Atlanta United will host Charleston in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday at Kennesaw State.
For more about the Battery, Johnathan Ace answered five questions ahead of the game. Ace runs The Black and Yellow Post, which is in its second year covering the Battery, and is the team’s only independent news source. You can follow BYP on Twitter & Facebook @BlackYellowPost.
1. Who will fill in at striker for Romario Williams, on loan from Atlanta United? Williams is with the Jamaican national team.
A: Most likely, the next man in will be Heviel Cordoves. He's similar in strength and size to Williams, and while not as prolific, still fairly puts himself about when the need arises. He makes up for what he lacks with work rate and the ability to link up with other players, so he's still a threat despite being behind Williams in the pecking order.
2. Why hasn’t Atlanta United loanee Jeffrey Otoo played more this season?
A: Depth is the issue for Otoo. He's got three players ahead of him in the pecking order. While he's still gotten a handful of minutes this year, we're in a position where we don't necessarily need to play the loanees. The players ahead of him are stalwarts for the team. Maikel Chang is one of the Battery's best players, and there's been rumblings of him moving on to bigger things for a few years, while Dante Marini's work rate is something that Mike Anheuser admires greatly. Kotaro Higashi, perhaps his closest rival for a spot, has been one of the surprise packages of the new season.
3. What is a matchup to watch?
A: It'll be really interesting to see how the defense matches up against Atlanta's attack. The backline is usually solid, led by Captain Taylor Mueller and his center-half partner Forrest Lasso, and the Battery have shown for years that that they are an organized and composed group back there. Full backs Obi Woodbine and Quinton Griffith are given license to join attacks and can give the Battery forwards some great service, whilst also having the speed and strength needed to defend on the other side of the ball. The game in the CCC was a tight one and a tough loss for the Battery, and I'm sure they'll have that in their minds going into this game.
4. Has Charleston mentioned if it’s odd to be playing their affiliate in the tournament?
A: Not especially. There was a bit of confusion whether the loanees were able to play, but in Williams' case at least, the Jamaica call up made that a bit moot. They're definitely up for it though, and have been known to earn a few scalps before. To most, this is a normal game, but don't be surprised if there is a little bit of spice added to it.
5. Predicted score?
A: I think that the Battery may well come out looking to attack and get an early goal, and then try and soak up pressure. With the weapons at Tata’s disposal however, this mightn’t be the best plan of attack. I think both teams will score, so perhaps a with extra time being a toss up.
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