Courtesy of JRedknapp11, the Soccer Scribe. US Open Cup 4th Round August 2nd 7:30pm Charleston Battery vs. FC Dallas " Don't leave home without it " Seems most of Charleston has August 2nd circled off on their calanders and who can blame them. The Battery will be welcoming in the red hot Dallas FC. It seems most pundits are leaning on Dallas going through to the 5th round due to their current form in the MLS. However, a closer look at Dallas will show that scoreline could very well end up in Charleston's favor. While the MLS has been set alight by Dallas FC this season, the majority of their domminance has been at home in the new Cardboard Pizza Box Stadium. Away from home Dallas has manged to only break even with 3 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws. Of those three wins , one came against MLS bottom dwellers Real Salt Lake in the form of a lackluster 1-0 victory. Next up was a win against the hapless Metrostars with a 2-1 victory over a team with no coach and no leadership and no Youri. Lastly the third win for Dallas was against their rival, the Chicago Fire. While it's always nice to come out of a derby match with a "W", the 3-2 performance still has some questioning wether or not Dallas can win a big match away from home. When you through in last season's erratic away form, it really go's to show they just shouldn't leave home. "Never forget the Deering" A little FYI for those of you heading out to Blackbaud on the 2nd. Last seasons fashion trend of wearing turn coats was mainly thought to be made popular by the King of turncoats himself, Alan Woods, but it was actually former Dallas Burn midfielder Chad Deering who tossed on the turn coat during the 2005 preseason and subsequently walked out on the Battery and back to Dallas. While most in Texas may never forget the Alamo, we here in Charleston will surely let the Dallas FC players know that we've never forgotten the Deering. "Nice Hatrick" While some fans in Dallas may have you thinking that they and the MLS rule the Open Cup, one glance at the Dallas history books will have you thinking otherwise. While 1997 shows a Cup Championship for Dallas it was only 2003 when Wilmington simply dismantled Dallas 4-1 in the fourth round. 2001 had Dallas falling to another USL club, this time the Seattle Sounders made easy work of the Burn by walking out with a 3-2 victory. 1999 caps off our saltue to the Dallas hatrick as the Burn managed to drop another Open Cup match to a USL club, this time Rochester reaped the soils with a 2-1 victory. Hopefully 2006 will bring the Dallas magic number up to 4 courtesy of the Charleston Battery. "A couple of impertinant thoughts on some pertinant subjects" ---1997 may of brought Dallas FC a US Open Cup Championship, however they only faced two MLS clubs, Metrostars & Chicago Fire. Dallas's match against the Metrostars will forever be remembered for Dallas's midfielder Damain muggin Roberto Donadoni on tackle after tackle with the referee giving no cards. Dallas went on to win in overtime as two blown offside calls capped off one of the worst officiated matches in Open Cup history. The finals brought on the Fire where Dallas managed to squeak another one out, this time in pk's to grab the Cup. Thought this should be mentioned to help ease those Dallas fan's back to reality. ---Keep an eye on the surpisingly quiet Lazo Alavanja. If there ever was a situation to spark the midfielding mystro, it's this Weds. match against Dallas. Lazo used to ply his trade in Dallas with the Burn and there certainly couldn't be any better feeling for Lazo then putting in a memorable performance against his former club. ---While we are talking about Lazo, we should also keep in mind that if it wasn't for Deering walking out on the Battery our midfield just may of not needed the arrival of Lazo. Deering or Lazo... Lazo any day of the week.... thanks again Chad. ---Hollywood has simply owned the Open Cup so far this season with 3 goals in two matches, including player of the match honors in both. ---Mark Watson went another full ninety on Saturday against the Thunder. Should be interesting to see if Watson puts in another honorable perforance in the backline on Weds. night. --- 5-14 is your new number as Weds. night will kick off a 14 day stretch that includes five matches, 3 home, 2 away. --- With a win of Weds. the number above will inflate to 6-21 with the next round taking place on 8/23. --- Usiel Vasquez.. thought I'd say that name again. --- If Weds night didn't already have enough hype behind it, here's another log for the fire. The Carolina Dynamo will be hosting Houston. Both series will see the winners match up and derby implications are abound. Houston-Dallas or Carolina-Charleston. Nottingham Forrest Dynamo-Battery battle in the 5th round is what the Open Cup is all about...good luck Nottingham Forrest Dynamo. Players to Watch...... Battery : Lazo Alavanja...hopefully seeing Dallas will bring out the beast that lives inside Lazo. Ben Hollingsworth...9 goals on the season, including three in the Open Cup make Ben the bookmakers favorite to hit first for the Battery. Gavin Glinton... 