By: Battery Media
The Charleston Battery commence their 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup campaign on Wednesday, April 6th, against South Georgia Tormenta FC at Patriots Point. Kickoff for the Cup tie is slated for 7 pm as Charleston and Tormenta enter in the Second Round of the knockout competition.
Charleston and Tormenta will clash again after previously meeting in the Open Cup in 2018. The Black and Yellow won that match 1-0 after a first-half goal from Patrick Okonkwo was enough to advance the home side to the next round.
“[The Open Cup] is a tournament-based, win-or-go-home scenario, it's all about mentality and competition, and that's something right now that's going to be really important for this team,” said Battery head coach Conor Casey. “The Open Cup was always a great opportunity, as a player, to get minutes against some teams that you haven't played before.”
Tormenta kicked off their USL League One season on Saturday against North Carolina FC, suffering a 0-1 defeat in their home opener. North Carolina found the back of the net in the 22nd minute via Garrett McLaughlin and that goal proved to make the difference. The scoreline doesn't tell the whole story, however, as Tormenta held roughly 72% of possession during the contest, along with outshooting NCFC, 14 to four.
Charleston are now four games into their USL Championship season with a 1-3-0 record in that span. The record is another number that doesn't tell the whole story, as the Black and Yellow have demonstrated their ability put teams under pressure early – the side currently leads the league in goals within the first 15 minutes of the first half (three). Augustine Williams tallied his second goal last Friday, after that same pressure resulted in a penalty in the box for an ensuing penalty that Williams then converted on.
Both sides will look rebound from their previous results, which should make the win-or-go-home fixture on Wednesday a competitive one.
In addition to facing each other in 2018, the familiarity between the clubs extends to the rosters. Defender Leland Archer played for Tormenta in 2017 prior to signing with Charleston in 2018, and current Tormenta players Deshawon Nembhard and Arther Bosua previously played for the Battery.
Charleston have built a strong reputation in the competition and are the most recent non-MLS club to reach the Open Cup Final (2008, against D.C. United).
In the 107th edition of the tournament, Wednesday's match will be the first-ever Open Cup game played at Patriots Point.
