Written by Raul Sosa
Charleston, SC - The opening game for the Carolina Challenge Cup took place at Blackbaud Stadium, home of Charleston Battery. The host and only USL Pro team participating at the tournament played against Houston Dynamo at 5:00pm. The odds for Charleston on beating Dynamo were minimum, but the locals found courage in beating the MLS beasts and give their beloved fans a night to remember. Austin Savage scored the only goal of the match and gave his team their first three points on the initial game at the preseason tournament with a 1-0 victory over the Dynamo
Houston’s tactic during the entire game was controlling the ball at the middle of the field. Passing through balls and relying on multiple cross-balls were the instructions given by Owen Coyle, Houston Dynamo’s Head Coach to his players in order to penetrate Charleston’s defense. The Dynamo had the most control of the game with a total of 13 shots on goal, 4 corner kicks and 2 offside attack attempts. Despite all of these attempts on scoring, it was impossible for Houston in founding a way to score on their MLS preseason test.
On the other side, it was the Charleston player’s lucky night. Their fans inspired them from start to end. Especially Goalkeeper Joe Willis, who was the man of the match in the tournaments’ opening game. He saved his team up to four times and gave assurance to their defenses and midfielders on defending their side for almost 30 consecutive minutes. It was on a counter attack when Charleston Battery turned the game to Houston Dynamo’s side for 10 minutes. That time was enough to create potential danger. Austin Savage connected with a volley inside the penalty box, converting Charleston’s lone goal of the night, it proved to be all they would need.
Nobody thought that Charleston Battery were going to beat Houston Dynamo because of the fact that Houston is currently dominating in the MLS. For the upcoming Cup fixtures, Charleston Battery is playing Orlando City SC on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 PM, while Houston Dynamo plays New York City FC on the same day at the same stadium at 5PM.
Houston’s tactic during the entire game was controlling the ball at the middle of the field. Passing through balls and relying on multiple cross-balls were the instructions given by Owen Coyle, Houston Dynamo’s Head Coach to his players in order to penetrate Charleston’s defense. The Dynamo had the most control of the game with a total of 13 shots on goal, 4 corner kicks and 2 offside attack attempts. Despite all of these attempts on scoring, it was impossible for Houston in founding a way to score on their MLS preseason test.
On the other side, it was the Charleston player’s lucky night. Their fans inspired them from start to end. Especially Goalkeeper Joe Willis, who was the man of the match in the tournaments’ opening game. He saved his team up to four times and gave assurance to their defenses and midfielders on defending their side for almost 30 consecutive minutes. It was on a counter attack when Charleston Battery turned the game to Houston Dynamo’s side for 10 minutes. That time was enough to create potential danger. Austin Savage connected with a volley inside the penalty box, converting Charleston’s lone goal of the night, it proved to be all they would need.
Nobody thought that Charleston Battery were going to beat Houston Dynamo because of the fact that Houston is currently dominating in the MLS. For the upcoming Cup fixtures, Charleston Battery is playing Orlando City SC on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 PM, while Houston Dynamo plays New York City FC on the same day at the same stadium at 5PM.