What makes a rivalry? That question was answered on a hot Saturday Night in Charlotte, NC. In the last month The Eagles and Battery have faced each other three times and the fourth time only muddied the question on which team is clearly better. What most people will agree on is that the Battery is clearly the better team on paper due to more experience in the A-league and their bigger payroll. The Eagles on this night will show that it has an internal spirit that will sometimes overcome the odds and win.
To the Game:
The Game started a little late due to the Lady Eagles match against the Piedmont Spark in which the Lady Eagles won 4-2 raising their overall record to 4-0. The game was basically a chess match with both teams possessing the ball and maybe a slight edge to the Battery. The Eagles for the first time started rookie Caleb Norkus along side scoring leader Dustin "Whitey" Swinehart and this combo would pay off. Caleb Norkus sent a beautiful cross from right wing where Swinehart punched the ball right footed into the net from about 6 yards out. This score came in the 37th minute. With about two minutes remaining the Battery had a flurry of shots and Eagles Goalie Dwayne Adams made three spectacular, stunning saves, some of the best saves that I have ever see. More on Adams later in the Match Report. The half ended 1-0 Charlotte.
The second half was primarily the same with Charleston having a slight edge due mostly to more long range shots and Adams making great saves. The game continued and Charleston made some substitutions and it became apparent that the Eagles were not going to make substitutions. The was an interesting game plan and could back fire. In the 80th minute Paul Conways' header from 7 yards tied the game. The assist went to Ryan Trout. Regulation ended tied at 1-1.
The first sudden death overtime was very even with neither team controlling the ball. The second overtime was all Eagles. The Eagles controlled the ball but couldn't get a good shot off. Then with less than 2 minutes remaining Rob Mouw drive toward the goal and was fouled just outside the box. The free kick was 18 yards out and at a tricky angle. Ryan Leib took the set-piece and curved the ball high inside the near post for the game winner and series tying goal. His first A-League goal. The game lasted 109 minutes in which the Eagles made one substitution and the Battery three. Both teams were exhausted and both teams gave it their all. From the fans and players point of view in was a classic playoff intense soccer match and one this fan will remember and can't wait for the next meeting which unless they meet in the playoffs will be next year. This fan hopes they can spread out these matches over the entire season.
STATS
SHOTS EAGLES 12 SAVES EAGLES 10 FOULS EAGLES 10
BATTERY 21 BATTERY 12 BATTERY 16
OFFSIDES EAGLES 3 CORNERS EAGLES 3
BATTERY 3 BATTERY 11
STARTERS;
EAGLES-GOALIE ADAMS, PARRY, WATKINS, JOHNSON, MILLER, EASON, LEIB, MOUW, SWINEHART, PINCH, NORKUS (JOHNSON 80)
BATTERY-GOALIE HUDOCK, CALICHMAN(COOK 67), PIESNER(TROUT 77), BAPTIST, COZIER, IOTOV(WARHAM 77), CONWAY, BALL, RANTALA, AKIN, WILSON
CAUTIONS
EAGLES-EASON, PARRY
BATTERY- AKIN, WILSON
ATTENDENCE- 1,883
EAGLEMAN OF THE MATCH - GOALIE DWAYNE ADAMS
