The Charleston Battery face Las Vegas Lights FC on Friday, April 1, at Patriots Point. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and the meeting will be the first ever between the two clubs.
A “Holy City vs. Sin City” showdown, the match also marks the first interconference clash for the Battery in 2022. Charleston return home following a two-game road stand. The last time out at Patriots Point, the Black and Yellow triumphed 1-0 over FC Tulsa.
Las Vegas have gotten off to a strong start to the year but suffered a 0-1 defeat their last time out against Memphis 901 FC. Jeremy Kelly found the back of the net for Memphis in the second half to make the difference in the inaugural “Neon Lights Derby” between the two clubs. Las Vegas were held unusually quiet during the contest – Lights FC are tied for the most goals scored in the Western Conference.
Charleston will look to rebound following the 4-1 away defeat against Atlanta United 2. The Battery got off to a quick start with some strong build-up action that saw Aidan Apodaca score his first goal with the club. The play started from the back line with Preston Kilwien and a string of passes saw the ball teed up perfectly for Apodaca to bury the goal. The hosts rallied in the second half after Charleston were reduced to 10 men just before the intermission to secure the victory.
Matt Sheldon will be unavailable for Charleston during Friday’s contest as a result of the red card issued in the match against Atlanta.
Tristan Weber will have his first chance to play his former team on Friday after spending the 2021 season with Las Vegas.
Leland Archer and Benji Ettienne both return to the squad after competing with their national teams in the final week of the month.
The weather forecast by kickoff currently calls for temperatures in the low 70s with partly cloudy skies.
Ones to watch
Daniel Trejo
Trejo is Las Vegas’ top scorer with three goals through four matches. That mark also puts him tied for most in the league. The No. 10 additionally leads the team with three assists and five chances created. Trejo bagged a brace against El Paso Locomotive FC that proved to lift Lights FC past El Paso in the 4-5 thriller in Texas. Expect Trejo to play a key role come Friday.
Aidan Apodaca
Apodaca got the Battery off to a strong start against Atlanta when he scored his first goal with the Battery. Aidan made a stern first impression in the preseason and has carried that form into to the first three games with one goal, one assist and three chances created. The forward has shown an ability to both create plays and finish opportunities. Expect Aidan to have a crucial role on Friday in keeping the Battery offense going.
From the training ground
Following the road trip’s conclusion, the Battery returned to training Tuesday following a day of travel and recovery on Monday.
Tristan Weber said the squad feels energized ahead of the first home game in nearly three weeks.
“Coming home after two away games, it’s an exciting feeling for all the guys,” said Weber. “We’re really excited to be back in front of the fans and to defend Patriots Point.”
Weber’s first season as a professional was with Lights FC, and he anticipates a competitive match against his former club.
“It’s definitely a fun game for me, but once we step on the field, it’s different,” said Weber. “Their playing style [last year] was a little different from what they’re implementing this year. Knowing that, we are going to expect them to come out strong, but that doesn’t change how we’re going to play.”
Head Coach Conor Casey welcomes the return home to fine-tune the team ahead of the Friday showdown.
“We’ve been talking a lot about getting better in terms of the individual actions and putting pressure on teams, being aggressive,” said Coach Casey. “We’re trying to make sure we’re coming out with the right mentality and mindset.”
Coach Casey said the team will look to use the return to Patriots Point as a launching point for more successful results.
“It’s a great chance, coming back home, to turn the energy and to really feed off [the support] of the fans,” said Coach Casey. “It’s always great to have the home games on the back of the away games, to be able to have a reset, and take that positivity into the new month.”
Weber agrees and said the team is looking forward to playing in front of their fans again.
“We’re really excited to be back at Patriots Point on Friday, having [the fans] support is going to be huge, being our 12th man,” said Weber.
As of posting, DZ Harmon, Enock Kwakwa, and Mauro Cichero are questionable, and Matteo Ritaccio and AJ Paterson are out.
Match info:
Charleston Battery vs. Las Vegas Lights FC
Friday, April 1 – 7 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Tickets are available for Friday’s match, but sections are starting to sell out. Buy tickets for the game via SeatGeek here.
All Battery matches will also stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league’s YouTube channel for free internationally.
