Home

Ian Svantesson’s second goal in as many games wasn’t enough Wednesday night as the Charleston Battery lost, 2-1, to Columbus Crew on match day two of Carolina Challenge Cup at MUSC Health Stadium.

Both teams started bright in the first half, with each creating a quality scoring chance inside of the first 15 minutes. Quinton Griffith and Ataulla Guerra looked the most dangerous players on the Battery side, while Cristian Martinez and Pedro Santos both threatened in Columbus’ attacking third.

The Battery broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute when Tah Brian Anunga nicked the ball from a Columbus midfielder high up the field and slotted Svantesson through. The 6-6 center forward collected Anunga’s pass and calmly tucked the ball in past Zack Steffen to put the home side in front.

“It feels like we’re clicking more and more each game,” said Svantesson. “We’re getting more familiar with each other as we work our way through preseason. Tah and I made eye contact and he played a perfect ball through to me and I was able to slot it past the goalkeeper.”

As is normal during Challenge Cup, both coaches made several changes at halftime, with Columbus Head Coach Gregg Berhalter going with completely knew eleven. The second half team included Gyasi Zardes who would find the back of the net twice in the final 35 minutes to help his side to the win.

Zardes’ first came in the 56th minute when Edward Opoku swung in a cross towards the near post. Zardes beat the Battery defender to the ball and nodded it past Odisnel Cooper to equalize.

Columbus’ second goal came in almost identical fashion to their first, but this time Harrison Afful was the provider. Afful floated a cross in towards the near post to Zardes who was making a slashing run. Zardes flicked a header to the back post, beating Cooper and putting his side in front.

With the win, Columbus now sits firmly in first place in the Carolina Challenge Cup standings with six points. Columbus will look to repeat as tournament champions when they take on Minnesota United Saturday night at 5:00 PM. Following that match, the Battery will take on Atlanta United in Challenge Cup finale.

Box Score:

CHARLESTON: Odisnel Cooper, Quinton Griffith, Taylor Mueller, Skylar Thomas (Jay Bolt, 46), Jarad van Schaik (Kevin Jeon, 83), Victor Mansaray (Nico Rittmeyer, 46), Neveal Hackshaw (Vincenzo Candela, 46), Tah Brian Anunga (Angelo Kelly, 62), Kotaro Higashi (Ryan Arambula, 46), Ataulla Guerra (Kyle Murphy, 46; Ozzy Ramos, 78), Ian Svantesson (goal, 32; Manolo Sanchez, 62)

Charleston Battery have signed 23-year old midfielder Vincenzo Candela for the 2018 season, pending USSF and USL approval.

Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser identified Candela at the Club’s open trials in February and offered him a spot on the Carolina Challenge Cup roster before officially offering him a contract. Candela, who was one of over 120 open trialists, paid his own way to get to Charleston for the opportunity to impress the Battery coaching staff.

“Vincenzo is a versatile player that will bring intensity and quality to our midfield corps,” said Anhaeuser. “We first watched Vincenzo at a Pro Soccer Consulting combine in Florida and then at our combine here in Charleston and he has proven to be a player that will help our team in the 2018 season.”

Despite being just 23 years old, Candela has five years of professional playing experience. The midfielder played in Europe from 2012-2015 for Real S.C. (Portugal), Alemannia Aachen (Germany), and As Eupen (Belgium) before leaving the play in his native Colombia in 2016. Candela played for first division club Atletico Huila in 2016 and for second division club Llaneros last season.  

Candela was born in Bogota, Colombia and moved to the United States at the age of three where he lived until he left to pursue a professional soccer career in Europe at the age of 16.

Name: Vincenzo Candela
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-8
Date of birth: 9/28/1994
Age: 23
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Country: USA
Last club: Llaneros
How acquired: Signed, February 2018

Charleston Battery defeated Major League Soccer side Minnesota United, 1-0, at MUSC Health Stadium in their opening match of Carolina Challenge Cup Saturday night.

New signing Ian Svantesson scored the game’s only goal in stoppage time of the first half after the teams traded possession in the middle third of the field for the majority of the opening 45 minutes. The goal was Svantesson’s first in a Battery jersey.

The scoring chance came after a Quinton Griffith cross bounced around the 18-yard box and fell to Neveal Hackshaw. The Trinidadian midfielder struck the ball towards Bobby Shuttleworth’s goal and Svantesson flicked it past the goalkeeper to put the home side ahead.

