Charleston travels to Charlotte for the 2017 Regular Season finale
The Battery and Independence will face off with playoff seedings and the Southern Derby Cup on the line.
It’s very simple for Charleston on Saturday night in Charlotte: Win and secure the 2nd seed, host an opening round playoff match, and potentially host a conference semifinal match the following week. If Louisville loses, there could even be a conference final at MUSC Health Stadium. And, a win would secure their third consecutive Southern Derby Cup.
A draw or a loss at the Sportsplex in Matthews would open up several other possibilities.
At the end of a long season that has had its ups and downs, everything is there for the taking for the Battery. If they do happen to lose or draw… to a team that has not won since September 2nd… they can still finish in the top 4 and host a first-round playoff match, but they will need some help from Rochester and Tampa Bay.
Charleston is hitting its stride as it approaches the playoffs. After dominating the early season and then only winning twice between July 1 and the end of August, the Battery have evened things out by going 3–2–1 in the months of September and October.
A big part of their recent success has come from the play of Heviel Cordoves. He has scored seven goals in the last five matches. If Super Romario Williams is able to finally return to his early season form and Cordoves is able to continue his hot streak into the playoffs, the Battery are going to a very tough team to take down.
End of Season Awards
The club handed out their end of season awards last Saturday night at the regular season home finale. The winners included Offensive POTY Romario Williams, Defensive POTY Forrest Lasso, Newcomer of the Year Kotaro Higashi, MVP Justin Portillo, and the Coaches Award went to captain Taylor Mueller.
Past Meetings (Results are for Charleston)
2017 (USL)
3–0 (Win)
2–0 (Win)
2016 (USL)
1–0 (Win)
1–1 (Draw)
2–3 (Loss)
2015 (USL)
3–1 (Win)
1–2 (Loss)
1–1 (Draw)
3–2 (Win)
Game Details
What: Charlotte Independence vs. Charleston Battery (USL season)
Where: Sportsplex at Matthews, Matthews, NC
When: 7:00pm ET
Recent Form
Battery: W | D | L | W | W
Independence: L | L | L | L | D
Moyer’s Match Prediction:
Charleston have set themselves up to finish in the top two and secure multiple home playoff matches. They must not waste this opportunity on Saturday night.
The Battery know how important playing at home is in the playoffs, and a win will secure that road.
I predict the Battery will absorb pressure early on and hit on the counter attack with Williams, Guerra and/or Cordoves. This can be frustrating at times, but Charlotte will come out swinging, over-exert themselves, and the veteran Battery squad will finish the season with a win, second spot in the USL Eastern Conference, and a third straight Southern Derby Cup.
Final Score: Battery WIN (2–0)
Thanks for reading! Be sure to check back after the game for our recap, read all our Battery coverage here, and as always, follow @SoccerNSweetTea on Twitter for all the latest Carolina soccer news.
