The storylines were numerous entering Tuesday night’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Alonso Division Round of 16 match at Patriot’s Point in Mount Pleasant, SC.
US Open Cup and Battery legend Ozzie Alonso along with several of his teammates from the 2008 Charleston Battery team that finished as the US Open Cup runner-up served as honorary captains in the packed-out park. The Battery were looking to finally advance past Atlanta United after dropping three previous USOC meetings in 2017, 2018, and 2019 to the Five Stripes.
Tuesday night’s match was their best chance to finally overcome the MLS side, taking the 2019 US Open Cup champs to penalty kicks after 120 minutes of scoreless soccer. In the end, Atlanta goalkeeper Josh Cohen saved the last two Battery attempts in the shootout to send United into the Quarterfinals by the score of 5-4.
Atlanta are looking for any jumpstart to return to their magical form sitting atop the US Soccer landscape. Two teams who could not have more contrasting early-season arcs stepping between the lines; the Battery undefeated and soaring in first place of their USL Championship campaign facing off against a United side struggling to find its form in MLS action mired in inconsistent play sitting in 20th place in the Supporter’s Shield standings.
Against this backdrop, both teams entered the field through the north stand tunnel where the two goalkeepers would write this fourth chapter of USOC history between these southeastern rivals.
Atlanta United employed a heavily rotated squad of reserve players and academy prospects while the Charleston Battery ran out a nearly full-strength, first-choice lineup. One major change to the Battery lineup was the inclusion of goalkeeper Daniel Kuzemka making his first start of 2024.
The first half saw both teams looking to control the midfield spaces with things being very evenly played between the penalty boxes. Neither team was able to unlock the opponent’s defense with any regularity and both teams settled for half-chances and hopeful services into well organized and concentrated defensive penalty areas. When there were sporadic breakdowns in defense the goalkeepers were there to put out the danger and keep things scoreless.
Charleston called on Atlanta keeper Josh Cohen in the 14th minute off a recycled corner kick where he was up to the task before Kuzemka got his turn to make a big stop in the 18th minute. Charleston again asked questions of Cohen just past the 20 minute mark and again he followed the script and provided the answers to preserve things at 0-0 entering the half.
The second half saw this same pattern of play until Atlanta began to substitute in more regular team selections like Rios, Slisz, Lennon, and Gregerson. These additions provided more Atlanta control of the midfield but never translated into that final decisive ball into the Battery penalty box. The second half ended scoreless and it was off to extra time to decide who would advance into the Quarterfinals.
Again, the goalkeepers did enough to keep their opponents off the scoreboard as shots from both teams sailed high over the bar, ran wide of the target, or sputtered into the waiting hands of the keepers. Extra time saw the Battery with two superb chances in the 114th and 115th minute to grab a late winner but both chances were blocked or off target. Penalty kicks would have to decide who would advance as two exhausted teams stepped to the spot.
Daniel Kuzemka saved the first Atlanta kick and gave the hosts an early advantage. The teams then traded goals through four kickers to see the Battery up 4-3 after four rounds.
Nicolas Firmino converted the fifth Atlanta kick to make things level and all eyes turned to Josh Cohen to save what could have been the Charleston victory. Cohen hadn’t saved a penalty over the first four kicks but seemed to get closer and closer to turning the Battery away and then delivered with his team on the verge of elimination with a save in the fifth round to give Atlanta new life. Stian Gregerson then converted the sixth Atlanta kick to give the visitors the lead for the first time and then Cohen pushed the very next Battery shot over the bar with a strong left hand to seal the victory.
Cohen after the save immediately jumped to his feet and sprinted towards midfield jumping and fist pumping before being mobbed by his teammates. The back-to-back saves by Cohen totally flipped the script in the penalty shootout and closed this chapter of the Battery and United USOC rivalry.
Atlanta United now moves on to the Quarterfinals in early July and will learn their opponent and pathway to the final during the draw on Wednesday night.
