CHESTER, Pa. (April 13, 2019) – Bethlehem Steel FC played its sixth 2019 USL Championship match at home against Charleston Battery. Steel FC won their first meeting all time against the Battery 3-1. Steel FC also handed the Charleston Battery their first loss of the 2019 USL Championship regular season.
The home side made their presence known at the beginning of the first half when midfielder Michee Ngalina played in fellow midfielder Zach Zandi who had his shot blocked by a Battery defender. Steel FC continued to apply pressure on the visitors as Zandi sent forward Faris down the left side, but his outside-of-the-foot effort only managed to hit the side netting. The pressure finally paid off in the 44th minute when midfielder Issa Rayyan’s cross found Faris and was flicked on to Zach Zandi, who poked the ball into the path of Kacper Przybylko and the German attacker one-timed it into the net.
The second half started with Steel FC relying on goalkeeper Carlos Miguel Coronel to keep the Battery quiet. In the 51st minute Coronel saved a one-on-one breakaway, closing down the angle on the attacker. Coronel was called on again when he parried a vicious curling strike out of danger. Steel FC then pressed forward as Zandi was taken down for a penalty in the 67th minute. Philadelphia Union’s Fabinho, on loan to Steel FC, stepped up and calmly slotted the ball home into the bottom left corner of the net. The Charleston Battery got on the scoreboard when Tah Anunga scored in the 69th minute. However, the Battery began to push numbers forward and Steel FC punished them on the break. Ngalina recovered the ball in his own half and played in an unmarked Przybylko. Przybylko darted alone up field and slid the ball under the goalkeepers’ outstretched body to add his second goal of the night in the 70th minute.
Bethlehem Steel FC next travels to play Charlotte Independence at the Sportsplex at Matthews on Tuesday, April 16 (7:00 p.m. ET | Sportsplex at Matthews | Matthews, N.C. | ESPN+).
RECAP:
Bethlehem Steel FC 3 – Charleston Battery 1
Talen Energy Stadium (Chester, Pa.)
Saturday, April 13, 2019
TODAY’S MATCH INFO:
Venue: Talen Energy Stadium (Chester, Pa.)
Referee: Yusri Rudolf
Assistant Referees: Justen Lopez, Zeno Gyu Ho Cho
Fourth Official: Melvin Holmes II
Weather: 70 degrees and partly cloudy
Attendance: 1,003
GOALS/ASSISTS
BST – Kacper Przybylko (Zach Zandi) 44’
BST – Fabinho (penalty kick) 67’
CHS – Tah Anunga (unassisted) 69’
BST – Kacper Przybylko (Michee Ngalina) 70’
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
BST – Ben Ofeimu (caution) 31’
CHS – Angelo Kelly-Rosales (caution) 42’
BST – Fabinho (caution) 81’
BST – Cole Turner (caution) 90’
LINEUP
Bethlehem Steel FC: Carlos Miguel Coronel; Fabinho © (Walter Cortés 84’), Ben Ofeimu, Cole Turner, Issa Rayyan; James Chambers, Chavany Willis; Zach Zandi, Michee Ngalina; Faris Pemi Moumbagna (Saed Díaz 88’), Kacper Przybylko (Shanyder Borgelin 71’)
Substitutes not used:Kris Shakes; Jack de Vries, Steve Kingue
Charleston Battery: Joe Kuzminsky; AJ Paterson (Romario Piggott 76’), Leland Archer, Taylor Mueller ©, O’Brian Woodbine; Tah Anunga, Angelo Kelly-Rosales (Dante Marini 84’), Jarad van Schaik, Nico Rittmeyer; Zeiko Lewis, Ian Svantesson (Arthus Bosua 16’)
Substitutes not used: Philip Breno, Kyle Nelson, Vincenzo Candela, Kotaro Higashi
TEAM NOTES
Steel FC handed Charleston Battery their first loss of the 2019 USL Championship regular season tonight. This was also the club’s first win in its history against Charleston Battery.
After tonight’s three goals by Steel FC, the team has now scored seven goals in their last two games. This ties last seasons club high for most goals in a two game span, which occurred between the two games on July 29 against Atlanta United 2 and August 4 against Richmond Kickers.
Fabinho converted Steel FC’s first penalty kick of the season in the 67th minute. This was Fabinho’s first professional goal since August 16, 2015 in an MLS game against the Chicago Fire. Fabinho also made his first USL Championship start of the 2019 season.
Kacper Przybylko notched two goals in the match and is now the Steel’s leading goal scorer of the 2019 season with three in total. Przybylko achieved the feat in only his second start of the 2019 regular season.
Zach Zandi continued his impressive rookie season with Steel FC as he notched an assist tonight on Przybylko’s first goal. Zandi and James Chambers are the only players on Steel FC to have more than one assist. Zandi led all players on the pitch with six chances created in the match.
Michee Ngalina caused havoc down the right wing against the Battery all night and was rewarded with his first assist of the 2019 season. Ngalina is now one of three Steel FC players to record both a goal and an assist this season (Ben Ofeimu, Zach Zandi).
Steel FC goalkeeper Carlos Miguel Coronel added three more saves and claimed two crosses in the victory. This was Coronel’s first-career USL Championship win tonight.
Steel FC plays next on Tuesday, April 16 when they travel to Charlotte Independence at the Sportsplex at Matthews (7:00 p.m. ET | Matthews, N.C. | ESPN+).
