Coming into the match on Saturday, most people would have thought Steel FC would have zero chance of victory. I predicted in my Moyer’s Match Prediction that the Battery would win 3–0. However, even though the Battery did come out with all of the spoils, it was a very hard fought match, made all the harder with the absence of top goal scorer “Super” Romario Williams.

The Game

With the combination of Super Romario and Ataulla Guerra up top and a back line as solid as any in the league, Charleston has been unstoppable of late, and the fans had every right to be confident in a win. Some of that confidence seemed to go away however when the club announced that Williams was out of the starting lineup due to an undisclosed illness.

In years past, the Battery’s offense has usually centered around one player. Last season, that player was Romario Williams. Prior to Romario joining the Battery, that target player was USL all-time leading goal scorer Dane Kelly. In both cases, if Williams or Kelly were playing at their best, then Charleston was going to have a good night. (Just ask Reno 1868 FC. Kelly is now scoring for them: he had a hat-trick on Saturday and they got their first win in club history.)

So as the match started, I, along with other Battery supporters, wondered where our offense would come from. Cordoves, who started up top for Williams, has been good coming in off the bench, but how would he do from the opening whistle? Well, both of those questions were answered in the 17th minute when Cordo made a beautiful flick to the back post where Guerra was waiting to tap into the back of the net.

I would have loved to have seen another goal or two scored before the end of the match, obviously, but it only takes one goal to walk away with three points.

After the goal, the match did turn physical at times. Honestly though, it was a little one sided. It seemed like five minutes couldn’t go by without seeing a Bethlehem player on the pitch and a Battery player standing close by. This of course set up a number of set pieces, which has been a bit of an achilles heel for Charleston this season, but the defense stepped up their game and finished with their third shutout of the season.

In the end, the Battery were too much for a team still struggling to find their identity. Don’t get me wrong, Bethlehem definitely has some talent and once their players start playing together they could be very dangerous, but that time has not come (except if you’re Cincinnati of course!).

Moyer’s MOTM

Odisnel “Super” Cooper

The Battery selected Guerra as their MOTM, but I decided to go a different route. This was Cooper’s second shutout of the season and after the Jekyll and Hyde performance against Tampa two weeks ago, it was great to see “Super” Cooper come up big for the Battery, especially on a late save inside the six yard box which helped the Battery secure the win at home.

Celebrating the win

I mentioned in my article about my love of the Battery how the players would come over and celebrate with the supporters in section E01. Here is a glimpse into what that is like after a 1–0 win that gives you sole position of the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

If you ever get a chance to go to a game at MUSC Health Stadium, you have to spend some time in section E01. It may not be as packed or “rowdy” as some other stadiums, but it has its history and is a great place to watch a match and celebrate a win.

Top of the Table

With this win, the Battery sit alone on top of the Eastern Conference table. Only San Antonio FC in the West have more points (22) than the Battery (16). This is huge for a club that averages under 4,000 fans a match right now, especially with so many new clubs joining the league with a desire to win from the start. This is just a testament to the entire Battery organization. Year in and year out, they perform well and 25 years in, 2017 is no different.

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check back for more articles about the Charleston Battery, make sure you read about our efforts to chronicle 25 years of supporting the Battery, and of course, follow @SoccerNSweetTea on Twitter for all the latest Carolina soccer news.