901 FC vs. Charleston Battery preview: Ben Pirmann returns

Memphis 901 FC got back to their winning ways on Wednesday night with a resounding 4-0 win over FC Tulsa. The Beale Street Boys were dominant from start to finish with an all-around, complete team performance. They were even able to get a few minutes of playing time for their 15-year old academy signing, Calvin Harrison from Hernando. But now they must turn their eyes to the final game of the three game homestand they’ve been on. It also just happens to be the toughest of the three games and it’s against their former manager. The first place Charleston Battery are coming to town with former Memphis 901 FC boss Ben Pirmann at the helm.

With the win on Wednesday over Tulsa, 901 FC stretched its unbeaten streak to eleven games, yet again a club record. They haven’t lost a league game since March 18 against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. That was the second game of the season. Since then, it’s been a very good run. Not only are they proving tough to beat, the bulk of those eleven unbeaten games have been wins (seven of them to be exact): 3-0 @ Rio Grande Valley, 2-0 @ Hartford Athletic, 2-1 vs. Colorado Springs Switchbacks, 2-1 @ FC Tulsa, 5-1 vs. Miami FC, 3-1 @ Louisville City, and 4-0 vs. FC Tulsa. They’re definitely one of, if not the, hottest team in the league and it’s worth noting that they have several games in hand on the teams ahead of them in the standings. That includes the Charleston Battery.

What can be said about Ben Pirmann’s time as Memphis 901 FC manager other than it was a great success? He was the interim manager for the final three games of the disastrous 2020 season and was appointed full-time for the 2021 season. It was a bit of a struggle out of the gate, but everything turned around with a dramatic win against the Birmingham Legion on Labor Day Weekend. He guided Memphis to the playoffs for the first time and followed that up in 2022 with an even better season. In 2022 they finished second in the Eastern Conference and won a home playoff game against Detroit City before falling at the last minute against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. There’s no doubt that Pirmann left 901 FC in a much better place than he found it.

So it should come as no surprise that he has done wonders in reviving the once-proud Charleston Battery after a dismal two year run under former USMNT striker Conor Casey (who posted a record of 16-36-14). Pirmann has the Battery in first place in the Eastern Conference and in the second spot overall, just two points behind the El Paso Locomotive in the Western Conference. Not only that but he was able to guide them on something of a nice run in the US Open Cup, where they won two games before falling on the road to Inter Miami of MLS. Their form coming into this game is not the best however. They have only won twice in their last five games (2-0 over Rio Grande Valley and 4-3 over Hartford Athletic) and even suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to Indy Eleven. And with a former 901 FC boss in charge, it should come as no surprise that the Battery have several former 901 FC players: Chris Allan, Derek Dodson, and Trey Muse.

When, Where

Date: Saturday, June 24, 2023

Venue: AutoZone Park

City: Memphis, Tennessee

Time: 7:30pm CT

TV: WMC 5.2, ESPN+

All-Time Series

Series tied 2-2-0

Last Meeting

Date: Friday, September 16, 2022

Venue: AutZone Park

City: Memphis, Tennessee

Attendance: 4,161

Result: Memphis 901 FC 5-0 Charleston Battery

Conference Standing

Memphis 901 FC: 3rd in East (25pts)

Charleston Battery: 1st in East (28pts)

Next Game

Date: Saturday, July 1, 2023

Competition: USL Regular Season

Match-Up: Memphis 901 FC @ Phoenix Rising

Venue: Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex

City: Phoenix, Arizona

Time: 9pm CT

TV: ESPN2

Photo Credit: D’Angelo Connell Photography