English club Portsmouth to play Charleston

Posted Wednesday, July 27, 2011 by YAHOO Sport

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)—Portsmouth coach Steve Cotterill said win or lose against Charleston, his club achieved what it hoped for in nearly two weeks of U.S. preseason training.

Portsmouth of the English League Championship closes out its trip to America on Wednesday night with an exhibition game against the Charleston Battery of the United Soccer Leagues.

“It will be all about the performance for me,” Cotterill said. “We don’t have to win the game. As long as it’s entertaining and there are no serious injuries, it will be good.”

“For sure, we will gain confidence with a victory,” he added, “but it won’t dent our confidence if we lose.”

The club is entering its third season since being relegated from its spot in the top-tier Premier League after the 2009 season. Cotterill knows his team is still a handful of players away from championship soccer and that was a big reason for the trip to Charleston for preseason camp.

Several English clubs are touring the United States. Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United have played exhibitions against American teams.

Cotterill wanted a similar intense, focused approach in preparing for the season, which starts against Middlesbrough on Aug. 6.

Of course, there have been a few tourist attractions. Players attended a Charleston RiverDogs minor league baseball game, where defender Greg Halford threw out the first pitch.

There’ve been trips to the beach, downtown restaurants and other outings. They arrived in the midst of the area’s searing heat wave and saw a small alligator behind one goalkeeping area.

“They are professional players and they’ve done everything we have asked,” Cotterill said. “They’ve had a great time and the people we’ve met have been wonderful.”

The advantage of a preseason tour includes the bonding that takes place among players who perhaps aren’t familiar with each other, Cotterill said. They also catch players on U.S. teams in midseason form and at peak fitness.

The Charleston Battery expects to fill most of the 5,100-seat Blackbaud Stadium. The team played the Bolton Wanderers of the Premier League in July 2010 and drew 5,219 fans to the watch the EPL’s team 2-0 victory.

Charleston coach Mike Anhaeuser said games with strong clubs gain the attention of his players. The challenge in the middle of the USL season is to avoid player letdowns in the games that follow.

“Contests like these really bring out the best in players,” Anhaeuser said.

Battery defender John Wilson, in his eighth season with Charleston, enjoys matching up against teams like Portsmouth.

“It’s always a way to measure ourselves,” he said.

Anhaeuser said he hopes the positive buzz of Portsmouth’s 10 days in town will filter to other teams in Europe seeking similar exhibitions. He said Charleston executives have spoken with Mexican and German soccer teams interested in matches.

Cotterill knows his team is still a work in progress. He said he spent much of Monday on the phone talking player acquisition. Portsmouth brought 17 players to Charleston, and Cotterill is seeking more depth.

He thinks a solid showing against the Battery will help Portsmouth achieve a successful season.

“We will be fitter by the time we go home, ready to show our full potential,” Cotterill said.