“I knocked the initial cross down and let some of the more skillful guys get the ball in a dangerous spot and I was just in the right place at the right time, which is my job,” said Svantesson of his first Battery goal.

The two teams exchanged chances throughout the second half after both coaches made wholesale changes. Minnesota’s best scoring opportunity of the match came in the 73rd minute when Pangop Frantz got on the end of a cross at the back post, but goalkeeper Odisnel Cooper did well to come off his line and smother the shot.

Minnesota United were forced to play down a man when Collen Warner received his second yellow card in the 83rd minute for pulling back Patrick Okonkwo on a counter attack. Led by captain Taylor Mueller, the Battery saw out the final stages of the match to pick up three points in their Carolina Challenge Cup opener.

“When you’re in a group of four and you get a win in your first game it puts you in a good position for the rest of the tournament,” said Battery Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser. “We’ve never won Challenge Cup before, so this is an exciting win that sets us up to potentially do something special this week.”

The win puts Charleston in a tie for first place with Columbus Crew SC who beat Atlanta United, 3-1, in the first match of the day. The two first place teams will meet on match day two of Carolina Challenge Cup on Wednesday, February 21 at 5:00 PM. Atlanta United and Minnesota United will follow at 7:30 PM. Tickets are available at tickets.https://www.www.charlestonbattery.com.

Charleston Battery Box Score:

CHARLESTON – Odisnel Cooper, Quinton Griffith (Jay Bolt, 46), Taylor Mueller (yellow card, 31), Skylar Thomas (Kyle Bjornethun, 66), Jarad van Schaik (O’Brian Woodbine, 46), Kotaro Higashi (Kevin Jeon, 57), Neveal Hackshaw (Ryan Arambula, 46), Tah Brian Anunga (Vincenzo Caldena, 46), Nico Rittmeyer (Victor Mansaray, 46), Ataulla Guerra (Patrick Okonkwo, 46; yellow card, 56), Ian Svantesson (goal, 45; Kyle Murphy, 46; Manolo Sanchez, 79)

Charleston Battery have re-signed veteran goalkeeper Odisnel Cooper for the 2018 season, pending USSF and USL approval.

Cooper returns in 2018 for his sixth season with the Battery. The Cuban goalkeeper is currently eighth all-time in USL appearances for the Club with 109, six behind Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser.  Cooper made 24 starts and earned ten shutouts in 2017.

Throughout the majority of his career with the Battery, Cooper has been Coach Anhaueser’s first choice goalkeeper, making over 20 starts in four out of five seasons in Charleston. Cooper earned the Charleston Battery’s Most Valuable Player award and was named to the USL All-League Second Team following the 2015 season.

Prior to joining the Battery, Cooper played for his hometown club, FC Camaguey from 2010 to 2012. Cooper made seven appearances for the Cuban national team before defecting to the United States in 2012.

Cooper is expected to play in Thursday’s friendly against Coastal Carolina and Saturday’s Carolina Challenge Cup match against Minnesota United; both matches are at MUSC Health Stadium. Cooper joins eleven returners and three newcomers on the Battery’s 2018 roster.  

Name: Odisnel Cooper
Position: GK
Height: 6-0
Date of birth: 3/31/992
Age: 25
Hometown: Havana Cuba
Country: Cuba
Last club: FC Camaguey
How acquired: Re-signed, February 2018

Charleston Battery have signed former Seattle Sounders winger Victor Mansaray for the 2018 season, pending USSF and USL approval.

Mansaray spent the 2017 season on loan with FC Cincinnati and Seattle Sounders FC 2 prior to joining Swedish Football third tier club Umeå FC in August. The 20-year old played a combined ten matches for FCC and S2 and made seven appearances and scored one goal for Umeå FC in the final two months of the season last year.

Mansaray joined Seattle as a Homegrown Player in November of 2014 at the age of 17, making him the youngest player ever to sign with the Sounders. The winger also became the youngest player in franchise history to play in a match when he made his first MLS appearance for Seattle months after signing.

Following his MLS debut, Mansaray played 35 matches with S2 during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. The USL named Mansaray the top player on their “20 Under 20” list during his time with Sounders FC 2 in 2016.

