CHARLESTON, SC - The Charleston Battery (3-0) is off to its best start in the A-League since 1997 and is charging up for a tough back-to-back road weekend in Raleigh (Friday) and Virginia Beach (Saturday). The Battery will face two teams that have started the season at different ends of the spectrum, Raleigh is struggling at 0-2 and Hampton Roads is red-hot at 3-0 sitting on top of the Atlantic Division with Charleston. Both games take on equal significance however, as the game in Raleigh doubles as a US Open Cup qualifier and the match in Virginia Beach is for the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
US Open Cup Qualifying:
The Battery can wrap up a spot in the 2000 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup tournament with a win versus Raleigh on Friday night at WRAL Stadium (7:00pm) for the second strait year. The Raleigh Express, Atlanta Silverbacks and Charleston Battery make up Group 5 of A-League US Open Cup qualifying and a Battery regulation or overtime win on Friday will be enough to win the group for Charleston. In 1999 the Battery qualified for the US Open Cup for the first time in the clubs history and made a run to the semi finals of the competition shocking three-time MLS Champ DC United in the third round at Blackbaud Stadium along the way.
To earn a birth in the Lamar Hunt tournament field the Battery must exercise the ghost of the Raleigh Express at WRAL Stadium on Friday night (7:00pm). The Express swept the four game series between the two clubs in 1999 A-League regular season play going 4-0 against the Battery. It was the highlight of an 11-17 season for Raleigh last season, a record that the Battery will be looking to set strait in 2000. The Express feature a new look for the 2000 campaign and have hired 1999 interim head coach John Dugan for his first full season at the helm. Dugan's Express will be looking to shake off a disappointing 0-2 start to the season with the visit of Charleston. It is the first of a five game series between the two teams in 2000, and the first of three games in three weeks for the southern rivals. The game will be aired live beginning at 6:45 pm on the Skatells Charleston Battery Radio Network at 910 am WTMZ.
Players to Watch:
The Express have bolstered a leaky defense that has allowed seven goals in the first two games of the season by signing former Battery performer Eddie Rodriguez yesterday. Rodriguez joins the Express coming off an indoor season with the Harrisburg Heat (NPSL) after spending part of the 1999 A-League campaign with the Battery. He is likely to slot into Raleigh's defense on Friday night that is anchored by Former Battery standout and College of Charleston All American Chad Carithers and rookie Chris Mormon from the University of South Carolina. Carithers played 59 games with Charleston from 1997-98 primarily as a forward, but has been moved back to defense this season by Dugan. Former Wilmington Hammerheads standout Chris Lewis has earned the starting goalkeeper job at Raleigh from A-League regular Johnny Morton. Lewis spent the last two weeks of the 1999 campaign in camp with the Battery after an USL All Star season with the Hammerheads in the D3 Pro League.
The Express feature a young and talented crop of attacking players who will be looking to jump start the season against the Battery on Friday and get Raleigh on track. Ukranian striker Ihor Dotsenko and speedy Shane Watkins offer an immediate threat to the Battery defense that has allowed a League second best 0.32 goals against average behind the stellar goalkeeping of Dusty Hudock. Dotsenko (a former All ACC selection at Wake Forest) scored 12 goals for the Richmond Kickers in 1998 as a rookie leading them to the Atlantic Division Championship and Watkins starred for the San Francisgo Bay Seals in the 1997 US Open Cup, leading them to two upsets over MLS competition and a 2-1 semi final loss to DC United (the eventual champion). Also available for Raleigh is talented front man Troy Garner in his rookie year as a pro after a standout career at ACC powerhouse Duke and up and coming striker Ryan Walker who notched 22 goals for the Hammerheads in 1999 and scored the winner for Charleston in the regular season finale 2-1 overtime victory over the Hershey Wildcats at Blackbaud Stadium during an end of season call up. The Express offer two dangerous wide players in the form of A-League All Star Carson White and second year player Randy Merkel. White was the Raleigh MVP in 1999 and earned MLS interest with a nine goal season while Merkel joined the Express from the Major League waiver wire when he was released by the Columbus Crew who had drafted him from 1998 NCAA Division I finalist Maryland.
