The Charleston Battery played Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC to a scoreless draw at Patriots Point on Saturday. The 0-0 result marks the 17th draw in the all-time series between the two clubs. Defense dominated the night and only five shots on target were recorded, two by the Battery and three by the Riverhounds.
It was a mixed bag in the early stages of the first half. Pittsburgh registered five shots through the first 20 minutes but only one was on target, while the Battery retained nearly 70% of possession in that time.
Charleston’s defense absorbed the pressure from the visitors well and goalkeeper Daniel Kuzemka made two fine saves in the opening half.
The Battery and Riverhounds went into the break tied at 0-0. Charleston held just under 69% of possession in the first half, but only recorded one shot on target (Juan David Torres, 33’).
Kuzemka was tested again early out of the interval and was called upon to make a save in the 52nd minute to deny Robbie Mertz.
Much of the intensity between the sides began to temper as the half wore on. This trend continued through the hour-mark until Ben Pirmann made some offensive-minded adjustments with Diego Gutierrez and Josh Drack substituting into the game in the 65th minute.
The Battery sent in a handful of shots after the personnel change, including an on-target attempt by Graham Smith in the 74th minute. On the opposite end, Charleston’s defense held Pittsburgh without a shot on target for the rest of the evening.
Despite Charleston’s late push for a winner, the match ended in a 0-0 draw. It’s the 17th draw in the all-time series between Charleston and Pittsburgh.
The clean sheet was Daniel Kuzemka’s third of the year and second in as many games. Charleston currently lead the league in shutouts with eight.
Saturday’s draw moves the Battery’s record to 8W-1L-5D (29pts), placing them second in the Eastern Conference, three points out of first-place Louisville and six points clear of third-place Indy.
