Zeiko Lewis and his Charleston Battery further tightened their grip on second place in Group H after defeating Miami FC by a score of 3-1.
Having come in off the back of two straight wins in which they scored three goals each, the Battery looked to build on their good form in front of their fans, and they got off to a pretty quick start.
Leading goalscorer Lewis created the Battery’s first chance after seven minutes, getting on the end of a long ball on the right and creating space for himself with a little stop and go against his defender, getting the ball back onto his right before sending a cross in for Mauro Cichero in the middle, but the ball was hit with just a little bit too much pace as it went behind for a goal kick.
On 14′, a ball pulled back from the left would lead to a Cichero cross that would find Logan Gdula making his way forward, but his header would go over the bar.
A throw in laid off by Arthur Bosua after 25′ would fall into the path of Romario Piggott, who drove into the box and aim a shot for the far post, but Bryant Gammiero in the Miami goal would be equal to the effort.
Two minutes later, Lewis looked to stretch the defense again, streaking free on the right before teeing up Robbie Crawford, but his side footed effort from the edge of the box went over the bar.
And on 28′, it was a Crawford corner that was headed away that created the breakthrough. AJ Paterson sent it back into the danger zone low before it found the feet of Logan Gdula, who turned and fired a powerful effort into the back of the net off the crossbar
It was no more than what they deserved after their fast start, and it was a tidy finish from the full back Gdula, who’d made a good impression in his fledgling Battery career as he too, deserved his goal.
And the Battery’s foot would remain on the gas. On 33′, a Battery counter attack began by Lewis would find Angelo Kelly on the right, whose low driven cross into the middle would find Romario Piggott after a failed half clearance. It looked as if he took too long to fashion a clear cut chance, but the midfielder would create space for himself on the edge of the 18 yard box, before shooting into the bottom corner to double his side’s lead.
After failing to put away the first chance earlier, he took his goal well, making it two goals in two games for the Battery’s team leader for shots in 2020.
In the 53rd minute Janos Lobe would lead a Miami counter, find space beyond full back Logan Gdula and and pass off of for Miguel Gonzalez, who fired past Joe Kuzminsky to reduce the arrears.
After an hour, the Battery began to make changes. Lewis would make way for Nico Rittmeyer, while Dante Marini would replace Mauro Cichero. Both players played well, though perhaps with an eye toward the weekend’s clash with Tampa Bay, they took a well deserved rest.
On 63′, a diagonal ball from Leland Archer would find full back AJ Paterson. He would look up and find striker Arthur Bosua, who miscontrolled the cross, but would poke the ball toward the onrushing substitute Marini. The striker would shield a marker off the ball, allowing Marini the time and space to shoot, and the effort would squirm past the ‘keeper to restore his team’s two goal lead.