Charleston SC. The Charleston Battery will face two Major League Soccer opponents as it prepares for it's 2002 A-League campaign. First up is the Western Conference Dallas Burn who will play the Battery, Saturday, March 30th at Blackbaud Stadium. Kick off is set for 7:30 PM. Then, on Saturday April 13th the Eastern Conference New England Revolution arrive for the second MLS pre-season exhibition, kick off is also set for 7:30 PM, again the match will be played at Blackbaud Stadium. Fan's who purchase Charleston Battery 2002 season tickets before March 25th will receive complimentary tickets to both games ($24 value).
Charleston Battery Head Coach, Chris Ramsey, "I'm delighted to get the opportunity to play teams of this caliber during our pre-season. Both teams feature some of the top soccer talent currently playing in the US. The MLS season will be underway when they arrive so they will be firing on all cylinders. These are two huge tests for us."
Battery vs Burn 03/30/02
The March 30th visit by the Dallas Burn will mark the first time Dallas has played the Charleston Battery. The Burn roster features a host of high-quality international and domestic players including US Men's National Team members, Eddie Johnson, Chad Deering and Jason Kreis. Kreis is the 3rd all-time leading scorer in Major League Soccer with 66 goals.
Also featured on the team are El Salvador National Team stars, Ronald Cerritos and Jorge Rodriguez in addition to Colombian international, Oscar Pareja. The Burn also recently acquired Northern Ireland's Steve Morrow. Morrow played 31 times for the Northern Ireland National Team and also played for Arsenal in the English Premier league.
The Burn also has the 20-year-old Bolivian international Joselita Vaca on its roster. Vaca is viewed by many as the eventual heir to Marco Etcheverry and made his National Team debut when he was only 18 years old
Dallas has several strong ties to the A-League. Second year Head Coach Mike Jeffries previously coached the New Orleans Storm while his assistant, Colin Clarke is the former Head Coach of the Richmond Kickers and the San Diego Flash.
In 2001 the Dallas Burn was knocked out of the playoffs in the Western Conference semi-finals after compiling a regular season record of 10-11-5.
Battery vs Revolution 04/13/02
This is the second year in succession that the New England Revolution will visit the Charleston Battery for a pre-season exhibition match. Last year the Rev's defeated the Battery in early March by a score of two goals to one. The teams met for a second time on July 11th in a 3rd round US Open Cup match up at Foxboro Stadium in New England. Again the score was 2-1 in favor of the Revs.
The Revolution roster has changed considerably since the 2001 season with several new, high profile additions.
Alex Pineda Chacon who led the league in scoring last year and MLS's 2000 scoring champion Mamadou Diallo both come to New England as part of MLS's dispersal draft and will join former Clemson standout Wolde Harris in the forward line. Former Battery midfielder, Braeden Cloutier is part of the New England middle third that includes, Jamaican international, Andy Williams and US international, Jay Heaps.
The Revolution also acquired US Men's National Team defender, Carlos Llamosa and midfielder Steve Ralston in the MLS dispersal draft. Llamosa has been a mainstay on the US Men's National Team over the past three seasons and is likely to feature prominently in this summer's World Cup in South Korea / Japan. Ralston, a veteran midfielder, leads the league in career minutes.
Other off-season additions include, Taylor Twellman, the Rev's top draft pick who is seen by many as a future star, both of MLS and the US Men's National Team. Twellman comes to New England from the German Bundesliga where he was a reserve player for 1860 Munich. He is a veteran of the U20 National team and is in the player pool for the U23's.
In 2001 the Revolution saw more success in the US Open Cup than in the league. New England enjoyed an extended Cup run that took them to the US Open Cup Final where they lost 2-1 to the Los Angeles Galaxy. In the league, the Rev's missed out on the playoffs finishing third in the Eastern Division after posting a regular season record of 7-14-6.
New England is one of two MLS teams affiliated with the Charleston Battery in 2002. The agreement between MLS and the USL allows players to be available for the MLS combine and allows players to move from the A-League to MLS and from MLS to the A-League during the season. The Battery's other affiliate is the Metrostars.