Battle for Atlantic Division Top Spot:
On Saturday night (7:30pm) the Battery take on the red hot Hampton Roads Mariners at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. Hampton Roads currently sit on top of the Atlantic Division with the Battery with an identical 3-0 record and 5-1 goal difference. The Mariners are arguably the hottest team in the A-League right now. After a slow start to the 1999 A-League campaign, they finished the season winning 8 of 10 games barely missing a playoff spot-they have won 11 of their last 13 games. The game will be the first of four meetings between the two teams in 2000 and will be aired live beginning at 7:15pm on the Skatells Charleston Battery Radio Network at 910 am WTMZ.
Players to Watch:
The Mariners are getting the job done this year behind the strength of the electric goalkeeping of two-time UNC Charlotte All American Jon Busch and the dangerous attacking trio of Seamus Donnelly, Saul Martinez and Jair. Busch sports a League wide third best 0.33 goals against average in 270 minutes and is an outstanding shot stopper. Former NAIA All-American forward Seamus Donnelly is a useful presence up front for Hampton Roads and has been the leading goal scorer for the club the past two seasons including a 12 goal season in 1999. He has received immediate help in 2000 with the addition of two former MLS players in the attack in the shape of dangerous sharp shooter Saul Martinez from the Miami Fusion and the talented Jair from the New England Revolution. Martinez will challenge the Battery back four with his blazing pace and long range shooting ability and Jair will test will his dazzling skill on the run. Martinez has opened his 2000 goal scoring account early in the season with three goals in three games.
The Mariners defense has plenty of experience to contain the multi-faceted Battery attacking corps in the shape of two Canadian Internationals Carl Fletcher and new signee Randy Samuel, as well as former Rutgers All American and US U-20 defender Alan Branigan and 6'3" Polish defender and ex-Miami Fusion performer Thomas Wygonik. The Mariners midfield will revolve around the industry of defensive center midfielder Billy Owens. Owens is a former stand out at the college of William and Mary and is in his fourth year in the A-League (second with Hampton Roads.)
Battery Team News:
1999 first team All A-League forward Mac Cozier is expected to see his first minutes of the 2000 campaign this weekend after recovering from a torn hamstring that has kept him out of the first three games. Cozier scored 13 goals for the Jacksonville Cyclones in 1999 and was acquired by the Battery in the off-season. His pace and energy is expected to inject an additional dimension to the Battery attack that has seen productivity out of Ivailo Ilarionov, Jon Akin and Paul Conway so far this season. 1998 Battery MVP Todd Miller is also available after recovering from a calf strain that has kept him out for the last two weeks. Miller will give coach Alan Dicks some quality versatility this weekend for the first two game road trip of the season for the Battery. The Charleston back four will also receive help from Trinidad and Tobago National Teamer Brent Sancho who returns from his country's 3-1 World Cup qualifying first leg victory over Haiti on Sunday May 7 in the Port of Spain. Sancho missed the two games last week versus the Tampa Bay Mutiny and the Richmond Kickers while on National Team call up duty. He will also miss the May 20 home game versus the Raleigh Express when he appears in the second leg of the home and home World Cup qualifying series with Haiti. The winner advances to the Caribbean Group 3 of the CONCACAF region qualifying tournament for the 2002 World Cup starting in September.
Friday May 11. 7:00pm. WRAL Stadium, Raleigh, NC.
Charleston Battery (3-0) V Raleigh Express (0-2).
A-League regular season and US Open Cup Group 5 A-League qualifying game.
Aired live on the Skatells Charleston Battery Radio Network 910am.
Saturday May 12. 7:30pm. Virginia Beach Sportsplex, Virginia Beach, VA.
Charleston Battery V Hampton Roads Mariners (3-0) A-League regular season action.