11 goals on the season so far has Gavin top of the charts for the Battery. Stephen Armstrong... this is the match he was brought in this season to win...this could be his night given Dallas's soft defensive wing play. Dusty... Couldn't ask for a better man to be between the sticks. His veteran background and all around skills will have the defense calm and collective well before the start of the match. Dallas FC : Dario Sala... The Burn keeper should be in net with Shaka Hislop still waiting to get the green light. Sala has been inconsistant in his performances and the smaller Blackbaud pitch will surely test his less then spectacular distrubution skills. Personally I think this match is going to see Jeff Cassar get a look as he is about to become 3rd string, so this might be a suitable setting for Dallas to put him in the "shop window." Kenny Cooper... The Dallas striker has been in form as of late and with his English playing background he'll surely be playing Weds. night's cup match at his highest level. Simo Valakari... The veteran has quietly played some solid football for Dallas since his arrival from Derby County, which has been surpising has he was complete pants in England. His age and Dallas's depth in midfield may have Simo sitting for the start of the match. Alex Yi... The former Silverwanker himself is getting looks here and there on the pitch. Possibly his history against Charleston might get him on the pitch for a full ninety. If not make sure to send your "regards" to him on the bench/field. Marcelo Saragosa.... could be the X factor for Dallas as his agility and vision could be the difference maker for Dallas. Bobby Rhine... Although Dallas has a few other players of mention, the last look has to go to Rhine. He so similar to Steve Klein (Caps=Battery). He always puts in a hard days work on the pitch and if he's included on Weds. , it will be surely be another day at the office for Bobby. Final Thoughts...... Battery have the squad to pull of a victory against Dallas. Karalexis is back to old form, Curran is playing quality defense and the rest of the back line has been class all season. There's enough youth and veteran energy to the backline, that will surely make it hard for Dallas to get anything going. The midfield needs to be on it's "A" game as their pace and choices with the ball can truly take Dallas out of the match. Our wingers, Daley/Armstrong can both run at and through the Dallas midfield and hopefully we'll see nothing less. Hopefully Fuller and Lazo play off of each other and we can see both use their size and speed to our advantage. A truly ticked off and angry Lazo chipping in on tackles and making blinding runs would do so well against that Dallas midfied with Fuller at his side. I really hope we let it open again and set the midfield loose. It seems we always play our home match in the Open Cup with an anchor in the ground for 90 minutes. Lone striker ? I think if we place Glinton uptop byhimself, then let's place Ben underhim. Auggie can have Ben shift up or down accordingly but more importantly it gives a good chance to grab the ball early and dictate the pace of the match. If we can dictate a quick attack through the wingers then we should be looking pretty sweet come around 9:50pm or so. Final Score.... Battery 3 Dallas FC 2 [ 07-31-2006, 01:42 AM: Message edited by: jredknapp11 ]
Section E10.... sit inside the Brig with the Underground and Regiment supporters... you'll be glad you did.
I take it we're opening both sides of the stadium for this one? I'm sure the crowd will be double the last time.
yes both sides will be open. I expect the crowd to be around 2500. I would love to see a crowd about the size of the Colorado match a couple years ago (4100) but I think it will be tough as High school soccer and football started practiing this week. combine that with a mid week match, and a short led in time to the match, it woulod be tough. Hope you had a good trip Ox and welcome back Mikey
I want to point out that in 2001, the Burn didn't lose to the Seattle Sounders, they lost to the Seattle Sounders Select.
Anybody got a run-down of the Battery's 3-5 record in the USOC? I want to say I've seen New York play in Charleston twice and Colorado once, but I come so irregularly that I'm afraid I'm mixing those games and results with the Carolina Challenge Cup? Any help? Has the Battery played NY twice in USOC play? ...and by the way, at the Colorado game, while sitting in E10 actually, (and ragging on Chris Carrieri, who'd rolled his white shorts down and looked like he was accessorizing with a little, yet oh so cute, black belt), I was getting eaten by mosquitoes! Is it still bad down there? Am I gonna need buckets of OFF?
at least 90 at gametime, sport some deodarant, so everyone around you can watch the game too. It's hard to watch a game, when your eyes are watering.
