Battery Trek West for Saturday Night Showdown Against Los Angeles

By: Battery Media

The Charleston Battery head westward this weekend for a Saturday night showdown against LA Galaxy II on August 20. Kickoff at Dignity Health Sports Park is set for 10:30 pm ET.

Saturday’s fixture will be a rematch of October’s late-season duel at Patriots Point when the Battery beat Los Dos 3-1. Geobel Perez Jr. scored the opening goal just two minutes into the match and Romario Piggott bagged the go-ahead goal a minute after Los Angeles equalized in the second half. Zeiko Lewis would add a third tally in the waning minutes of the match to put the game away.

Los Angeles enter Saturday following a 2-2 home draw against New Mexico United on Sunday. After finding themselves with a 0-2 deficit at halftime, Los Dos rallied in the second half to notch a pair of goals, salvaging a point from the night. Cameron Dunbar and Jonathan Perez both found the net after the hour mark and within less than 10 minutes of each other. Galaxy II are currently on the outside looking in for a spot in the playoffs and are just one point off-pace from Las Vegas Lights FC.

Charleston arrive in California for their third-consecutive road match of the month after defeating New York Red Bulls II last Friday, 1-3. The Battery controlled the game throughout the night as both Augustine Williams (PK) and Aidan Apodaca scored in the first half. Apodaca notched his first brace with the club by adding another tally in the second half. It was among the best displays from Charleston in moving the ball and creating chances this season and the team will look to carry that form to the West Coast this weekend.

The Battery currently lead the all-time series against Los Dos with a 2W-0L-0D record. The inaugural meeting between the sides came in 2014, a 3-0 home victory for the Black and Yellow.

The match will be a return to old stomping grounds for Augustine Williams, who featured in 53 matches for Galaxy II from 2019 to 2021, scoring 20 goals and adding four assists.

Saturday’s meeting will be the final regular season match between Charleston and Los Angeles in the USL Championship as Galaxy II are slated to join MLS NEXT Pro in 2023.

Ones to Watch

Los Angeles – Preston Judd
Judd will be one to watch if he is included in Yoann Damet’s side this weekend as he is Los Dos’ most potent player. The striker, who splits his time with the MLS side, is Galaxy II’s top scorer with 12 goals, along with three assists, in 20 appearances. Judd notched a hat trick against Monterey Bay FC in June and a brace against San Diego Loyal SC in July. His most recent action came in a friendly against Liga MX side C.D. Guadalajara with LA Galaxy, scoring one goal. Judd has not featured in Los Dos’ previous two matches but will definitely be a factor if he does return to action with the squad on Saturday.

Charleston – Aidan Apodaca
On the opposite attacking side, Apodaca turned in a commanding performance against New York where he tallied two goals in less than an hour of work. Aidan was additionally accurate on three of his four shots and had one chance created on Friday. The forward and Rancho Cucamonga native will be returning to familiar territory in California. Look for Apodaca, the Battery’s most capped player this season with a team-high 24 appearances, to build upon his performance against Red Bulls II this weekend in Los Angeles.

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