The Charleston Battery defeated Charlotte FC 1-0 on Saturday during the opening day of the Breeze Airways™ Carolina Challenge Cup. Battery Head Coach Conor Casey earned his first preseason win since taking the lead of the Black and Yellow. Newcomer Aidan Apodaca scored in the 13th minute to put the Battery ahead. His goal proved to be the match-winner that sent Charleston past Charlotte and top of the CCC table. The victory took place at a packed Patriots Point as Charlotte played their first game in front of fans.
The Battery started the game pressing early, forcing Charlotte into some nervy situations when the visitors played the ball out of the back. Among the early opportunities for Charleston came when Augustine Williams broke through the Charlotte defense at roughly the 10-minute mark, but his thumping attempt went right to goalkeeper George Marks.
Charleston broke open the game in the 13th minute when Aidan Apodaca had Marks one-on-one and chipped in the goal after making an extra move for a clear look at the net. The goal was the first of the preseason for Apodaca, who signed with the Black and Yellow during the offseason. Coach Casey went to his bench at the half-hour mark for a complete swap of his side for one wholly composed of trialists, the group held their own against the MLS side to preserve the 1-0 advantage into the break.
The second half commenced with the Battery featuring the same squad as before the pause in the action. The Battery tactician’s hard-pressing side continued to press Charlotte’s defense, however, they were unable to double their advantage, particularly in the 56th minute when a trialist’s connection almost led to a conversion. Charlotte were eager to counter and began to find a footing in the 58th minute with a promising look on goal, but this time it was Charleston’s defense that held firm.
Casey made another squad swap just past the hour mark that featured Pat Hogan, Benji Ettienne, EJ Johnson and Geobel Perez to replace a selection of trialists. The fresh legs helped the Battery maintain shape and composure as Charlotte pressed forward for an equalizer. The second goalkeeper trialist for Charleston put on a strong showing in the 85th minute to deny Karol Swiderski’s promising chance on goal inside the box. Charleston saw out the 1-0 victory after defusing Charlotte’s final attempts to even the score, placing the Battery top of the CCC table.
Although an exhibition, Coach Casey was proud of his side’s efforts to the secure the victory over Charlotte.
“The guys put in some incredible shifts, they brought the energy, I was very happy about that,” said Coach Casey. “We want to build a culture of winning, and certain things aren’t perfect on every night, but tonight the biggest thing was that the squad was together and they fought. Their mentality was right and they put in a lot of effort, and that’s all I can really ask for.”
The Battery tactician said his first appearance in front of the home crowd was a special one.
“The whole experience [was memorable], seeing the fans and players able to feel the joy of getting a win,” said Coach Casey. “We’re working very hard [in training], and it’s always nice when you have some of that positive reinforcement from the start. The fans brought a lot of energy, the support was amazing.”
Battery forward Aidan Apodaca credited the side’s aggressiveness in giving Charleston the edge throughout the match.
“[Coach Casey] came in and implemented a new style of play, a lot of it is being aggressive and being high up the pitch,” said Apodaca.”I think we saw that in the opening minutes of the game, we knew we incorporated the things we had worked on [in training] and executed.”
With many roster moves in the offseason, Apodaca commended the team’s familiarity in helping the squad come away with the win.
“I think [the chemistry] is great, the experienced guys who have been in Charleston the past couple of years have been all welcoming and helping to get everyone situated on the team,” said Apodaca.
The matinee match between Inter Miami CF and Columbus Crew ended in a 1-1 draw. Miami struck first via a goal from Ariel Lassiter, assisted Gonzalo Higuain. Columbus equalized late in the game when Derrick Etienne found the back of the net near the death to see the points shared.
The Breeze Airways™ Carolina Challenge Cup continues Tuesday, February 15, with another doubleheader feature. Charlotte face Columbus at 5 p.m. followed by the Battery squaring off against Inter Miami at 8 p.m. The Tuesday night slate is a single-ticket event for fans; tickets are still available via SeatGeek.com the Battery’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.