1999 2r - v. Wilmington Hammerheads (PDL), 2-1 3r - v. DC United, 4-3(aet) QF - v. Staten Island Vipers (A), 2-1 SF - v. Colorado Rapids, 0-3 2000 2r - v. DC United, 0-4 2001 2r - v. MetroStars, 4-1 3r - v. New England Revolution, 1-2 2002 2r - v. Greenville Lions (PDL), 3-0 3r - v. Colorado Rapids, 0-1(aet) 2004 3r - v. Wilmington Hammerheads (PSL), 2-0 4r - v. MetroStars, 1-0 QF - v. Rochester Raging Rhinos (A), 1-0 SF - v. Chicago Fire, 0-1 (aet) 2005 3r - v. Des Moines Menace (PDL), 2-3
We've played NY 3 times and beaten them each time. twice tine the open cup and once in teh CCC. Colorado was loss for us. i remember because my Chelseas hero Johnny Spencer scored te winner but e was returned to his throne after I spoke with him in the pub over a beer. DC is the other MLS team we've defeated in the USOC. See ya tommorrow. mikey
a little insight to FC Dallas http://www.3rddegree.net/thirdindex.cfm?page=article&show=19618 it appears no Ruiz, Mulrooney, Vanney, Mina, McCarty, Wilson, Wagner, and Cassar. and questionable to start Wagenfuhr, O'Brien. here is there posible starting line up Thompson Cooper Alvarez Saragosa Valakari Núñez Gbandi Goodson Moor Rhine Sala
Thanks! Still hobbling around a bit, but I look forward to seeing everyone and a fierce match tonight!
It'll be hotter than 4 whores in church come KO. I want everyone to drink plenty of fluids (i.e. beer) and be ripe for 90' of mayhem. ElJefe will be in town and we must embarrass his Cowgirls properly. If you're looking for a place to engage in said mayhem, come on over to E10. PS It's Brad Pitt's birthday today so I know his pump will be primed.....
The article in today's paper was on Ben, not specifically the match tonight: Proving His Worth On our recent winning streak, this seems to be our "A" lineup now: Dusty Hudock, Brandon Curran, Tim Karalexis, Anthony Catalano, Mark Watson, Lazo Alavanja, Omar Daley, Stephen Armstrong, Ian Fuller, Ben Hollingsworth, Gavin Glinton Luke and Troy off the bench, at a minimum. Maybe Teba if Gavin tires.
What an incredible match that was! They had it won, then we had it won, then they won it. Great effort by all players, great atmosphere in the stands - too bad that game can't be shown on FSC! That Cooper guys a beast! Poor Luke, can't fault him too much on the PK b/c someone was going to have to miss at some point - just bad luck for him. I'd say he also saved a goal by tracking back and defending right at the end of the match.
Hear! Hear! Fantastic match! Well worth the 360 miles round trip. The result would have been academic (outside of the two smacked crossbars) if Fuller and Glinton had fed Hollingsworth running free at the back post when each had the opportunity, instead of trying their own poor choices. Charleston's Omar Daley can fly! Anyone who can dust Gbandi repeatedly is really bookin'! Unfortunately for the Battery, Dominic Oduro was doing the same on Dallas' right late in the match. Charleston's (beautiful) game-winning goal evaporated because Oduro's speed freed him up to feed Cooper. (By the way, Cooper's 1st goal was a brain-fart let-up by the Battery defense seconds before the half). Take away a handful of Dallas players and I see little difference between MLS and USL1. PS. Mikey, was that you in the gray T-shirt? Sorry, I didn't come speak, but I just kept hopping from one good seat to another. Next time guys. Promise!
Yes I was wearing a gray t-shirt with a pair of kahki dickies feel free to stop by anytime your in town. Mikey
Great game by the Battery. You guys could have easily won it if your finishing was just inches better. It's games like this that really make we wish we could have some kind of pro/rel in the US. I'd much rather see Charleston in the top flight than the likes of SLC or Columbus if you play like that every week. Kick-ass video stream for away fans as well.