July 23, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
While they may not be natural geographic rivals, the matchup between Tampa Bay Rowdies and Charleston Battery has produced some exciting and contentious contests over the years. This Saturday’s meeting at Al Lang Stadium, the 22nd match between the two sides, is sure to be another compelling entry in the series history as both clubs look to gain ground in the standings race.
When the Rowdies first entered the league in 2017, Charleston was one of the club’s with a consistent track record of success that the Rowdies looked to emulate. At the time, Charleson had qualified for the playoffs nine straight seasons and claimed two league titles under then head coach Michael Anhaeuser. When Neill Collins took charge of the Rowdies in May of 2018, there was a sense that if the club was going to become a consistent title contender, they would inevitably have to go through clubs like Charleston and Louisville City FC to do so.
That’s exactly what they did in 2020, knocking out Charleston in the Eastern Conference Semifinals and then Louisville in the Conference Final. Those back-to-back playoff wins were a watershed moment for the Rowdies, who went on to repeat as Conference Champions and win the league’s Players’ Shield the following year.
As the Rowdies rose in the ranks with three straight appearances in the Conference Final, Charleston ebbed in the rankings. The South Carolina side missed the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons in 2021, leading to a parting of ways with Anhaeuser. Charleston fell even further the following year as they finished the 2022 season third from the bottom in the league standings with only 25 points.
Charleston’s fortunes have turned around the last two seasons, though. In his first season at the helm, head coach Ben Pirmann led the Battery to an Eastern Conference title and their first appearance in the league’s championship final in over a decade. Charleston is right back in the thick of the title race this season, as they currently sit second in the league’s overall standings with 40 points through 20 matches played. Sitting third in the standings with 35 points, the Rowdies will be eager to claim all three points off of Charleston this week and close the gap as the second half of the season gears up.
“Charleston has some real quality players,” says Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson, who will get his first taste of the Rowdies-Battery rivalry…