The Charleston Battery commence their 2022 season Saturday night against FC Tulsa at Patriots Point on March 12. Kickoff for the Home Opener is 7 p.m. ET, and the match will be the first-ever between Charleston and Tulsa.
The Black and Yellow will start their season at home after starting the previous two years on the road.
Charleston enter 2022 following a host of changes across the coaching staff and dressing room. Conor Casey will make his USL Championship coaching debut after being named head coach of the Battery in December 2021. Casey will look to lead the club back into postseason play after the team fell short the year prior.
Battery regulars Joe Kuzminsky, Leland Archer, Romario Piggott and Nicque Daley are among the 10 returners to the squad. Preston Kilwien, Matt Sheldon, Augustine Williams and Andrew Booth are some of the newcomers looking to make their impact in the Lowcountry.
The Black and Yellow have had a productive and busy preseason, including the return of the Breeze Airways™ Carolina Challenge Cup. Charleston triumphed over MLS expansion side Charlotte FC 1-0, with offseason signing Aidan Apodaca scoring the match-winning goal, assisted by fellow newcomer Tristan Weber. The Battery demonstrated ample progress against Inter Miami CF and the Columbus Crew to round out the tournament, with Casey’s style of play becoming more evident as the games progressed.
Tulsa arrive in Charleston for their inaugural visit and will look to build on the success they had in 2021. Tulsa made their second-consecutive postseason appearance after compiling a 14-13-5 record. The Oklahoma outfit delivered some notable results to clinch the fourth Playoffs spot in the Eastern Conference Central Division, including splitting the season series with division leaders Louisville City FC. Tulsa’s campaign ultimately ended in a lopsided 6-2 defeat to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the Conference Quarterfinals.
Michael Nsien returns for his fifth season as Tulsa boss and will look to continue the progress the club has made during his tenure. His side also had a busy offseason, bringing in defender Ronald Gomez, an El Salvadoran international who is off to a strong start to his professional career. Forward J.J. Williams arrives after spending 2021 with Birmingham Legion FC and adds dangerous elements to Tulsa’s attack.
Tulsa will be without veteran midfielder Eric Bird, who will miss Saturday’s contest due to a red card picked up in the Conference Quarterfinals against Tampa Bay.
The clash of the Black and Yellow and the Black and Gold at Patriots Point should make for a competitive opening of the regular season.
Ones to watch
Rodrigo da Costa
Rodrigo da Costa has become a key fixture in Tulsa’s lineup since first arriving in 2019. The midfielder has tallied 137 chances created and 26 big chances created in that time, demonstrating the threat he poses in driving Tulsa’s offense. The reworked Battery back line will have a strong first test going up against da Costa, who is Tulsa’s only player to reach 20 goals and 20 assists in the regular season. Expect the Brazilian to be a pivotal figure for the visitors on Saturday.
Matt Sheldon
Sheldon was the first new player signing for the Battery following Casey’s appointment as head coach. The defender will make his first appearance for his new club facing off against his former club of three years. Matt has been a consistent and reliable performer in the league and for the Battery so far through the preseason. He will likely have a heightened role in the opening match against Tulsa as someone familiar with the visiting club.
From the training ground
The Battery continue to prepare throughout the week at Patriots Point for Tulsa following the conclusion of the preseason.
Defender Preston Kilwien believes the squad has come together well from the first day of training to now.
“The team’s bonding and the progression that we came together was a lot faster than I thought [it would be] originally,” said Kilwien. “The guys who were here before really made it easier for the new guys to settle into Charleston. Everyone just gets along so well, joking around, we have a good time but we know when to get serious.”
Kilwien said the team had a productive preseason and the group are ready for their first league test.
“Based off [Tulsa’s] history, they’re more of a possession team that likes to build out [of the back],” said Kilwien. “We know it’s going to be a hard game either way, first game of the year, but I think we’re all excited [and] ready to go in front of the fans.”
Battery Head Coach Conor Casey believes the past month of work has been constructive in leading up to the Saturday clash.
“It’s been a great last six weeks, very productive, [we’ve] been able to really start to build the culture and see these guys come together, in terms of their behaviors and the tactical things that we want to do,” said Coach Casey. “We’re excited with where we’re at now and it will be great to have the test in a real match.”
Coach Casey is looking forward to kicking off his first season with the Battery at Patriots Point.
“It means a lot, our staff has put in a tremendous amount of work, and we were lucky to be able to experience our home fans during the CCC,” said Coach Casey. “Since that experience, we’ve been thirsting to get back out there in front of them, just so excited to see what the environment is like on opening night.
“We want to see those fans, we want to hear them. They’re the ones that drive the team forward. We can feel it, hearing [them all], the drums, having a packed house, it really pushes the team forward.”
As of posing, Burke Fahling, Matteo Ritaccio and AJ Paterson are questionable.
Match info:
Charleston Battery vs. FC Tulsa
Saturday, March 12 – 7:00 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Tickets are available for Saturday’s match, but sections are starting to sell out. Buy tickets for the game via SeatGeek below:
All Battery matches will also stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league’s YouTube channel for free internationally.
