Battery Blasts Brooklyn 5-0
- Forrest Wimberly
- Aug 3
- 3 min read
Five Different Players Scored for Charleston
It was ‘90’s night at The Point last Saturday night as the Charleston Battery celebrated the 30th anniversary of their 1996 USISL Championship. The 2026 squad celebrated the occasion with a 5-0 win over visiting Brooklyn FC.
The Battery scored in the opening seconds of the match, scored in the final seconds of the match, and pumped in three additional goals in-between to run out the 5-0 result. Five different players found the nets for the Battery as Luis Zamudio earned the clean sheet between the posts.
The Battery wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard putting the ball into the nets just 23 seconds into the match. After taking the opening kickoff, the Battery built the ball up the right flank and into the right corner of the field. Miguel Berry drove the ball deep into the edge of the penalty area before driving a low cross across the top of the goal box where Wilmer Cabrera crashed the box and deflected the ball in for the 1-0 lead.
After the opening goal, it was all Brooklyn FC over the next 30 minutes as the visitors pressed the attack forcing several Battery defensive stands during this run of play. In the 9th minute Joey Akpunonu cleared a Brooklyn shot off the line with a sliding kick save to preserve the Battery advantage. In the 10th minute it was goalkeeper Luis Zamudio’s moment to turn aside a Brooklyn attack as it was all hands on deck for the Battery to weather this furious Brooklyn press.
The Battery regained control of the midfield after this long run of Brooklyn attacks and in the 41st minute Maalique Foster almost doubled the lead off a scramble inside the goalmouth. Just two minutes later, Foster did double the lead cleaning up a loose ball rolling around inside the goal box after a cross had fooled the Brooklyn defense leading to the scramble.
With the score 2-0 at the half, the Battery didn’t allow Brooklyn back into the match, pressing the visitors at every occasion pinning them deep in their defensive third of the field. A pair of quick goals in the 54th and 56the broke the game wide-open to put the Battery into a comfortable finish to the match.
Laurent Kissiedou was up first in the 54th minute as he dribbled across the top of the penalty box before hitting a long-range rocket low into the right corner of the nets. Kissiedou played provider in the 56th minute as he won the ball off a Brooklyn defender and then flicked the ball to the feet of Miguel Berry who produced another low rocket, this time to the lower left corner of the net to leave the Brooklyn keeper in dismay. Berry almost scored a brace in the 61st minute as his free kick from the top of the box rattled the bar but didn’t cross the line.
A late challenge in the 79th minute saw a very heated exchange between multiple players with both teams reduced to 10 men from the on-field altercation. That didn’t discourage the Battery from continuing their attacking pressure and a free kick produced a goal in the 90th minute to put the final number on the scoreboard in this convincing 5-0 win. Team Captain Emilio Ycaza headed in a Nathan Messer free kick swung in from the left flank to complete the scoring and push the Battery’s record to 24 matches unbeaten at The Point.
“July wasn't a good month, we wanted a good response,” said Battery Head Coach Ben Pirmann. “I thought the boys were fantastic. I think it was a deserving result. But, we need to handle those emotions a little better…but incredible effort. Scored early, kind of up and down, and then we put it to them. So, strong performance, good to get a shutout, good to respond well. Complete performance from the team and the players and the staff.”
“I think the confidence is based upon the preparation and our ability,” continued Pirmann. “We've shown we're able. We've shown we've got a good side. When we work hard and we stick together, we've shown what we can do in this league.”
The Battery remains in second place in the USLC Eastern Conference with a record of 9W-6L-3T on 30 points. The Battery are on the road the next two weekends at Loudoun United on August 8 and then at the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on August 15. Miami FC is the next team to visit The Point on August 22.
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