Charleston Sail Past South Georgia 4-0 in Open Cup Debut
MD Meyers nets a hat trick as the Battery advance to the 4th Round of the US Open Cup
On a blustery night at Patriots Point, the Charleston Battery once again played host to South Georgia Tormenta FC. It’s the fourth time these two have met up in the US Open Cup, and the third time in the last four years. But if the opponent was familiar, the scoreline was anything but.
Each of those previous contests had been won by a single goal, including last year’s thrilling 3-2 Charleston victory, with the winning goal scored deep into extra time. But this year, no such dramatics were required.
Tormenta found themselves with the first real chance of the game in the 20th minute, when Niall Reid-Stephen split two defenders to fire in a low cross to Sebastián Vivas who put the shot on net. But Christian Garner made his first save of the night to end the scoring threat.
Minutes later, Charleston found themselves with a corner kick finding the feet of Chris Allan who cleared space for a shot from outside the box. The looping ball took a deflection off the foot of Yaniv Bazini and floated, almost as if carried on the wind, directly into the bottom corner of the net. It was Allan’s first ever goal for the Battery in 81 all time appearances with the club, as Charleston grabbed the lead in the 32nd minute.
It looked as if the hosts would carry the lead into the half, until Mark Segbers clipped Reid-Stephen in the box to draw a penalty for Tormenta. But it was another heroic moment from Garner, who dove to his right and deflected the ball from Mason Tunbridge harmlessly away to preserve the lead. Garner had four saves on the night, but none bigger than his penalty save.
Still, Tormenta found themselves with a corner and a chance to equalize right as the first half drew to a close. But Charleston cleared, Johnny Klein won the contested clearance at midfield, and a momentum-swinging break was on for the Battery.
Enter MD Myers.
Myers, who scored the winner in the 2024 match in the 121st minute to seal a hat trick, recorded his second hat trick against Tormenta in as many years with three more goals on the night. The first came on that break, as Arturo Rodriguez found Klein in the box, who calmly passed around the scrambling defenders and found Meyers. With Tormenta goalkeeper Austin Pack out of position, Myers easily fired the ball home.
Tormenta had been standing over a penalty kick with a chance to equalize just a minute ago. Now, they were heading to the locker room down 2-0. But Myers wasn’t done just yet.
In the 52nd minute, Josh Drack crossed the ball into the box where it was handled by Pack, but not well enough. Meyers pounced on the spilled save, 3-0 Charleston.
To their credit, Tormenta never relented. But the Battery defense was, conceded penalty aside, perfect on the night. In particular, Joey Akpunonu had a tremendous night with multiple blocks, a chance saving tackle, and the young defender found himself completing the most passes on the evening. In the 67th minute, Akpunonu cleared away a dangerous ball and then blocked the following shot, which was Tormenta’s most threatening attack of the second half.
Moments later, Pack would deflect a Rodriguez shot directly onto the foot of Myers, who completed his second hat trick in as many tries against South Georgia. The Battery threatened a few more times, but the final score would remain 4-0.
Charleston would use the remaining minutes to find time for its young players, notably Viggo Ortiz making his debut for the club. The 16-year-old Mexican international came on for Meyers. Ortiz was joined by 18-year-old Ezekiel Soto making just his second appearance of the year.
It’s a disappointing result for South Georgia Tormenta FC, who beat Charleston in this competition in 2022 and pushed them to the final minutes in last year’s tilt. They return to League 1 action Saturday against Greenville.
For the Charleston Battery, the march continues to the Round of 32, when MLS sides enter the competition. Charleston were knocked out at this stage last year by Atlanta United on penalty kicks. The draw for the fourth round takes place Thursday at 9:15AM.
After the match, fans doused Myers in an ice bath to celebrate his performance. But head coach Ben Pirmann and his Charleston Battery side are hoping Meyers stays red hot.