Recap: Loudoun United drop 5th straight, lose to Charleston 5-3

After two disappointing road losses, Loudoun United used Tuesday’s match with the Charleston Battery as a respite for several and an opportunity for others to take advantage of their chances. They were able to press the independent side for a wild first 45 minutes, but eventually fell 5-3 in front of 556 at Segra Field.

Following the team’s 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay Saturday, Loudoun coach Ryan Martin gave several regulars the night off; Alexxon Saravia made his second 2021 start in the team’s three games. Recent addition Matt Di Rosa faced off against his brother Ben on the other side for Charleston. Jacob Greene, Michael DeShields, and Erik Sorga are with the first team D.C. United practicing and unavailable for Tuesday’s game, Kimarni Smith started as did Jeremy Garay. Ted Ku-DiPietro wore the captain’s armband and was one of five starters aged 20 or younger, and a back three whose oldest player (23-year-old Hassan Pinto) was making his first pro start.

With Academy player Owen Walz starting centrally he got forward a little bit, and the Battery made that decision pay eventually and early, the third time Loudoun has allowed a goal within the first ten minutes:

Five minutes later, Walz was unable to stop Nicque Daley and the Battery doubled their lead:

Loudoun was able to halve the lead in the 22nd minute thanks to their captain:

Battery player Claudio Repetto provided some sauce for the Battery to bring the lead back up to 2 in the first half:

Loudoun continued playing, and Kairou Amoustapha scored the team’s second. And because the first 45 wasn’t crazy enough, a third via own goal just before the halftime whistle:

Following an early second-half chance by Darluis Paz, the Battery reclaimed the lead:

Late in the game following a counter, Landry Houssou committed a foul in the Loudoun area, and Zeiko Lewis closed the door on the scoring:

“I was disappointed with the game Saturday with Tampa, our guys couldn’t move, couldn’t compete, and I wanted to see if we could get some help, some fresher faces, and give them an opportunity,” Martin said after the game. “If our guys can come in and compete, work, play, we can beat any team in the league. The challenge for young players is consistency from practice to practice and game to game, so my message (tonight) was this has to be at least a minimum of competing, and the opportunities will come.”

“I was playing a different role this time,” Ku-DiPietro said after the game. “Instead of a 6 I was playing 10, so that’s why I was attacking a little more and making more runs in behind. It was a new group of faces, so it was pretty hard to gel together in such quick turnaround and start to the match, but I’m proud of the guys and I’m proud of what we did tonight.”

“We’ll just keep building on it if they’re working and competing and fighting,” Martin said. “It’s kind of like an ethos with Hernan (Losada) in the club now; we can live with it and fix it. But if you’re not working, you’re just not going to make it.”

Loudoun (2-12-0) hosts the Colorado Springs Switchbacks Saturday at 7:00 pm at Segra Field.

Box Score

USL Championship Regular Season - Game 14

Loudoun United FC 3 (Ku-DiPietro 22, Amoustapha 41, Hogan (OG) 45)

Charleston Battery 5 (Repetto 4, 32, Zarokostas 9, Harmon 56, Lewis (PK) 90)

Lineups:

Loudoun (3412): Keegan Meyer; Hassan Pinto (Jackson Hopkins 82), Owen Walz (Landry Houssou 57), Alexxon Saravia; Kairou Amoustapha, Nicky Downs, Jeremy Garay, Matt Di Rosa (Robby Dambrot 57); Ted Ku-DiPietro (C); Kimarni Smith (Sammy Sergi 70), Darluis Paz (Giovanni Montesdeoca 82)

Charleston (4222): Joe Kuzminsky; Logan Gdula (AJ Paterson 67), Leland Archer (C), Patrick Hogan, Ben Di Rosa; Angelo Kelly, Burkę Fahling (Zeiko Lewis 80); Dionysus Harmon, Stavros Zarokostas; Claudio Repetto (Joel Bunting 40, Romario Piggott 80), Nicque Daley (Temiloluwa Adesodun 67)

Bookings:

Loudoun - Walz 2, Houssou 87

Charleston - Archer 23, Daley 45+5