MLS Exhibition Tickets - Free With Purchase of 2002 Season Ticket Package.
Tickets for both Major League Soccer exhibition games are on sale now. Prices range from $6 - $12. Season ticket holders and fans who purchase season tickets before March 30th will receive complimentary tickets to both matches ($24 value). Season ticket packages for the entire 2002 season begin at $90 or $300 for a family pack of four tickets. To purchase game tickets, season tickets or for more information please call the Charleston Battery ticket hotline, (843) 971-4625 or visit www.charlestonbattery.com.
2002 Season Tickets - Paul Conway 2001 A-League MVP Bobblehead Doll
Season Ticket packages for the Charleston Battery 2002 A-League season are on sale now. Prices remain at 2001 levels. In honor of striker, Paul Conway's nomination as 2001 A-League MVP the Charleston Battery has produced a limited edition Paul Conway Bobblehead Doll. Each season ticket order will receive a free bobblehead doll while supplies last. To purchase tickets or for more information about the various packages available, please call the Charleston Battery ticket hot-line 971-GOAL or visit www.charlestonbattery.com.
2002 Charleston Battery Schedule
Day Date Opponent Home/Away Time
Saturday March 30, 2002 Dallas Burn Home 7:30 PM
Saturday April 13, 2002 New England Revolution Home 7:30 PM
Saturday April 27, 2002 Pittsburgh Riverhounds Home 7:30 PM
Tuesday April 30, 2002 Hampton Roads Mariners Away 11:00 AM
Saturday May 4, 2002 Montreal Impact Home 7:30 PM
Wednesday May 8, 2002 Pittsburgh Riverhounds Away 11:00 AM
Friday May 10, 2002 Rochester Raging Rhinos Away 7:35 PM
Friday May 17, 2002 Richmond Kickers Home 7:30 PM
Saturday May 25, 2002 El Paso Patriots Home 7:30 PM
Friday May 31, 2002 Charlotte Eagles Home 7:30 PM
Saturday June 1, 2002 Charlotte Eagles Away 8:00 PM
Friday June 7, 2002 Toronto Lynx Home 7:30 PM
Sunday June 9, 2002 Toronto Lynx Away 4:00 PM
Saturday June 15, 2002 Hampton Roads Mariners Away 7:30 PM
Friday June 21, 2002 Atlanta Silverbacks Home 7:30 PM
Saturday June 22, 2002 Atlanta Silverbacks Away 6:00 PM
Wednesday June 26, 2002 Open Cup TBD TBD
Friday June 28, 2002 Montreal Impact Away 7:30 PM
Wednesday July 3, 2002 Hampton Roads Mariners Home 7:30 PM
Saturday July 6, 2002 Milwaukee Rampage Home 7:30 PM
Wednesday July 10, 2002 Richmond Kickers Away 7:00 PM
Wednesday July 17, 2002 Open Cup TBD TBD
Friday July 26, 2002 Atlanta Silverbacks Home 7:30 PM
Saturday July 27, 2002 Atlanta Silverbacks Away 6:00 PM
Thursday August 1, 2002 Rochester Raging Rhinos Home 7:30 PM
Wednesday August 7, 2002 Open Cup TBD TBD
Friday August 9, 2002 Charlotte Eagles Away 7:30 PM
Saturday August 10, 2002 Charlotte Eagles Home 7:30 PM
Wednesday August 14, 2002 Richmond Kickers Home 7:30 PM
Friday August 23, 2002 El Paso Patriots Away 9:35 PM
Sunday August 25, 2002 Indiana Blast Away 6:35 PM
Wednesday August 28, 2002 Richmond Kickers Away 7:00 PM
Saturday August 31, 2002 Hampton Roads Mariners Home 7:30 PM
All times are Eastern Standard Time / Bold = Open Cup
For the complete 2002 A-League schedule, please visit www.USLsoccer.com, the official Web site of United Soccer Leagues
For More Information, Contact:
Andrew Bell, Media Director
Charleston Battery
(843) 971-GOAL
Fax - (843) 856-6958
Andrew.Bell@CharlestonBattery.com