Mansaray has appeared for the U.S. Men’s National Team at the U18 and U20 levels. In June of 2017, Mansaray voiced his desire to play for his native Sierra Leone and was called up shortly after. He is still eligible to play for either country. 

Mansaray joins returners Taylor Mueller, Kotaro Higashi, Neveal Hackshaw, Ataulla Guerra, Jarad van Schaik, Joe Kuzminsky, Quinton Griffith, Skylar Thomas, Nico Rittmeyer, Ryan Arambula, and Tah Brian Anunga and newcomers Jay Bolt and Ian Svantesson on the Battery’s 2018 roster.

Name: Victor Mansaray
Position: MF/F
Height: 5-11
Date of birth: February 22, 1997
Age: 20
Hometown: Freetown, Sierra Leone
Country: USA/Sierra Leone
Last club: Umeå Football Club
How acquired: Signed in February 2018  

The Caribbean’s leading sports network, Flow Sports, will broadcast the 2018 Carolina Challenge Cup set to take place on February 17, 21, and 24 at MUSC Health Stadium.  

The 14th iteration of the preseason tournament will feature three days of doubleheaders between the Charleston Battery and  Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United, Columbus Crew SC, and Minnesota United. Flow Sports will show all six matches of the tournament live.

‘We are very excited to be able to offer these games to the Caribbean through our partnership with Flow Sports,” said Charleston Battery Chairman Eric Bowman. “Interest in the tournament has increased every year and we are looking forward to broadcasting some very competitive matches featuring players from the Caribbean.”

Flow Sports is available in more than 400,000 homes in 29 Caribbean territories including Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bermuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Flow is the number one sports network in the Caribbean and regularly broadcasts the English Premier League and CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers.

Three of the four teams participating in Challenge Cup have players from Caribbean countries on their current rosters. The Charleston Battery roster includes Ataulla Guerra (Trinidad and Tobago), Neveal Hackshaw (Trinidad and Tobago) and Quinton Griffith (Antigua and Barbuda), while Atlanta United’s includes former Battery star Romario Williams (Jamaica) and Minnesota has Kevin Molino (Trinidad and Tobago).

The Carolina Challenge Cup begins on Saturday, February 17 with Atlanta United vs. Columbus Crew followed by Charleston Battery vs. Minnesota United. Tickets and series passes are still available; visit https://www.www.charlestonbattery.com or call 843-971-4625 to purchase

beIN SPORTS has acquired the U.S. television rights for the 2018 Carolina Challenge Cup. The national sports network will broadcast the entirety of the tournament live, set to take place on February 17, 21, and 24, 2018 at MUSC Health Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina.

This year’s Challenge Cup features doubleheaders between Charleston Battery and Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United, Columbus Crew SC and Minnesota United. Viewers can tune-in to all six of the tournament’s matches LIVE on beIN SPORTS.

“We’re obviously really excited to partner with beIN SPORTS for Challenge Cup,” said Charleston Battery Chairman Eric Bowman. “Our preseason tournament was the first of its kind when we started it in 2004. Fast forward fourteen years and it will be televised nationally, which speaks to how far it’s come and the growing popularity of the USL and MLS brands.”

beIN SPORTS is a world-class sports network that broadcasts international sporting events across multiple platforms to millions of viewers. beIN SPORTS is home to major soccer competitions including LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and CONMEBOL/CONCACAF/CAF World Cup Qualifiers.

The 14th iteration of the Carolina Challenge Cup will feature some of Major League Soccer’s best players including Miguel Almiron  (Atlanta United), Federico Higuain (Columbus Crew SC), and Kevin Molino (Minnesota United). Returning to Challenge Cup for the second consecutive year, Atlanta United and Columbus Crew will bring new faces including U.S. Men’s National Team players Darlington Nagbe (Atlanta United) and Gyasi Zardes (Columbus Crew SC) plus MLS record signing Ezequiel Barco (Atlanta United).

The Carolina Challenge Cup begins on Saturday, February 17 with Atlanta United vs. Columbus Crew followed by Charleston Battery vs. Minnesota United. A limited number of tickets and series passes are still available; to purchase tickets and for more information please visit https://www.www.charlestonbattery.com or call 843-971-4625.

