SANDY, Utah – Real Salt Lake will continue its 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup run on Wednesday, when it will host 2012 USL Pro Champions the Charleston Battery in fourth-round action at 7:30 p.m. at Rio Tinto Stadium.
Charleston advanced to the fourth-round by beating the MLS’s San Jose Earthquakes 1-0 at Blackbaud Stadium in the third-round on May 28, getting a 74th minute game-winner to down the 2012 Supporters’ Shield winners.
Charleston has had success in the U.S. Open Cup, finishing as the runners-up in 2008, making the Semifinals in 1999 and 2004 and reaching the Quarters in 2007, 2009 and 2010.This year’s win against the Earthquakes moved the Battery to 7-9 all-time against MLS teams in the annual tournament.
Charleston Head CoachMike Anhaeuser has been with the Battery since 1994, when he initially joined the club as a player out of Indiana University. Anhaeuser played six seasons as a midfielder before moving to a coaching role in 1999 after tearing his ACL. As the head man, Anhaeuser has led the Battery to two championships (2010 USL Second Division and 2012 USL Pro) and finished as runners-up in the 2008 Open Cup.
Two of Charleston’s stalwarts have experience in the MLS. Defender John Wilson played with the Kansas City Wizards, New England Revolution and D.C. United. The 35-year-old appeared in 28 games while winning the 2006 Supporter’s Shield with United. Midfielder Amadou Sanyang played for Toronto FC and Seattle Sounders FC from 2009-2011, winning the 2010 Canadian Championship with Toronto.
Charleston midfielder Jarad van Schaik has a tie to RSL. Before he was acquired by Charleston in March 2013, the Portland native was drafted by the Claret-and-Cobalt with the 52nd overall pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. He trained with the squad during the 2011 preseason, but was not offered a contract with the club, signing with the Puerto Rico Islanders before joining the Battery in March of this year.
Charleston has gotten its 2013 campaign off to a strong start, currently sitting in third-place in the USL Pro standings with a 7-3-2 record. The Battery won their last league game, tallying two goals from Nicholas Paterson, Quinton Griffith and Jose “Chiva” Cuevas to defeat the Houston Dynamo Reserves 4-1 at home on Saturday. Paterson leads the Battery in points, registering five goals and three assists in league play this year.
RSL has played the Battery twice in the annual Carolina Challenge Cup preseason tournament at Blackbaud Stadium, getting a game-winner from captain Kyle Beckerman to beat Charleston 2-1 on March 11, 2009 and downing the Battery 3-1 in Alvaro Saborio's Claret-and-Cobalt debut on March 17, 2010.
Tickets are available for Wednesday’s game at Rio Tinto Stadium and can be purchased online, at the Rio Tinto Stadium box office or over the phone at 801-727-2700.
