CHESTER, Pa. (October 18, 2019) – After claiming a draw last weekend on the road, Bethlehem Steel FC (8-18-7, 16th place in East) looks to play spoiler to Charleston Battery’s postseason dreams on Saturday afternoon in the club’s 2019 USL Championship regular season finale. Steel FC takes on Charleston Battery (10-10-13, 10th place in East) at MUSC Health Stadium this Saturday, October 19, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Of note, kickoff has been moved to 2:00 p.m. ET, originally scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, due to the potential impact of Tropical Storm Nestor.
Faris scored his 10th goal of the season in the Steel’s last match at Ottawa Fury FC, a 1-1 draw between the two Eastern Conference sides. The goal was a big milestone for the Cameroonian forward, as he joined Seku Conneh (2017) as the only other player to notch 10 in a single season for Steel FC. Now with one more match left to play in 2019, the Boys in Blue are ready to give their all in the hopes of blocking the Battery from the 2019 USL Championship Playoffs. Charleston sits in the final place off spot with 43 points, with Birmingham Legion FC only ahead in ninth position based on the overall wins tiebreaker. Saint Louis FC sits a lone point behind the Battery and will hope the Steel can lift them to the postseason. Any result from the Steel could give Saint Louis a chance to knock Charleston below the line.
Playing the role of spoiler could occur for Steel FC as they knocked off the Battery by a 3-1 margin at Talen Energy Stadium when the two sides met in April. Philadelphia Union forward Kacper Przybylko tallied a brace, scoring in the 44th and 70th minutes, while Union defender Fabinho captained the Steel and scored in the 67th minute of a penalty kick, his first professional goal since August 16, 2015 in an MLS game against the Chicago Fire. Neither will feature in this match, but the Steel have seen others like Michee Ngalina and Faris step up to the plate in the attack. For the Battery, Ian Svantesson may have cooled off from his hot start to 2019, but Zeiko Lewis is still on a tear after scoring a team-high seven goals this season. The Steel need to be careful against a team that needs every point they can get. On the other hand, with nothing to lose the Steel are just as dangerous.
Bethlehem Steel FC heads down to South Carolina for the club’s final match of the 2019 USL Championship regular season. The Boys in Blue take on Charleston Battery on Saturday, October 19 with kickoff from MUSC Health Stadium set for 2:00 p.m. ET. Kickoff has been moved to 2:00 p.m. ET, originally scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, due to the potential impact of Tropical Storm Nestor. Fans can still catch all the action live on ESPN+.
MATCH INFORMATION
2019 USL Championship Regular Season
Date: October 19, 2019
Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. ET
Location: MUSC Health Stadium, Charleston, S.C.
Referee: J.J. Bilinski
Assistant Referees: Howard Ash; Nicholas Seymour
Fourth Official: James Felluca
Bethlehem Steel FC: 8-18-7, 16th place
Charleston Battery: 10-10-13, 10th place
Match Day Twitter: @BSteelFC
Game Day Hashtag: #CHSvBST
Match Center: https://bit.ly/2IU4w0b
Watch: ESPN+
