Sports
Battery Head North to Face Red Bulls II
By: Charleston Battery
The Charleston Battery will head north to face New York Red Bulls II on Friday, August 12th, in Montclair, New Jersey. Kickoff at MSU Soccer Park is set for 7 pm.
It is a relatively late first meeting between Charleston and New York after opening the season against each other last year. In 2021, the series was even at one win apiece and two draws. Last time the Battery visited MSU Soccer Park, they scored thrice before halftime, with DZ Harmon needing less than two minutes to record the opening goal, to win 2-3.
The Baby Bulls will look to build upon the momentum of their 2-1 home victory over Atlanta United 2 on Tuesday. The match was scoreless through the hour mark until Atlanta opened the scoring two minutes after New York were reduced to 10 men via a red card issued to Michael Knapp in the 66th minute. Red Bulls II, however, rallied late to score twice in the final 10 minutes of regulation to secure their third victory of the season.
Charleston continue their August away stand after opening the month on the road against Louisville City FC. The Battery got on the board first when Augustine Williams bagged his 12th goal of the season, assisted by Harmon. Louisville, however, would score four unanswered goals following Williams’ opening tally to secure the three points. After facing the top team in the Eastern Conference last weekend, Charleston will look to bounce back when they take on the bottom team in the conference this Friday.
It will be a return to the old stomping grounds for defender Preston Kilwien as his professional career began with Red Bulls II, where he featured in 36 matches from 2019 to 2020.
New York will be without midfielder Michael Knapp this Friday due to suspension from the red card he was issued during the Atlanta match.
Midfielder Enock Kwakwa will miss Friday’s contest due to suspension from a red card received during the Louisville match. He will also miss the Battery’s August 20 and August 27 matches.
Ones to Watch
New York – Jordan Adebayo-Smith
Adebayo-Smith has been a regular on the pitch for Red Bulls II, appearing in 22 of their 23 matches, the most on the squad. The winger is currently the side’s top goalscorer with four and additionally has one assist and nine chances created. At 21 years old, Adebayo-Smith is one of the more experienced players on New York and he became familiar with the Battery last as a member of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Look for him to play a key role on Friday.
Charleston – DZ Harmon
Harmon found his footing against Louisville and will look to carry that form against a team he has had success against. The Liberian midfielder recorded his first assist of the season against LouCity when he picked out Williams inside the box. The last time Harmon stepped foot on the turf at MSU Soccer Park, he recorded one goal, three chances created and five duels won, and was accurate on 85% of his passes
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