New Charleston Battery head coach Mike Anhaeuser offers up his thoughts on Eastern Conference side of the 2004 A-League playoffs, which kick off Friday night.

 

These are two of the most consistent teams in the A-League and they have developed a heated rivalry over the past few years.  I was fortunate enough to be at the Montreal Rochester game on July 9 and I saw first hand how intense the rivalry is.  On paper, it’s the best of the first round playoff matches.

Rochester is loaded with offensive weapons. Chris Carrieri, Ian Fuller, Corey Woolfolk & Kirk Wilson are all capable of winning you a close game.  Montreal is more of a defensive team but is also capable of scoring goals as they have shown this year with their well-balanced attack.  Sebrango, Commodore and Biello pace the Impact forward-line.

You have to look at the statistics here and clearly Montreal has the advantage.  They rarely let in a soft goal and have the balance to keep any game close.  In addition they have the upper hand in goal with Greg Sutton, which could prove invaluable in a tight game.  Rochester also has a lot of experience in the back with Craig Demmin and John Wilson, but of the two units, Montreal’s defense has been more consistent.

Frontier Field is the most difficult place to win a game in the A-League under any circumstance, but especially in the playoffs.  The first game at Frontier Field has the potential to decide the series.  If Montreal can get a positive result, then the pendulum swings in their favor.  Montreal has also been drawing massive crowds this season which could be a factor in Sunday’s TV game.  I’m looking forward to watching the game on Fox Sports World! 

Prediction: This series could go either way, but if it goes to extra-time on Sunday, then I give the advantage to the Impact.

 

 

This is Syracuse’s first playoff appearance and they get to meet a team that has been in this position many times.  Syracuse finished the season very strongly and may have the momentum going into the series.

Richmond has a variety of options with experienced players like Kevin Jeffrey and Rob Ukrop plus some exciting young players in Matt Delicate, McColm Cephas and Clyde Simms.  Syracuse offers a more direct and physical approach but it has proven effective over the past two months in particular. 

Richmond is always a tough team to break down and they tend to keep a core group of defensive players from one season to the next.  Syracuse has benefited defensively from the combination of Rene Rivas and Scott Schweitzer.
 

The playoff experience of the Richmond squad could help propel the Kickers to the next round however the turf surface at Cortland in Syracuse might negate this advantage.  As with the Montreal Rochester match-up, if Syracuse can come away from Richmond with a win or a draw the turf factor could prove the difference. 

Prediction: These are two very even teams with good combinations of youth and veteran experience. I think Syracuse might just edge it out on Sunday.