Charleston, SC. The Charleston Battery will open the 2000 A-League campaign this weekend with a crucial road game versus Atlantic Division rival Atlanta Silverbacks. The Battery will be without two key forwards on Saturday and will get an early test of the depth of their squad. 1999 leading scorer Paul Conway will be missing on Saturday as will 1999 first team All A-League forward Mac Cozier. Conway is serving a one game suspension for a red card received in the 3-2 first round playoff loss at Hershey. Cozier is out with a torn hamstring suffered on April 1 in a pre-season game versus the Wilmington Hammerheads. He is not expected to be available until May, but has made excellent progress in rehab.
The good news for the Battery is the decision of 1999 Battery Rookie of the Year and second team All A-League defender Gilbert Jean-Baptiste to play for the Battery on Saturday. Jean-Baptiste has declined a National Team call-up to play for Haiti in the second leg of their World Cup qualifier in Nassau versus the Bahamas on Sunday. Haiti won the first leg in Port Au Prince 9-0 and look assured of advancing to the next round of pre-qualifying in the CONCACAF Caribbean Group 3 to an expected showdown with Trinidad and Tobago. Fellow defender and Battery newcomer Brent Sancho however will not be in Atlanta, he will play for T & T on Saturday in their second leg World Cup qualifier in Santa Domingo versus the Dominican Republic. Trinidad won the first leg in the Port of Spain 3-0 and look to be in a strong position to advance.
The other good news for Charleston is the form of second year forward Jon Akin, who has tallied six goals in as many games during the slate of pre-season games. Akin was the first round pick of the Battery in the 1999 A-League College Draft, but did not start any regular season games last season. He will get the opportunity on Saturday to show that he is ready to step up, a prospect that could bode well for the Battery during the competitive A-League season. Newcomer Velko Iotov is the other forward expected to see his first A-League action on Saturday in Atlanta. Iotov an experienced Bulgarian International forward with first division pedigree in Europe and South America has signed a three-year contract with the Battery and is expected to play a significant role in the Battery attacking corps. He has started to show his class since his arrival in Charleston in mid-March and looks more comfortable and effective in every outing that he plays.
The experience and leadership of 1999 A-League All Star goalkeeper Dusty Hudock and defender Nicky Spooner will be important for the Battery to get off to a fast start this season as they did in 1999, going 5-1 and qualifying for the US Open Cup. The opening series (home and home) with rival Atlanta to start the season also double as US Open Cup qualifying games, as do two games in May with the Raleigh Express. GM Buckley Andrews describes the rivalry with the Silverbacks as one of the best in the League, noting that he expects both teams to be in the mix to compete for Atlantic Division supremacy in 2000. "Atlanta is a tough place to get a result," he said. " It will be a stern test for us to get off to a positive start."
The Silverbacks are coached by former Battery head coach Nuno Pitiera and came within one point of qualifying for the A-League playoffs in 1999. A source of instant motivation for Atlanta to improve upon, the Silverbacks have bolstered their defense and offense with some key new signings. Former DC United defender Danny Care and former Dallas Burn defender Tony Soto have arrived in Atlanta and are expected to play alongside former Battery All Star Guy Norcott in the Silverbacks defense. Jamaican forward Patrick Beech (ex Seattle Sounders and New Orleans Storm) and Josh Henderson (Ex-Duke star that played for now defunct Lehigh Valley Steam in 1999) will lend help to powerful forward Iggy Moleka up front, and could return Atlanta to their A-League glory days of 1995 when they reached the Championship game versus Seattle. Losing ex-Battery keeper Bo Oshoniyi to the Kansas City Wizards (MLS) in the pre-season was a major cause of concern to Pitiera, but the recent addition of former Wales International Tony Roberts looks to be a more than adequate replacement.
Battery fans can catch all the action on the Charleston Battery Skatells radio network aired locally on 910am WTMZ starting at 7:15pm. The Three Lions Pub at Blackbaud Stadium will also be open to the public from 6:30pm for fans wishing to enjoy the broadcast of the game in the comfort of the Stadium facilities.
Battery Club memberships and season ticket packages are still available for the 2000 season home games. Midfield seats in the East Stand Box seats are available for selection as well as a select few seats in the West Stand Club seating sections. Prices start as low as $60 and include a May 1 exhibition game versus Major League Soccer's Tampa Bay Mutiny featuring world soccer superstar Carlos "El Pibe " Valdarama. Season Tickets and Battery Club memberships can be ordered by calling the Battery office at 971-4625 Ext 207 or by visiting the Stadium box office during the day.
