

Posted by

Kamal Hylton ,

March 17, 2015 Email

Kamal Hylton

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@KamalHylton

The 2015 USL season kicks off this weekend with three matches, the main one from a Canadian perspective seeing TFC II make the trip south to Charleston, South Carolina and Blackbaud Stadium to play the Charleston Battery.



The “Baby Reds” will be tested in the first half of the season, having to become road warriors while the new stadium in Vaughan is being constructed.



Recently signing eight players to contracts, 2015 MLS SuperDraft picks Clement Simonin, Skylar Thomas, Wesley Charpie, Edwin Rivas, and Sal Bernalm as well as TFC Academy players Molham Babouli, Luca Uccello, Mark-Anthony Kaye, head coach Jason Bent will see his young squad get tested early against a Battery team that finished preseason with a record of 7-1-2 (4-1-1 against MLS/NASL clubs) and that is one of the well regarded clubs in the league (having made the playoffs its last four seasons).



The Opposition



The main concern TFC II will face with Charleston is trying to break down its solid defense. Giving up 33 goals last season ranked them as the fourth best defence in the USL behind the Orlando City SC now in MLS, the reigning champion Sacramento Republic and LA Galaxy II. Head coach Mike Anhaeuser has continued to put a together a strong group that will be looking to battle on both the league and US Open Cup fronts. The anchor of the team is Cuban International goalkeeper Odisnel Cooper, who defected from Cuba prior to October 2012 World Cup Qualifier against Canada. Cooper has quickly proven himself as one of the best keepers in the league and has been a rock for the Battery the last two seasons, posting 16 shutouts and a 1.10 goals-against average.



The Battery has made Cuba one of its main sources for talent, going all the way back to 2008 when current Seattle Sounders midfielder and MLS standout Osvaldo Alonso was part of their squad. Along with Cooper, as part of the Cuban contingent, forward Haviel Cordoves and midfielder Maikel Chang (both defecting to the US at the same time as Cooper) will be looking to step up this season and supply goals for what was one of the lowest scoring teams in the league last season.



To test Cooper, the strike partnership of Babouli and Jordan Hamilton will be vital for TFC II. Babouli is coming off a stellar season with TFC Academy in League 1 Ontario, finishing the season with 26 goals, while Hamilton has been in top form during preseason scoring two goals in a 3-2 loss to the NASL’s Ottawa Fury and will be looking to start where he left off last season scoring 5 goals and two assists in 11 games for the Wilmington Hammerheads.



Key Match-Up



A key match up to watch for will be Charleston’s Jamaican forward Dane Kelly vs. TFC II defender Clement Simonin.



Kelly had a good track record as a young forward in the Jamaican Premier League with Tivoli Gardens and has carried that over to the USL. He has become much more of a goal threat since joining the Battery, finishing as the team’s leading scorer with 10 goals. TFC II’s defence will have to keep an eye on his elusive runs, likely opting to man mark him with a player like Simonin. Selected 9th overall in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, Simonin has the experience at the collegiate level such that he possesses the good positional sense and athleticism needed to keep up with a player like Kelly. He will also be tasked with starting attacks, helping play the ball out of the back as a left-footed central defender.



Whitecaps FC 2 and FC Montreal don’t begin their seasons until next weekend, but one other match that you may want to check out is LA Galaxy II vs. Real Monarchs SLC. Not only does it pit two clubs with tons of top academy talent against each other but it’s also a chance to watch for Emery Welshman to make his USL debut for the Monarchs.