Charleston, SC. The Charleston Battery, practically unstoppable at home this season, is still undefeated at 8-0-1. Now the Battery need to improve its road form for the second half of the A-League season as they look to keep pace with the red hot Richmond Kickers at the top of the Atlantic Division. The Battery is 1-4-1 on the road this season, their only win coming on opening day (April 15) with an important 2-0 result over arch rival Atlanta. With 8 out of 13 remaining games on the road, Charleston's championship potential will be put to the test. First up is a tough road trip to Pennsylvania, where the Battery will take on the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Friday July 14 and then the Hershey Wildcats on July 16. The task at hand for the Battery will be a stiff test of character, starting with a strong Pittsburgh team that is also undefeated at home (6-0-1) with the only blemish a 1-1 tie with the Toronto Lynx on opening day. The Riverhounds have also suffered from Atlantic Division road woes this season, failing to win a single game (0-9) away from Bethel Park. The recent re-acquisition of 1999 A-League All Star midfielder Justin Evans from the San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) could just prove to be the catalyst that can get the job done for them.
Defending Atlantic Division Champion Hershey were the pre-season pick as A-League Champions in the A-League coaches poll, and after a slow start to the season have come alive winning five of six in time for the Sunday showdown with the Battery. Hershey broke Charleston hearts last season with a dramatic 3-2 winner with 13 seconds remaining in the first round of the A-league playoffs after the Battery had swept the season series 2-0. It was sweet revenge for the Wildcats who where dumped in the first round of the playoffs by the upstart Battery in 1997 after winning the Atlantic Division Regular Season Championship. Hershey is propelled by one of the most dangerous attacking duos in the league, prolific speedster Jamell Mitchell and 1999 A-League Rookie-of-the-Year Greg Simmonds. Simmonds (10 goals) and Mitchell (7 goals) account for 68% of Hershey's 26 goals this season and will be a hand full for the Battery defense. Both matches take on bigger significance for the three teams as inter-divisional games at this point of the season are almost worth double points, with Pittsburgh and Hershey both scraping to improve their position in the Atlantic Division for the playoff run.
Battery Team News:
Battery forward Paul Conway is fourth in the A-League goal scoring race with 9 goals in 14 games and leads a talented group of Battery strikers that have earned an Atlantic Division high six bonus points for scoring three goals in a game. He currently ranks tied for fourth in the A-League in points with 21 with 9 goals and 3 assists. Conway is on track to surpass his 17 goal tallied during the 1999 season and is moving closer to challenging Patrick Olalere and Paul Young at the top of the all time Battery goal scoring chart. He has scored 30 goals for the Battery in 69 games and is currently in his third season with the club. Midfielder Temoc Suarez is tied for the league lead in assists with 8 in 15 games and is on track to easily set an all time mark for assists in a single season for a Battery player. A benchmark that stands at 10, set by Chris Veselka in 1995. He has sparked the Battery offense with his precision passing ability and deadly left foot on set plays. Suarez has received a US National Futsal Team call up for the final round of qualifying games for the Futsal World Cup Finals. (A FIFA sanctioned five-a-side indoor game played without the boards used in the domestic version of indoor soccer.) He is expected to depart Charleston next week for Costa Rica to join the US team and will miss the July 22 home game with Hershey and possibly the July 28-30 west coast road swing to Nashville and El Paso. 1997 A-League Goalkeeper of the Year Dusty Hudock has produced solid performances all season long for the Battery in the nets. Hudock has featured in every minute for the Battery so far this season (1,401 minutes played) along with 1999 All A-League defender and Battery rookie of the Year Gilbert Jean-Baptiste. He now ranks as the all time leading goalkeeper in Battery history in minutes played with 4,433 minutes in 48 games, surpassing Michael Compisi who set the standard at 4,055 in 53 games. Hudock has posted 9 shutouts in a Battery jersey, which is second all time behind Compisi and sports 1.16 goals against average this season.
