By: Battery Media
The Charleston Battery host Hartford Athletic on Saturday, July 16th, in the first meeting between the clubs of the season. Kickoff at Patriots Point is slated for 8 p.m. ET.
The Battery lead the all-series with a 4W-2L-0D record against Hartford. Charleston and Hartford became familiar adversaries in 2021 with four fixtures as part of the Atlantic Division. Across the four games, the home team won each time. At Patriots Point, Charleston beat Hartford 3-1 and 4-3 in front of some of the year's highest attendance matches.
Hartford arrive in the Lowcountry following a 2-3 loss at home against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Athletic were down 0-1 at halftime but came out of the break with some gusto, scoring twice in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Danny Barrera and Rashawn Dally both found the back of the net for the hosts. Tampa Bay, however, leveled the score in the 73rd minute when Leo Fernandes converted from the penalty spot. He would do the same from the spot in stoppage time to lift the Rowdies past Hartford at Dillon stadium.
The Battery return to Patriots Point following a 1-0 defeat on the road against Miami. The hosts took the lead in the 4th minute via Romeo Parkes and that goal proved to be the match-winner. Charleston had a handful of close opportunities throughout the first half, including two shots off the woodwork by Augustine Williams, but couldn't find an equalizer. The Black and Yellow will look to build off the positives from the match, particularly in the strong build-up play along the flanks, this weekend.
Battery forward Augustine Williams is nearing the sesquicentennial mark in regular season USL Championship appearances. He currently has 148 to his name.
The Athletic are one of the newer clubs in the USL Championship and played their inaugural season in 2019. They faced the Battery twice that year, losing both times.
Charleston will face off against a trio of familiar faces on Hartford in Andre Lewis, Ariel Martinez and Logan Gdula. Lewis spent part of the 2014 season with the Battery, featuring in 14 matches on loan from MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Martinez was with the Battery in 2015 after defecting from Cuba, making his debut in the USL Playoffs. Gdula is the most recent former Charleston player, appearing in 36 matches from 2020 to 2021.
