Opponent: Charleston Battery
Match Date: September 14
Location: Weidner Field
Doors Open: 5pm MT.
How to Listen: XTRA Sports 1300am with the Voices of the Switchbacks, Ryan Kaufman and Roland Vargish. Coverage starts at 5:30pm MT.
Chambo’s Comments: “[Charleston are a] superb organization [with a] top, top staff [and a] top coach [and] top players,” said Head Coach James Chambers. “They are obviously one of the powerhouses in the league at the moment, so it will be a tough test, there’s no doubt about that. And we’re looking forward to it. “[Nick Markanich] has got a lot of goals and he’s having a terrific year. He’s a good player – there’s [also] no doubt about that! But there are other good players in [their team] – it’s not a one-man show at Charleston. “I thought [Yosuke Hanya] was excellent [against Tampa]. I thought he added goals and the assist for JD [Justin Dhillon]. I thought there were a lot of players that performed really well on
the night for 60 – 65 minutes… But that’s last week. Now it’s done, it’s forgotten about, and we move out to Saturday. Everybody’s back [and] healthy from international duty, so we’re happy with that. [We have] more or less a full squad to choose from, so we’ll pick what we feel is the best squad on the night that gives us the best chance of getting a performance and a result. [There are only] three [games] left [this regular season at Weidner Field] and this is a big one. We’re looking forward to it, but we know [that] we have a really tough opponent coming in here. [Charleston are] extremely, extremely good – and are very good on the road. We’re under no illusions what we’re facing.”
Hanya’s Thoughts: “[We] had a great performance as a team [against Tampa],” said Yosuke Hanya. Hanya was named the USL Championship Player of the Week after his brace against the Rowdies. “[Charleston] are obviously one of the best teams in the league, but I think they don’t know [just] how difficult [it is] to come into this building and win. We are very excited for this test. [The fans] bring a lot of energy for the players, so I want them to come out this weekend to give us extra energy.”
Battery Breakdown: Charleston have built their terrific 2024 regular season on the back of their outstanding home form that’s included wins in their last seven matches in the Holy City. Head Coach Ben Pirmann’s Battery are 11-1-1 at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium, and 5-3-7 away from the Palmetto State. The last three away trips have been difficult for the Battery, with a 4-2 loss at the Tampa Bay Rowdies on July 27 th followed three weeks later by a 3-1 defeat to Louisville
City. In their last road journey, Charleston battled San Antonio to a 1-1 draw at Toyota Field.
Vargish’s View: The Switchbacks have now scored 11 goals and won all three matches since Maalique Foster departed the club for Indy Eleven, and are rounding into superb form as the USL Championship Playoffs edge ever closer. On paper, Charleston Battery is the second-best team in the league. There is extra motivation for the Battery, with this season being top-scorer Markanich’s USL swansong – the former Northern Illinois University Husky signed with Spanish side Club Deportivo Castellón and will move to the eastern Iberian Peninsula at the conclusion of the current USL Championship season. On Saturday, the Switchbacks have to forget about Markanich’s eye-popping numbers and do what they did against the Rowdies for the first hour: control the ball and breathlessly attack the Battery with pace and discipline.
