Charleston Battery face Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Game of the Week

The Battery travel to Florida to take on the struggling Rowdies Wednesday night.

The Charleston Battery (10–3–9) sit in third place of the USL Eastern Conference, one point behind Pittsburgh, as they down south to face the Tampa Bay Rowdies (7–9–5) in the USL Game of the Week Wednesday night.

The teams have taken different roads since their last meeting at the end of April in Charleston. The Battery started slow, with losses to WKRP FC in Cincinnati on opening night followed by a stampeding from the Baby Bulls in New York, and Charleston sat in 12th place in April. But coach Mike Anhaeuser, as he has done so well throughout his coaching career, was able to make corrections and right the ship.

The Battery have sailed up to nearly the top of the table and are currently on a nine match unbeaten streak for the second time. The Battery streak is the fourth-longest in the league this season and second-longest active streak behind Cincinnati, the first-place team in the Eastern Conference.

Meanwhile, in Tampa, things have been less than rowdy. After starting at the top of the table and being projected by many writers and analysts to win the championship, the Rowdies have headed south on the table. After going 4–5–0 in May, including losing three straight on the road, head coach Stuart Campbell resigned. The Rowdies management announced Neill Collins would retire as a player from the team and assume duties as head coach, assisted by former English Premier League veteran Joe Cole as a player/coach. Since the coaching change, the Rowdies have gone 3–4–5 under the Collins/Cole duo. Cole, who filled in for a suspended Collins last Friday in Ottawa, recorded his first coaching loss, a shutout courtesy of the Fury.

And that was not the only change in the clubhouse going on. Here is a list of who else has left Tampa Bay:

Then the Rowdies went on a signing spree. Here is the list of who has been added since May:

Battery fans will remember Bonomo very well. His last visit to Charleston was in the first round of the 2017 playoffs when the Baby Bulls knocked out the Battery.

The Eastern Conference is still a in flux with just four points separating teams in ninth through 13th place, including the Charlotte Independence and the other North Carolina team.

With the Battery playing three matches this week (Saturday’s draw at NCFC, Wednesday’s match at Tampa Bay and Saturday’s home match against Atlanta United 2) expect to see some roster rotation.

Charleston: W | W | W | W | D |
Tampa Bay: L | L | W | D | L

The Battery lead the all-time series 3–1–0 (away: 1–1–0; home: 2–0–0). Tampa Bay left the NASL in the end of 2016 to join the USL in 2017.

2018 (USL)
1–0 (April 28 — Win at Home)

2017 (USL)
0–2 (July 22 — Loss at TBR)

2–0 (July 1 — Win at Home)

3–2 (April 22 — Win at TBR)

Coach Collins returns to the pitch after serving his one match suspension. After signing six new players since May the Rowdies have gone 3–4–5. The Rowdies are coming off a 2–0 loss in Ottawa. The Fury scored 23 seconds into the match against former Charlotte Independence goalkeeper Cody Mizell, who has conceded 19 goals in 13 appearances. Expect the Battery to add to the Rowdies 31 conceded goals this season.

Final score: 2–0 Battery

What: Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Charleston Battery
Where: Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Florida.
When: Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018, 7:30 p.m.

Referee: Guido Gonzales
ARs: Ben Pilgrim, Matthew Schwartz
Fourth: Madzid Coric

Game Hashtag: #TBRvCHS

Related posts:

Rajesh died three months ago so there was no way he could be near me this early in the morning. It was 5:30 am and one of the few things that I decided to do in the new year was to go for a morning…