one last time before moving on to a new venue next season. Of course the match will be played at the aforementioned Blackbaud Stadium which could provide a great advantage to the Battery since they don't have to do the traveling or worry about possible problems from trying to get to an area that earlier in the week got a scare from Hurricane Isabel.
Speaking of Isabel, let's all keep our friends in Richmond and Virginia Beach in our thoughts as well as the folks in Wilmington, NC. Hopefully everyone will make it through this storm unscathed or with as little damage as is possible.
Moving on to Saturday's match it's easy to look at both clubs and their defensive and offensive records this season and think this one will be close. A lot of fans already think this one could come down to overtime and possibly penalties. For whatever reason I don't think it will go into overtime. It's just a hunch but I do believe it will be decided in full-time with one side leaving happy and the other sad. If you want to know who, you can ask me at the game.
Charleston are likely to feel confident considering the home team has always won the A-League championship but a field that plays like a pool table top compared to many of the fields in the A-League can be an equalizer that leaves things down to the talent on display. They'll look to the leadership of Paul Conway, Mark Watson, John Wilson, Terry Phelan, Dusty Hudock, and Ted Chronopoulos, who has been an inspirational force at times for this team, in addition to the talents of Ryan Trout, Chris Bagley, and Chris Goos to get past a very strong Minnesota team. Then there's that guy Josh Henderson who earned himself quite the interesting nickname from the Richmond faithful after his move to the Battery in the off-season. Battery fans know they wouldn't be here without the former Kicker and will be looking for him to come up with some more postseason magic on Saturday.
Guys like Amos Magee and one of the A-League's best-ever coaches, Buzz Lagos, will be looking to bring a second title to the Thunder, not to mention the second straight to be won by the Central Division after the defunct Milwaukee Rampage won last season's title. Other key figures for Minnesota will likely be Adam Eyre, Steve Shak, Johnny Torres, Marshall Morehead, and John Menyongar as well as Marco Ferruzzi who knows this Battery team well after spending past seasons with the Richmond Kickers. The guy who may decide the whole thing, however, is Joe Warren. Warren has had outstanding matches this year and may need to stand on his head if he's going to shutout a Battery offense that will be primed and ready for a match that is the penultimate moment for their franchise to date.
The two teams have faced each other only three times in the last 5 years with the away team winning each time in 1998. Charleston broke that trend by winning, 3-0, at home against Minnesota in their regular season finale. Still, neither team is going to be putting too much stock into that meeting as the "second season" usually transforms clubs at least a little bit from the clubs fans see in the regular season.
These two teams faced fierce competition to get here. The Thunder downed the first-place team in the league, Milwaukee, in their first round playoff series that saw them come from a goal down to move on. Then they played a very tight defensive series to knock out Pacific power, Seattle, in a series that featured two goals, both scored by Minnesota. They got plenty of fireworks from Johnny Torres and some quality play in goal from Joe Warren in two tight series to make it through the challengers and win a ticket to sunny Charleston, SC.
The Battery got here by demolishing the offensive powerhouse, Virginia Beach, at home after being behind 1-0 after the first leg. Their 4-1 victory in the second leg put the rest of the teams in the playoffs on notice that the Battery were more ready than ever to make a run at the league title this season. Charleston then knocked out the best playoff team in the history of the league, Rochester, in a series that saw the defensive prowess of both squads win out. It took a solitary Battery goal in the first half of the second match to decide the series and put Charleston in the host's role.
So enough from me about Saturday's match, what do the coaches for Saturday's game think coming into the weekend? Well, here's what they had to say when a-league.com had the chance to fire some quick questions at Buzz Lagos and Chris Ramsey:
Buzz Lagos
A: How much do you think that getting to play the Battery here last month will help prepare your team for Saturday?
BL: It is helpful to have played a match in Charleston. You get a feel for the logistics, the stadium and their style of play.
A: Your time with the Thunder is long and storied. This is your 4th trip to the A-League Championship game. What does your future hold, or are you just totally engrossed in the moment and not giving that any thought yet?
BL: My focus is this season which is yet to be completed.
A: With the talk of the Thunder moving from the NSC, what are your thoughts on where you may end up next season?
BL: Jim Froslid is working on that right now. We will prepare to put a good team on the field wherever we call our home.
A: Are you glad to be visiting Charleston instead of Rochester?
BL: The atmosphere in Rochester is terrific but the field is well below A-League standards. Charleston will have a good atmosphere and an excellent field on which to play.
A: Is there much disappointment at not getting to host the final?
BL: Yes, we would love to host a final again.
A: What should fans look for from your team in Saturday's match?
BL: Our collective enthusiasm and skillful play make us an entertaining team.
A: Was there ever a point during this season that you might have wondered if your team could get to the championship game?
BL: During the stretches when we lost to Seattle and Charlotte, and when we earned only three points from our final five games on the road in ten days, created some doubts.
A: Do you think your team has gotten the respect they deserve from outside observers heading into this match?
BL: We hope to earn that respect on Saturday night.
A: With this match being the culmination of the A-League season what are your thoughts on the current state of affairs around the league?
BL: The A League is a great league with several strong franchises and many talented players and coaches. The league plays a very important role in the development of soccer in our country.
A: Do you think you'll have a chance to partake in any of the excellent tourist opportunities afforded by the Charleston area?
BL: There is not too much free time. My wife is coming so the two of us will get out a couple of times to see the area.
Chris Ramsey
A: So how does it feel to take a club that has the annual expectations that the Battery do to the final?
CR: Absolutely fantastic. It's where a Club of this magnitude should rightfully be aiming for every year.
A: How is the atmosphere around the clubhouse in the run up to the big match?
CR: It's been very busy but pleasantly exciting.
A: How difficult has this season been?
CR: Extremely difficult as we had a very good regular season last year where we only lost three games and losing became a shock that people couldn't really understand. This year we had to a more realistic approach.
A: What kind of impact has the supportive upper management from gentlemen such as Nigel Cooper and Tony Bakker had on how you've managed the team this season?
CR: They have backed me 100% from day one and in a league where players do tend to rule the roost at times, it is important that you are supported in your ideas and actions.
A: Was there a point during this season that you may have doubted that the team would get to this point?
CR: No. You have to be confident in your game-plan and stick to it no matter what.
A: Will your game plan change much from what you used against the Thunder in the final game of the regular season?
CR: No.
A: What are some of your thoughts on the opposition?
CR: They generally have quality all around the field and are going to be very difficult to break down.
A: Looking back on the loss to Richmond in last year's playoffs did that play a role in what motivated the club this year?
CR: We obviously were aware that the regular season success meant nothing once we reached the playoffs. But it is important to be aware that we had 10 injuries going into the Richmond game last year.
A: Is there any one thing you feel this team can hang its hat on?
CR: Passion.
A: Do you approve of Dusty's mustache and mohawk look and if the team wins Saturday will you go with the same hairstyle?
CR: Whatever gets him to catch the ball meets my approval.
A: Do you have any tricks up your sleeve for Saturday?
CR: No.
A: What keys do you see that Charleston needs to do to prevail at home on Saturday?
CR: Keep to the game plan.
Send your comments to the author or
Join us to discuss this article at usldiscussions.com
