The Charleston Battery’s Week 21 continues with a road match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Sat., July 27. Kickoff at Al Lang Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the match will stream on ESPN+.
Charleston and Tampa Bay renew their rivalry with the first their meeting of 2024. The Battery’s last trip to Al Lang Stadium ended in a dramatic 1-2 victory for Charleston with Augi Williams scoring on the last kick of the match.
The Battery (12W-2L-7D, 43pts) head to Florida coming off a 1-2 win over Loudoun United FC on Wednesday. Nathan Dossantos and Nick Markanich scored in the first half and the team withstood Loudoun’s last-gasp attempt for an equalizer. The victory extended Charleston’s undefeated run to six matches.
The Rowdies (10W-4L-5D, 35pts) return home after a 0-2 road win over Indy Eleven last weekend. Tampa Bay were led by goals from Cal Jennings and Damian Rivera to stop a red-hot Indy side. The duo of Jennings and Manuel Arteaga lead the Rowdies offense with 25 combined goals and assists.
Looking at the Eastern Conference standings, the Battery are in second and Tampa Bay are in third.
Storylines of the Match
No Quarter Derby Returns – Charleston and Tampa Bay will write a new chapter in the No Quarter Derby, the name given for the fixture by the clubs’ respective supporter groups. The Battery lead the all-time series with a 10W-8L-3D record over Tampa Bay.
Battery’s Fast Starts – Kicking off matches on the front foot has been key for the Battery this year. Charleston currently leads the league with 19 first-half goals scored across their 21 regular season matches.
Top Offenses Clash – Saturday will see two of the league’s top-three attacks square off. Charleston are ranked second in goals per match (1.9) while Tampa Bay check in at third in goals per match (1.7). Additionally, the league’s No. 1 goal-contribution duo of Markanich and Myers (33) will duke it out against the No. 2 goal-contribution duo of Jennings and Arteaga (25).
However, Top Goalkeepers Stand in the Way – Not be outdone, there will also be two of the league’s best goalkeepers this year tasked with stopping those attackers. The Battery’s Adam Grinwis and the Rowdies’ Jordan Farr currently rank tied for the second-most shutouts. As a team, Charleston have the most shutouts (11) and Tampa Bay have the third-most (eight).
Dossantos Finds Scoring Boots – After not scoring in the previous two-plus seasons, defender Nathan Dossantos has scored in two of the Battery’s last three matches. The goals represent Dossantos’ only career professional goals and were impactful, sparking the comeback against Hartford and helping ignite the win over Loudoun.
Markanich Movin’ On Up – With his 19th goal of the season on Wednesday, Nick Markanich took sole possession of the fifth-most goals scored in a single season for the Battery (all competitions). The all-time rank includes:
27 – Paul Conway (2001)
24 – Patrick Olalere (1996)
23 – Paul Young (1994, 1995)
20 – Paul Conway (1999)
19 – Nick Markanich (2024, Active)
Regular Season Record in Sight – Looking at regular season league matches only, the Battery’s single-season goals record is 23, set by Paul Young in the 1995 USISL Pro season. All 19 of Markanich’s goals have come in the USLC regular season, putting Young’s record squarely within Markanich’s reach.
MATCH INFO
Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Charleston Battery
Saturday, July 27 – 7:30 p.m. ET Kickoff
Al Lang Stadium
HOW TO WATCH:
Saturday’s match will stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league’s YouTube channel for free internationally.
