TAMPA, Florida, (CMC) – Trinidad & Tobago Soca Warriors defender Leland Archer hailed Charleston Battery after they punched their ticket to the United Soccer League Championship final with a 2-1 win against Louisville City FC in the Eastern Conference final on Saturday in the United States.

An early goal from Arturo Rodriguez set the tone for the match at Patriots Point in the American town of Mount Pleasant in the state of South Carolina, and a second half conversion from the penalty spot by Sierra Leone striker Augi Williams propelled Charleston to the USL Championship final for the first time in 11 years.
The Battery will be eyeing their fifth league title when they host Western Conference champions Phoenix Rising FC in the final at 7 p.m. this coming Sunday, November 12 in a rematch with the team against whom they opened the season.

“It’s been a tough, long year,” Archer said in an interview with the Battery website. “If you asked us if we would be here at the end, I don’t think any of us would have said that. I don’t think anybody expected us to be here, but we defied the odds and we’re here. We won the Eastern Conference.”
Head coach Ben Pirmann added: “It’s been pretty consistent. There’s been some tough moments, like when we’re fighting and scrambling and losing games, but it was all about those boys. It’s been tough. We’ve been consistent every single day, kept our head down, worked our socks off.”
Charleston got off to an ideal start when their up-tempo offence started paid dividends in the fifth minute, and Rodriguez curled a free-kick into the top corner after Nick Markanich drew a foul in a dangerous spot just outside the box.

The Battery took the lead into the half-time break, and play resumed with both sides eager to make an impression in the second half.
Markanich’s pressure and ability to draw fouls against LouCity paid off for Battery again in the 57th minute, and this time it was a penalty.
Williams stepped up to the spot and converted to double Charleston’s lead and log his 16th goal of the season, matching his scoring mark from the previous season.
LouCity pulled a goal back in the 90th minute when Kyle Adams scored, setting up five nervy minutes of stoppage time as the visitors pushed to force extra time, but it never materialised.
In the Western Conference final, the campaign of Sacramento Republic, whose roster includes Bermuda international Zeiko Lewis, came to an end when Phoenix Rising stopped them 2-1 at Heart Health Park in the city of Sacramento in the state of California.

Republic held a 1-0 lead at half-time after Keko Gontán took possession in the middle of the park and found Nick Ross, who turned around a quick a one-touch pass for Russell Cicerone to slot the ball past Rising keeper Rocco Rios Novo for his second goal in as many matches.
Rising drew level with ten minutes remaining, when Conor Donovan scored an own goal off a set piece by the visitors from the left flank, and pulled ahead at the start of stoppage time, when Emil Cuello found the net in the 92nd minute.