On Wednesday night, Orlando City will travel to South Carolina where they will face the Charleston Battery in the fourth round of the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. While this is the first time the Lions will face the Battery in a competitive match as an MLS team, these two foes have a long history.
In Orlando City’s four years in USL, the Lions and Battery faced off 13 times (10 USL, 2 USL playoffs, 1 U.S. Open Cup). Overall it was a one sided affair between the two teams with the Lions winning 10, losing once, and drawing twice.
The most contentious game between these two sides came on August 30, 2013, at the Orlando Citrus Bowl. It was a USL semifinal between the league’s two previous champions for the right to play in the Championship Game. The Lions took a commanding lead scoring three goals in the first 20 minutes. But Charleston came storming back with goals in the 33rd and 60th minutes to cut the lead to one.
Tempers flared in the 75th minute with a pair of red cards. After Lions striker Long Tan was booked for diving in the box he and Battery captain Colin Falvey traded blows resulting in both being shown to the gate. The Lions would hold on to that one goal lead and go on to win their second USL Pro title in three years.
Tan’s suspension for the final due to the red card also resulted in one of the most memorable performances for Orlando City. Needing a striker, City brought back Sporting Kansas City’s Dom Dwyer on a one game loan. Dwyer would score four goals against the Charlotte Eagles in the team’s 7-4 victory garnering MVP honors for the championship game.
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Adding interest to this matchup, Orlando City has two former Battery players on their coaching staff. Lions’ assistant Ian Fuller played for the Battery from 2006-2010 making 76 appearances for the club. It was the longest stint he had for one club as a player. In 2012 Fuller was a player-coach for the Lions having joined the club for its inaugural season in 2011. On July 19, the two sides faced off in Charleston. Down 1-0 in second half injury time, the Lions scored twice to steal three points and it was Fuller with the winning goal two minutes into added time.
Another assistant coach for the Lions, Mark Watson, also has a long history with the Battery. Watson had his first stint with the South Carolina club from 2002-2004 where, as a defender, he represented the club 70 times. After a brief stint with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Watson played another 20 games for the Battery in 2006-2007 before hanging up his cleats for good.
Watson’s second stint in Charleston came with an assistant coaching role under long time Battery coach Michael Anhaeuser. Watson would stay in Charleston as an assistant coach until 2009 when he would leave to join Canada’s U-20 coaching staff and eventually the San Jose Earthquakes.
In a year where Orlando City is facing many opponents for the first time, Wednesday night will see the Lions taking on an old foe. The Lions and Battery have a long history with many heated confrontations and several players at each club having been a part of their contentious battles. This U.S. Open Cup matchup will add another chapter to the long history between these two successful clubs.