Captain Nicky Spooner has marshaled the defense solidly all season long and is the catalyst for tightening up the defensive corps of the Battery for the second half of the season. 1998 Battery MVP Todd Miller has continued his strong and dependable form in midfield and has now started 80 games for Charleston in a Battery uniform (fifth most in Battery history). The Battery midfield has been strengthened by the return of Bulgarian Ivailo Ilarionov who has scored two goals in two games since his return from injury and gives the Battery a legitimate goal scoring threat out of his attacking midfield role. Also impressive of late is the form of 2000 Battery A-League College Draft first round pick Brian Alvero. Alvero has found his way into the Battery starting eleven since former San Jose Clash (MLS) midfielder Braeden Cloutier has been out with a strained MCL in his left knee. Cloutier is scheduled for an MRI on his troubled knee today and is questionable for the road trip to Pittsburgh and Hershey. Jamaican International Dean Sewell limped off of the pitch in the 17th minute of the 3-0 July 4 victory over Indiana with a sore hamstring, but is expected to be available for this weekend. Trinidad and Tobago International defender Brent Sancho is cleared to play this weekend after sitting the 3-1 home win over Hampton Roads with a foot injury. Sancho recently returned from a three game Caribbean tour with the Trinidad and Tobago National Team playing versus Barbados (0-0) on June 29, St. Vincent (1-2) on July 2 and Cuba (4-1) on July 4 alongside International stars Dwight Yorke (Manchester United) and Stern John (Nottingham Forest). Sancho was not named by the Trinidad Football Federation on the squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying games on July 16 in Canada and July 23 at Azteca Stadium versus Mexico.
Experienced defender Kevin Scott has also recently returned from injury and is expected to be a key component for the Battery during the second half of the season. His pace and tenacity will help solidify the Battery back line that will be vital for success in the upcoming away games in July and August. Exciting and highly touted forward Velko Iotov is also counted on to heat up the dangerous Battery offense during the second half of the A-League season. Iotov has struggled all season with a number of injuries but showed his class in the 3-1 home win over the Mariners last Saturday, his first game at Blackbaud Stadium all season. The Charleston offensive arsenal is completed by 1999 All A-League forward Mac Cozier and 1999 A-League College Draft pick Jon Akin. Mac "daddy" as he known by his teammates has slowly recaptured his sharpness after recovering from a hamstring tear suffered on April 1 in a pre-season game with the Wilmington Hammerheads. He has tallied two goals and three assists recently, including the huge third goal against Hampton Roads last Saturday that gave the Battery the maximum five points and squashed a Mariners second half come back. Cozier has the ability to be a big factor for the Battery in the second half of the season with his new found confidence, a trait not lacked by second year Battery forward Jon Akin who has been very productive off the bench this season with two goals and one assist.
"We must find some consistency on the road to win the division," said Battery head coach Alan Dicks. " We must tighten up defensively and win the right to play in order to realize our potential as a team.
What: Charleston Battery V Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
A-League Atlantic Division regular season action.
When: Friday July 14, 7:35pm.
Where: Bethel Park Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA.
What: Charleston Battery V Hershey Wildcats.
When: Sunday July 16, 1:30pm.
Where: Hershey Park Stadium, Hershey, PA.
Both games can be heard on the Charleston Battery Skatells Radio Network on 910am WTMZ or online at www.charlestonbattery.com.
The Battery return home on Saturday July 22 to face the Hershey Wildcats for the second time in less than a week in a two game series that is likely to be a huge factor in determining home field advantage for the playoffs. It is also Free Water Bottle Night at Blackbaud Stadium and the 1st 500 fans will receive water bottles stuffed with prizes!! Tickets can be purchased in advance on the phone at 971-GOAL, at Lloyds Sports in Mt. Pleasant or online at www.etix.com. Tickets are also available at the gate. Gates open at 6:30pm. Kickoff is at 7:30pm.
A-LEAGUE TOP TEN
(As of 7-10-00)
*Based on points earned compared to max points available
Rank. Team. Record. Win Percentage.
1. Minnesota Thunder. 12-1-4. 0.718.
2. Richmond Kickers. 13-4-0. 0.635.
3. Charleston Battery. 9-4-2. 0.587.
4. Milwaukee Rampage. 8-4-1. 0.585.
5. Toronto Lynx. 8-2-3. 0.570.
6. Rochester Raging Rhinos. 8-5-1. 0.529.
6. San Diego Flash. 10-6-1. 0.529.
8. Seattle Sounders. 8-5-3. 0.513.
9. El Paso. 9-7-1. 0.494.
10. Atlanta Silverbacks. 8-6-2. 0.487.
