Battery Travel to Pittsburgh for Midweek Clash

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By: Battery Media

The Charleston Battery head to Pennsylvania for a midweek match against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Wednesday, August 31st. Kickoff at Highmark Stadium is tabbed for 7 pm.

This will be the second time Charleston and Pittsburgh meet this season. The two sides clashed in June when the Battery blanked the Hounds 3-0 at Patriots Point. Augustine Williams, Andrew Booth and Romario Piggott all scored in the first half. Hugo Fauroux notched his first clean sheet with the club to secure the victory.

Pittsburgh return to their home grounds following a 1-2 road victory over Atlanta United 2 on Saturday. The Hounds were powered by a brace from Albert Dikwa on either side of halftime. Dikwa's second goal proved to be the match-winner after Atlanta equalized in the second half. Sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference standings, Pittsburgh are aiming to preserve their spot in postseason play while vying for a top-four finish to secure a home match in the playoffs.

Charleston will look to bounce back after falling 0-3 at home to Detroit City FC last Saturday. The match was scoreless at halftime, but the visitors' overbearing pursuit of breaking the deadlock in the second half made the difference. Pato Botello Faz netted twice and Detroit added a third via an own goal conceded by Patrick Hogan. The Black and Yellow are hoping for a turn in fortune on the road after their previous success against Pittsburgh.

Wednesday will be a clash between black-and-yellow 90s clubs when Charleston and Pittsburgh meet, however the Battery are six years the Hounds’ senior.

There is plenty of familiarity between the two rosters. Preston Kilwien, who joined the Battery ahead of the 2022 season, spent 2021 in Steel City and will be visiting his old stomping grounds for the first time. Current Hounds Angelo Kelly-Rosales and Dane Kelly host their former club for the first time after both joined Pittsburgh this past offseason.

AJ Paterson is nearing a personal milestone this week as he's poised to make his 75th club appearance (all competitions) on Wednesday.

Ones to Watch

Pittsburgh – Albert Dikwa Dikwa was the man of the hour against Atlanta when he bagged both goals in their victory on Saturday. The Cameroonian striker also registered one chance created, six duels won and earned a player rating of 8.9 (out of 10) from FotMob.com, the highest of the match. Dikwa has scored nine goals this season, the best mark of his career, and is a player the Battery will want to contain on Wednesday.

Charleston – Andrew Booth Booth has been working his way back into matches since making his return to action in mid-August against New York Red Bulls II. The June 11 match against Pittsburgh produced Andrew's best match of the season, he scored his first goal in the USL Championship and helped set up the Battery's third goal to put the game out of reach. He was also a force in the midfield, winning all three of his tackles and winning nine duels, and will look to replicate that production on Wednesday.

The Battery returned to training on Monday after a period of recovery and will travel to Pittsburgh on Tuesday.