CHARLESTON, SC – Rangers FC defeated the Charleston Battery 2-1 in an international exhibition at a soggy MUSC Health Stadium Wednesday night.
The visitors started on the front foot after a 90 minute rain delay, immediately putting the Battery under pressure. The Light Blues maintained the majority of possession throughout the first half, but couldn’t find a way through Charleston’s first choice back four.
Rangers’ attackers Kenny Miller, Martyn Waghorn, and Michael O’Halloran connected well in the final third through the first 45 minutes, testing Odisnel Cooper repeatedly, but the Cuban goalkeeper was up to the challenge.
Despite being pinned in its defensive third for most of the first half, the Battery mustered the best chance of the opening period. Midfielder Maikel Chang found Ricky Garbanzo on the back post with a dangerous cross from the left flank. Garbanzo creatively swung a boot at the cross, beating Rangers’ goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, but the forward’s volley rung off the post.
With the score tied at zero coming out of the break, Battery Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser made nine changes in order to rest some of his regular starters for Saturday’s match against league-leading Louisville City FC. Among the changes were teenagers Andrew Carleton, Chris Goslin, and Patrick Okonkwo. Carleton and Goslin both played a full 45 minutes and performed well on the big stage.
Rangers finally broke the deadlock in the 58th minute against the reshuffled Battery squad. Michael O’Halloran muscled his way down the end line through the Charleston defense and served a dangerous cutback in the direction of Josh Windass. Windass smashed the cross first-time into the roof of the net, leaving goalkeeper Alex Tambakis with no chance.
Midfielder Harry Forrester doubled Gers’ lead twenty minutes later. The 25 year old attacker sliced through the Battery midfield creating enough space to fire a shot on frame. Forrester’s strike hit the inside of the post and beat Tambakis.
“It was a good workout for us.” Forrester said after the match. “We’ve had a tough few days here. The heat has been a big factor in our work, but we got through that and to start with three points is a good bonus.”
In the process of working back from an injury that held him out of Rangers’ final games of the 2016 season, Forrester relished the chance to play some minutes against a quality opponent. He commented, “It’s always nice to score, but the main thing today was to get a workout. It was good to get back out there.”
Battery midfielder Ataulla Guerra grabbed a goal back for the home side in the 81st minute with a fantastic finish from a tough angle. Zach Prince played a long, looping ball over the top towards the end line. Guerra got to the ball first and hit a whistling volley over the head of goalkeeper Matt Gilks to cut the lead in half.
The goal was Guerra’s first in a Battery jersey. Anhaeuser said he hopes the goal will give the midfielder momentum for the tail end of the USL season. He commented, “Guerra’s been unlucky not to score in the league. Hopefully this will spark a little run for him.”
The match ended 2-1 in favor of the visitors, but both teams used the game to learn valuable lessons about themselves. For Rangers, it was a training exercise; a chance for players to get minutes in their legs and for the team to come together before the 2016-2017 season. For the Battery the match was an opportunity for young players to challenge themselves against one of the most historic soccer clubs in the world.
When asked about the match, Rangers FC Manager Mark Warburton commented, “Really useful. Whenever you come over to the States, the teams are in the middle of their seasons. They’re fit, they’re strong, and they’re well organized. It was a fantastic exercise for us. The hospitality we’ve received has been first class, so it’s been a fantastic trip for us.”
Rangers head home tomorrow to continue preparations for its Scottish League Cup match against Motherwell on Saturday July 16th, while the Battery looks towards Louisville. Charleston will leave Friday and head Kentucky, aiming to steal three points on the road from the team at the top of the table.
Top Image: Rangers FC’s Josh Windass turns with the ball at midfield. Vin Duffy photo
