After four USL matches and two U.S. Open Cup matches at home, the Battery will host a seventh straight game at home this Saturday as they welcome the new-to-USL but soon-to-be-MLS Nashville SC for the first time to MUSC Health Stadium. Nashville sits at a 3–2–3 overall record, with a 1–2–2 away record on the year.

Nashville has only played eight matches, compared to the Battery who have played ten coming into week 11. With just 12 points, they sit in 10th place while the Battery occupy 3rd place with 18 points, just two points behind the first place also-soon-to-be-MLS team from Ohio we don’t name here.

Nashville signed several USL and NASL players to the team in the off-season that Battery fans should be familiar with:

Their collected 10th-place force has only conceded five goals in their eight games, a league best, but they have only scored seven goals, good for worst in the league.

Anything can happen on Saturday night though, as Nashville proved in their last match, upsetting defending USL Champions Louisville City FC 2–0 at home.

On a side note, Battery fans are rejoicing as they were treated to a sneak peek of Return of the Caribbean Jedi, as O’Brian “Obi” Woodbine made his season debut in Wednesday night’s Open Cup match. It will be interesting to see if he features Saturday night.

Coach Mike Anhaeuser was asked about how the Battery are preparing defensively for Nashville:

“It’s a matter of just being prepared. Moloto is a very crafty player who creates a lot in the attacking end for them, but I think the key for Nashville is their defensive shape. They’re very sound defensively. They do a good job, they’re organized, and they don’t give up a lot of chances, just like Ottawa. We’re going to have to precise to break them down. We both played in the Open Cup midweek and I think that will have a bit of an effect on the game. Legs get tired, some players get a little heavy and might make a mistake here or there. Saturday’s game could come down to something like that. We need to be ready to make sure we keep our quality. We had a great transition of players in the lineup on Wednesday, so that will help. We had five or six guys who didn’t play last night, so that should help us a bit going into this weekend and next week.”

Battery forward and Deutscher Torjäger Gordon Wild echoed what we’ve written about all season regarding the key to the Battery success:

“There is a lot of praise for the forwards because everybody loves the players who score the goals, but I think the biggest reason we’ve done so well lately is because of our back line and our defensive midfielders. They have all been playing really, really well. That often gets overlooked. We got another shutout last night. If you don’t concede a goal, you only have to score one to win, so they make it easier for us up top and take a little bit of the pressure off of us.”

Battery players to watch

Charleston’s Lethal Weapon Reboot: Ataulla Guerra and Gordon Wild continue to put goalkeepers’ and opposing teams’ back lines in therapy. After a late half sub in, Guerra took 10 minutes to pick apart the Elm City Express defense to find Wild, who put this stunner into the net and sent the Battery into the next round of Open Cup play.

Nashville players to watch

Lebo Moloto: The 28 year-old South African scored a brace against Lou City in NSC’s last USL match, including this beautiful header. The Battery back line will have their hands full with him.

Matt Pickens: The former Tampa Bay Rowdies goalkeeper has recorded five clean sheets in eight games so far, that puts him in a tie for first in the league, the Battery will have a challenge to get the ball past the veteran keeper with 21 saves so far.

Predicted Battery starting XI

Kuzminsky (GK), Thomas, Mueller, Hackshaw, Rittmeyer, Anunga, Candela, van Schaik, Higashi, Guerra, Wild.

Available subs: Cooper (GK), Arambula, Kelly, Okwonko, Svantesson, Bolt (questionable), Woodbine.

Recent form

Charleston: W | W | W | W | D

Nashville: W | L | D| D | W

Past meetings

The Battery welcome Nashville to the USL in their inaugural season. This is the first match between the two teams.

The DrewOnTarget Prediction

Nashville will be impressed with the quality of the Battery pitch compared to the baseball stadium they play in. It will be a defensive battle, but the Battery back line has limited opposing teams to three goals since March 31st.

Along with G.I. Joe Kuzminsky commanding the goal, the Battery will manage to extend their undefeated streak in both USL and Open Cup play to 10 matches.

Final score: 1–0 Battery

Game info

Charleston Battery vs. Nashville SC, 7 p.m. Saturday, May 26th @ MUSC Health Stadium. FIREWORKS following the match.

Broadcast: MyTV Charleston, ESPN+

Officiating crew

Referee: JJ Bilinsky

ARs: Trent Robert Vahaitsma, Matthew Rodman

Fourth: James Felluca

Game Hashtag: #CHSvNSC

Thanks for reading! Be sure to check back after the games for our recaps, read all our Battery coverage here, and, as always, follow Soccer ’n’ Sweet Tea on Twitter for all the latest Carolina soccer news.

Up the Battery!