Charleston and Louisville finished their second match of the season the same way they finished their first meeting: a draw. I for one am disappointed that the Battery could not take at least one of their two matches against LCFC in Charleston this year, but I am happy that they did not allow LCFC to come into MUSC Health Stadium and leave with all three points.

It is also tough to deal with the fact that if Charleston gets a home match against Louisville, the boys from Kentucky will not be intimidated to come to Charleston. They know they were one goal away from a win in Charleston, twice, and that is very hard to come by for opposing clubs. However, I have to remember that they will also know they were one goal away from losing in Charleston as well.

Both clubs had their fair share of chances on Saturday night. Louisville came out on the front foot early, but the Battery had the better chances in the second half. Overall, this was a good match to watch between two teams that both have a legitimate shot to represent the USL Eastern Conference in the USL Cup this season.

I would like to add that I am sure Louisville is most likely more upset about not winning than the Battery. Charleston was without league leading goal scorer Super Romario Williams and their top CAM Ataulla Guerra, so it was no surprise to see LCFC come out as hard and fast as they did.

Still, a draw at home isn’t what you’re hoping for. CB Forrest Lasso summed up how most of Charleston felt after the match.

The Game

LCFC came to play. They were hungry for the three points and wanted to try and put the game away early. However, the Battery defense, anchored by keeper Odisnel Cooper, held strong and it was the Battery who struck first.

Louisville did not take long to respond.

The ball seems to be falling perfectly for Louisville in Charleston this season. In their first matchup, LCFC scored two of their four goals from deflections and the final goal was hit off of defender Forrest Lasso for an own goal. Then on Saturday night, a shot rings off the crossbar and Ilic bangs in the rebound.

When the second half started, I believe most watching the match thought we were going to see more goals, especially considering the 4–4 result earlier in the year. Despite both teams’ effort, that was not the case.

The game would end 1–1. Charleston remains on top of the USL Eastern Conference with a six point lead over Louisville, who still have two games in hand on the Battery.

As an objective observer, or especially as a Louisville supporter, you might look at the final game stats and say Louisville should have won. They won every stat including possession, shots, and shots on goal but in the end the only stat that matters is the score. Louisville did not have enough to beat the Battery. My hope is that that trend continues when the Battery travel to Louisville in early September.

Moyer’s MOTM

Tah Brian Anunga

Anunga played fantastic on Saturday night. Sure, he did not score a goal or register an assist, but he was all over the pitch. While Portillo kept things cool in the middle as usual, Anunga slid back and forth and up and down the field. There was hardly a time when he was not in the frame on the broadcast. Anunga has really come a long way this season, and I know he will only continue to get better and continue to make a big impact in the midfield for the Battery.

What’s Next

The Battery head out on a three-match road trip starting next Saturday (July 15th) at Saint Louis FC. Charleston defeated Saint Louis FC at home 1–0 back in May (and Charlotte just killed them). The Battery will hope to finish their season series with STL with another victory.

After playing Saint Louis, Charleston travels to Florida where they will finish their three-game season series with Tampa Bay and then back up the East coast for a chance to avenge one of their two losses when they take on the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in a midweek clash.