On the heels of an entertaining international friendly against Wigan Athletic FC, the Dayton Dutch Lions are getting ready to set out on their fourth road trip of the 2013 USL PRO season. This expedition will take the Dutch Lions to the Carolinas for back-to-back dates against the Charleston Battery and the Charlotte Eagles. With nearly two-thirds of the season in the books and playoffs on the horizon, the Dutch Lions are looking to return home with positive results.
“It was a great opportunity to play against a team like Wigan. It was good for our players to experience the game on that level. Hopefully we’ll be able to bring some of that pace back to our competitions in the league,” said Dutch Lions Head Coach Patrick Bal. “Even among the excitement of the match against Wigan, the team was focused on the upcoming trip. Players were asking for limited minutes in the friendly so they could be rested for Charleston.”
The journey through the Southeast will see the season series with Charleston and Charlotte draw to a close. Both the Battery and the Eagles have already paid visits to Dayton. The Dutch Lions dropped a decision to Charleston in a defensive struggle in which the only goal resulted from a Nicki Paterson penalty kick.
The outcome of the game in Charleston could have big implications. The Dutch Lions (7-4-6) and the Battery (7-5-6) are two of three teams sitting with 27 points in the USL PRO standings. These three teams occupy the final three positions in a tightly contested playoff race.
Bal said, “Beating Charleston would be huge. We would be three points up on them with a game in hand. We would be nine points ahead of the next team trying to make it into the playoffs. Charleston would be in eighth place, fighting for a place in the playoffs, which I think would be a surprise.”
The Charlotte Eagles (8-2-8) occupy the fourth spot in the USL PRO table with 32 points. Dayton has an opportunity to jump ahead of Charlotte in the standings by completing a perfect road trip. When these teams met in Dayton earlier in the season, a dramatic late goal from Dutch Lions’ left back, Shane Smith, erased an Eagles’ lead and secured a point for Dayton.
“Charlotte plays a very similar style to us,” said Bal. “They like to attack, and that’s what I expect this weekend. It should be a close game.”
Dayton has been successful on previous road trips this season, compiling a respectable record of 2-2-2 away from Miami Valley Hospital Stadium. In fact, the Dutch Lions are one of only five clubs in the thirteen-member league without a losing record on the road. Dayton will have to replicate this success in order to solidify its position in the standings. This trip to the Carolinas is part of a remaining schedule consists of several away matches against strong opponents.
The contests in Charleston and Charlotte are the beginning of a stretch of three games on the road. The Dutch Lions will also travel to Harrisburg before returning home to face Antigua Barracuda on Friday, July 26 at 7:00 PM at Beavercreek High School.