For information on how to watch, please visit www.beINSPORTS.com. Follow us on Social Media: Twitter: @beINSPORTSUSA and/or @ESbeINSPORTS; Facebook: beIN SPORTS USA and/or beIN SPORTS En Español; Instagram: @beINSPORTSUSA; Snapchat: @beINSPORTSUSA. Join the conversation using #CarolinaChallengeCup[MR1] .

beIN SPORTS CONTACTS:
Michelle Rodriguez Elise Rodriguez
beIN SPORTS Pinta for beIN SPORTS
rodriguezm@bein.net erodriguez@pintausa.com
305-777-1900 ext. 6151 305-615-1111 ext. 204

About beIN SPORTS USA
Launched in 2012, beIN SPORTS is the fastest-growing network in the world and is offered on the 10 largest cable/satellite TV providers in the U.S., as well as other systems across the country. beIN SPORTS offers viewers premium sports content and entertainment across multiple platforms, including TV channels beIN SPORTS and beIN SPORTS en Español and live streaming on beIN SPORTS CONNECT. A cornerstone of beIN SPORTS is its unrivaled live soccer coverage, which includes live matches from La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, and CONMEBOL/CONCACAF/CAF World Cup Qualifiers, as well as news and in-depth analysis of all the top leagues from around the world. In addition to soccer, beIN SPORTS serves as a haven for fans of motorsports, tennis, rugby, boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA) and volleyball, among others. With the recent addition of Conference USA coverage, beIN SPORTS will also broadcast College Football, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Soccer, Baseball, Softball, and Volleyball. Thru beIN SPORTS CONNECT, authenticated subscribers can also enjoy all the exciting action from the two networks and stream live overflow matches offered in HD on your computer, tablet or smart phone

Charleston Battery have re-signed second-year midfielder Ryan Arambula for the 2018 season, pending USSF and USL approval.

Arambula, a graduate from the University of South Carolina, joined the Battery for his rookies season in 2017 after spending the previous summer with the Myrtle Beach Mutiny of the NPSL. As a Gamecock, Arambula was a four-time member of the Conference USA and Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Rolls and led his class in assists. Arambula was a member of the Battery academy from 2008-2012.

Arambula made one start in 2017. The midfielder registered the assist on Forrest Lasso’s game-winning goal against the Atlanta Silverbacks at Silverbacks Park in the US Open Cup last May.  

The Charleston Battery coaching staff announced the team’s preseason match schedule following the release of the USL regular season schedule earlier this week.

The preseason schedule includes ten matches, eight of which will be played at MUSC Health Stadium. All preseason matches are free and open to the public apart from the Carolina Challenge Cup.

The 13th iteration of the MLS tournament highlights the preseason schedule. The Battery opens the tournament against current MLS Champions, Seattle Sounders on February 18th and follows up with Columbus Crew SC on February 22nd and Atlanta United on February 25th.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE CCC TICKETS

“Our preseason schedule has a good mix of teams from various levels. Obviously, the Carolina Challenge Cup enhances it quite a bit with the MLS teams coming here, but the other games will help us prepare for the regular season before and after Challenge Cup.”  

Prior to CCC, the Battery will play the College of Charleston, as they have done in years past. Other college teams on the preseason schedule include Coastal Carolina University, Clemson University, University of South Carolina, and University of North Florida. Coastal Carolina, Clemson, and South Carolina all appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2016.

Anhaeuser will test his squad against an NASL opponent on March 4th when the Battery travel to Cary to play the newly rebranded North Carolina FC. Formally known as the Carolina Railhawks, NCFC finished in seventh and did not qualify for the playoffs last season. The match between the former Southern Derby rivals will be the first time the Battery meets an NASL opponent since the USSF granted the USL Division II status earlier this year. 

Full Preseason Schedule:

HOME – February 11 vs. College of Charleston (Time: TBD)
HOME – February 15 vs. University of South Carolina (7:00 pm)
HOME – February 18 vs. Seattle Sounders (7:00 pm) – GET TICKETS
HOME – February 22 vs. Columbus Crew SC (5:00 pm) – GET TICKETS
HOME – February 25 vs. Atlanta United (7:00 pm) – GET TICKETS
HOME – March 1 vs. Coastal Carolina University (7:00 pm)
AWAY – March 4 at North Carolina FC (4:00 pm)
AWAY – March 10 at Clemson University (4:00 pm)
HOME – March 12 vs. University of North Florida (2:00 pm)
HOME – March 15 vs. Coastal Carolina University (7:00 pm)