At the end of the day, all that matters is getting all three points at home. I have heard many supporters say this time and time again. However, sometimes you wish it would go a little easier.

On Saturday night, I had that exact thought. On a night where the Battery dominated all aspects of the match, they were only able to put one ball into the back of the net. Of course, that was all they needed and I have to remember Charleston did defeat the Rhinos 5–0, so I guess it all comes out in the end… and in the end, the Battery won 1–0 and remained on top of the USL Eastern Conference.

The boys in black and yellow even got a nod from the USL President Jake Edwards, who was in attendance. With so much attention in other markets around the league, it was great to see the league showing up in Charleston for a change.

The Game

Charleston came out just like every other match this season: hard, fast and strong. They kept their foot on the gas all game long and that relentless pressure saw another set piece goal from Charleston’s Shaq and Kobe.

In the 62nd minute, Justin Portillo stepped up and hit a perfect free kick to the edge of the six yard box where Forrest Lasso was waiting. He headed it home to give the Battery the only goal they would need on the night.

I could talk about the near misses and continuous pressure the Battery put on the Saint Louis defense. I could talk about the fact that Saint Louis did not have a shot on goal until almost the very end of the game. I could talk about how the Battery should have been tired after playing an exhibition match earlier in the week, but I won’t.

All I have to say about Saturday’s match is that the Eastern Conference has been put on notice.

The Battery are for real. The play smart, strong and fast soccer and this team has a chance to be something special. Yes, they should have put a few more shots away and padded their +10 goal differential, their finishing wasn’t the best on the night, but when it comes down to it, the Battery just win in 2017.

Justin Portillo (Photo Credit: Charleston Battery)

Moyer’s MOTM

Justin Portillo

The Battery selected the goal-scoring Lasso as their man of the match, but I decided to choose a different player for the 2nd week in a row. This time, I decided to go with Justin Portillo.

A lot can be said for how Portillo plays the game. He is cool and calm under pressure. He rarely makes a mistake and when his teammates set themselves up to be in the perfect position, Portillo generally finds them.

Saturday was no exception. In the 62nd minute, Portillo earned another assist and the Battery walked away with another 3 points. Portillo has been the rock for this team and without him, I think the team would be a little further down the table, even with all of the talent they have. Someone needs to do the dirty work and keep the ball moving. Portillo is that someone and his performance on Saturday showed how important he is to the boys in black and yellow!

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check back after the game for our recap, read all our Battery coverage here (there’s been a lot!), and as always, follow @SoccerNSweetTea on Twitter for all the latest Carolina soccer news.