Away to Charleston Battery Preview
Date: Saturday March 25, 2023
Kickoff Time: 7:30 pm EST at Patriots Point Soccer Complex in Mount Pleasant, SC
Records: Tampa Bay Rowdies (2pt 0W-2D-0L); Charleston Battery (2pts 0W-2D-0L)
Full Preview Podcast: Watch on YouTube
The Tampa Bay Rowdies travel again this week, now to South Carolina for the third game of the 2023 season. A record of two 1-1 draws is, surprisingly, not just the situation for us: Charleston Battery find themselves on the exact same footing. But, with a narrative forming around them after our first two games, Neill Collins and co. will want to turn the tide and show this team is the real deal. Will a former Tampa Bay general manager come back to haunt us? Tune into ESPN+ to follow along with the action!
What will the Rowdies need to do?
Another week in USL and another 1-1 draw for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. This early on and the results are already creating a pattern “the media,” such as they are in USL, have started to notice. While the team hasn’t looked at their best, it should be noted that one of the most common truisms in the sport is “Good Teams find a way to win.” Essentially, this is just that the best teams get points even when they might be having an off day. We know that with the level of talent at this club, good times will come. That talent, though, is like a jigsaw puzzle for the coaching staff: they need to put it into the right formation. Based on the past, Neill Collins has proven his ability to do just that.
So while our two games haven’t led to any wins, we aren’t necessarily leaving empty-handed, either. Re-litigating two-week-old calls – like we might want to – won’t get us anywhere, though. The club and its fans need to move on and see what can be done now to shake off this perception. The first thing fans will be hoping for is the return of Lewis Hilton (who is still listed as questionable). His absence was felt in the game against Orange County this past weekend. As noted in our podcast, large holes developed in our lines between the central defenders and the central midfielders. OC’s Kyle Scott regularly found himself with acres of space and the ball at his feet in those positions.
Zach Herivaux and Jordan Doherty split time as the more defensive of the central midfielders in the first half and second half, respectively. While each of them made a valiant effort to prevent this breakdown, neither succeeded in the manner that Rowdies fans would’ve hoped. The three-man central midfield from OC is something we should expect again this weekend versus Charleston. One can assume some type of formational shift will allow for the players to better cover this part of the field. But, what will that look like?
If Hilton is back, relying on him to provide his super-human work rate might be enough. If not, another midfielder likely is warranted. Charlie Dennis, playing alongside first Herivaux and then Doherty, earned USL Team of the Week honors for his own play against OC. However, that did limit his attacking output, which the Rowdies should want to rely on. Starting Cal Jennings and JJ Williams up top together so far hasn’t panned out with many chances created. We could see one of them either left out of the starting XI or moved into a different spot. Winning the battle through the center so our wingbacks can work their magic will be important.
What will Charleston’s plan be?
Charleston has so far lined up in a rigid 4-2-3-1 formation. They’ve even used the same players each game to implement it. The most important players for Charleston while attacking are their two wingers, Fidel Barajas and Nick Markanich. (It should be noted they also have former MLS winger Handwalla Bwana; but, he hasn’t made a matchday roster yet.) Both Barajas and Markanich have shown an ability to get into good positions and wriggle their way through multiple defenders in their short times in the USL. Once they do get through the opposition, they’ll be looking to find one of the most prolific strikers in this league, Augustine Williams. Williams was not one of the Battery players called up for international duty during this FIFA window, so he will be available either to try to get on the end of crosses or to try to create space for others to do so.
While preventing Charleston’s three central midfielders from operating in open areas will be crucial, as noted above, shutting down the Battery wingers will equally impact the outcome of this game. Making sure we have enough cover to watch Barajas, Markanich, and Williams up top, while avoiding the mistake of leaving Emilio Ycaza, Chris Allan, and Andrew Booth free in the midfield suggests a three-man backline, if not midfield. How will that set things up in our final third?
It is now time to note that Charleston Battery will be playing with one hand tied behind their back. While Auggy Williams is not away on international duty, five other players are, three of which have started on the backline. Center backs Leland Archer and AJ Paterson, as well as left back Deklan Wynne, will all be away with their respective countries. While this is certainly prestigious for USL clubs, it hamstrings them in the short term. (The only Rowdies player away this weekend will be Cuban international and backup goalkeeper Raiko Arozarena.) That means two debutants could step into the middle of the defense: AJ Cochran and Juan Palma.
Cochran joined Charleston in the offseason and has a long history in this league. Meanwhile, Juan Palma came to the USL from his native Colombia where he played for Once Caldas. Finding a replacement for Wynne could prove even trickier, and from this perspective it’s likely they’ll have to put a square peg into that round hole. All of this will firmly be on the minds of the Rowdies staff and players. Attacking down the right wing was already likely a key point, with the 17-year-old Barajas capable of switching off defensively from time to time. Having a non-natural left back behind him makes this an even more enticing proposition. At the very least, Tampa Bay should be looking to goad Charleston into over-protecting their left side, thereby freeing people up elsewhere on the field. Peppering this makeshift defense of relative newbies should be an early priority for a team so far lacking in offensive output.
Behind Enemy Lines with Special Guests The Howlers Podcast (@HowlersPodcast)
It could be said that Charleston are still working all of their new players into the side, though returning midfielder Andrew Booth has very much looked the part of a future USL star. To walk away with a win, Charleston must find their finishing boots. They’ve outshot opponents 30-17 so far, but have failed to secure 3 points at the final whistle. 25 year-old Sierra Leonean striker Augustine Williams is still searching for his first goal in 2023, and a derby match would be a great time to find it.
For the first time this season, Coach Pirmann will be forced into altering his starting XI as some key players will report to international duty; AJ Paterson and Benji Ettienne have reported to Grenada, Leland Archer to Trinidad and Tobago, and Deklan Wynne and Jesse Randall to New Zealand. Paterson and Wynne will be missed badly, the former for his size and presence and the latter for his link-up play and delivery from the wing. As new players file into the back line, a test of squad depth will be something to keep an eye on at Patriots Point. The match may be noisier than usual, too; a new grandstand behind the away side goal will make its season debut and add to a much-improved footballing experience in the Lowcountry.
Score Predictions from the RBLR Rowdies Podcast:
(1 pt) James Knowles: 2-1 Battery
(0 pts) Carlos Rueda: 1-0 Rowdies
(0 pts) Yurika Wheeler: 1-1 draw
(0 pts) Special Guest: Matt Cox @TampaBay_Soccer 2-1 Battery
