The Charleston Battery will hit the road again to face Atlanta United 2 on Sunday, March 27. Kickoff at Fifth Third Bank Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
The away trip is the second of a two-game road spell before the Black and Yellow return home on April 1 to face Las Vegas Lights FC. Sunday’s match will be the first of two matches between Charleston and Atlanta in the regular season.
Atlanta will look to bounce back from a midweek 0-3 loss at home to the Tampa Bay Rowdies where the visitors scored early and often. Steevan Dos Santos and Sebastian Delgaard found the back of the net in the first half, and Jake LaCava sealed the victory with a goal in the second half. Tampa Bay dominated the evening, outnumbering Atlanta 26 to six on shots while holding the majority of possession. Atlanta have been outscored 0-5 in their first three games.
Charleston are also aiming for a rebound on Sunday following a 1-0 defeat in Detroit. The Battery had a flurry of chances through the first 30 minutes but were unable to convert. DZ Harmon had among the most promising looks in the 4th minute with a free-kick that rocked off the right post and out. Augustine Williams fired in a handful of close shots in that time which were just narrowly wide of the goal. Battery Head Coach Conor Casey mentioned after the contest his side will look to improve upon controlling possession and winning challenges more frequently.
Since 2020, Charleston command the series with a 3-0-2 record over Atlanta. The two sides drew 1-1 in their only meeting last season, which featured a second-half equalizer from Robbie Crawford to see the points shared.
The match will be the Battery’s final regular season league clash at Fifth Third Bank Stadium as Atlanta will move to MLS NEXT Pro in 2023.
The forecast for Sunday’s fixture looks like temperatures in the mid-50s and clear skies come kickoff.
Ones to watch
Robbie Mertz
Mertz has been among the bright spots for Atlanta so far this season. The midfielder currently co-leads the team in chances created (three) and shots (three) – contributing two key passes in the game against Tampa Bay. He was also tied for the top FotMob.com player rating in the match. Expect the experienced 25-year-old to play an important role on Sunday.
Enock Kwakwa
Kwakwa impressed in his club and league debut against Detroit. The Ghanaian tallied match-highs in chances created (two) and duels won (12) in a complete 90 minutes. Kwakwa additionally displayed a strong presence in the midfield to help create movement forward for the Black and Yellow. As he settles in with his new team, look for Kwakwa to continue as a key part of the Battery game plan.
From the training ground
The Battery returned to Patriots Point on Monday to resume training ahead of the Sunday meeting with Atlanta.
Now that the Black and Yellow have two matches under their belt, they will look to seize the momentum of the positives and address the areas for improvement going into game three.
“We saw in the first game that we’re a team that wants to regain possession higher up in the field and we want to act quickly when we get the ball and attack,” said Battery forward Aidan Apodaca. “In the game against Detroit, we were eager to go forward but didnt have our bearings in possession. So, this week we’re looking at trying to keep the ball and go forward.”
Apodaca said the squad is eager to get back out on the pitch and continue the progress of the 2022 campaign.
“We’re all hungry, suffering our first defeat of the season didn’t sit well with us,” said Apodaca. “We’re a team with high standards and we’re all hungry to show we’re capable of playing this style and for another win.”
The focus in training has been on working to make those improvements and springing upon the upbeat energy of the squad.
“We’ve had a great week of training, the energy has been there,” said Battery Head Coach Conor Casey. “We are a club that doesn’t like to lose and things didn’t go our way last week, so we want to make sure we get that right [against Atlanta].”
Coach Casey expects Atlanta to be a tough opponent who have performed better than their record may indicate at first glance.
“I think that [Atlanta] have played well, they’ve had some good build-up phases, they like to possess the ball and make the field big,” said Coach Casey. “We’ll look to make sure that we’re getting good enough pressure on them so they’re not able to play in between our lines.”
As of posting, Matteo Ritaccio is questionable and AJ Paterson is out.
Match info
Atlanta United 2 vs. Charleston Battery
Sunday, March 27 – 7:30 p.m. ET Kickoff
Fifth Third Bank Stadium
HOW TO WATCH:
The club is hosting a Battery Watch Party at Madra Rua Irish Pub in Park Circle! Join the staff and supporters cheer on the Black and Yellow from afar, along with enjoying specials on Bud Light and Heineken (21+) just for Battery fans.
The watch party starts at 6:30 p.m., one hour ahead of kickoff, and fans will be able to catch the World Cup qualifying match between the U.S. vs. Panama at the same time!
Can’t make it to Madra Rua? All Battery matches will stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league’s YouTube channel for free internationally.
