Raleigh invades Charleston on Saturday night promising to be another exciting match in what has developed over the past several years into a flourishing rivalry. The well funded Battery club with its deep resources has found the scrappy Raleigh club a tough nut to crack. Raleigh swept the Battery in five matches during the 1999 season and recovered from a 3 - 1 deficit last weekend to earn a 3 - 3 draw in Raleigh.
Despite being outscored in their first three matches by a margin of 10 - 3, Raleigh has gotten about an equal number of shots as their opponents. This is good news for a club that struggled at times last season to find the back of the net. The last outing against Charleston showcased some truly confident play from a spectacular goal built from the back to some courageous second half possessions in the attacking third. Opportunities abound and it is only a matter of time and statistics before the strikes find their mark.
Missing from the Charleston lineup this weekend will be speedy defender Brent Sancho, who is on Trinidad & Tobago national team duty. This should help equalize the quickness factor for the Express in the front line. Sancho ruled the right defensive flank against finesse forward Ihor Dotsenko in their last meeting. Ihor should find a lot more time and space to operate in this week.
Jean-Baptiste was masterful in the air at central defense last week against the Express in the first half. Look for him to have an encounter this week with Watkins, Obua or Garner. Garner, starting for the injured Watkins found Jean-Baptiste a difficult problem to solve. However, both Obua and Garner had great success in the second half using creative dribbling and short through passes that gave Jean-Baptiste and Darren Warham all they could handle, plus some.
The Express will look to Carson White for leadership in the midfield. Midfield transition play improved dramatically between the first and second home matches. If this becomes a trend, then the Express has reason for lots of optimism. Another key encounter in the midfield will be Ryan O'Neill vs. Temoc Suarez. O'Neill was terrific in the air and dominated the talented Suarez in their last encounter. Is it too much to imagine that Temoc can be suppressed twice in a week to the same degree? It should be a great matchup.
In the back, we'll see if the Raleigh defense has really settled in. McDermott has been a consistent, steady performer. Steve Armas had a good outing and got into many of last week's attacks. The second outside defender spot seems to be a work in progress, with a solid starter not sorted out yet. So far, Edwards, DiSalvo and Morman have gotten time. Rodriguez adds a strong central presence that has had the overall effect of increasing the confidence of the defending group.
The Charleston match comes just 24 hours after the Express meets a capable Minnesota Thunder at home. Raleigh has demonstrated a high level of fitness in their first two home matches, a credit to fitness coach Steve Chapman. This will be the first of four back-to-back weekend matches this season to further test the stamina of the players. Don't be surprised to see head coach John Dugan do some creative substitutions in both matches with this fact in mind.
Express fans have the opportunity to hear this match broadcast live at 7:30 on the Charleston Battery webcast. Access it through the ever popular www.a-league.com on Saturday night.
