You’d be hard pressed to find a better performing soccer club in Championship than Charleston Battery. After a stellar regular season in 2023, when the club finished in the top three on the table, Battery had a long run in the playoffs that ended after 120 minutes against Phoenix. And while there was surely some disappointment in finishing runner-up after such a great season, Head Coach Ben Pirmann focuses on the positives. “Maybe it was us going against the soccer gods? The belief, the strength, and the quality of the squad was all there. Losing that 120 minute match against Phoenix was a bummer because we played so well. We carried the play, we had the chances.”

Pirmann discusses his club’s run last year like a analyst who is constantly looking for a lesson or a clue on how to improve. “Every single day, it was about improving and having a growth mindset. We had a really good season, especially in the second half we really turned it on going into the playoffs. We got a couple of upsets…The biggest thing I learned from that season was finding that second goal. It’s so important.” After mentioning that second goal, he brought up several examples where his team lost or drew because they didn’t get an insurance goal. That lesson has been learned and it’s become a focus this season.

Charleston has been cruising in 2024. The team is the last undefeated club in the Eastern Conference and is on a roll on both sides of the game. While the team has scored an impressive 2.5 goals per match, they are also holding opponents to scoring less than a goal per match. That’s a recipe for a lot of wins. Pirmann is quick to downplay his impact on his team’s play, instead crediting the players on his roster and a little luck. “It’s probably me getting out of the way,” Pirmann chuckled as he continued. “I think the focus is good, the mentality has been good, but you need some luck. We played Hartford and they hit the post, while we had a bicycle kick go in. Were we dominant in a lot of the phases of the game? Sure. Were we probably the more deserving team? Sure. But we were this close away…We have a clear identity, we know what we have to do, but we have to take it week by week. And our boys work hard, they’re fantastic. It’s really just staying focused in each moment and getting better every day.” Then he began listing players who were having great seasons for him, mentioning players from every position on the field. Of course, that list began with his forward, Nick Markanich.

Markanich has been a revelation this season for Charleston, scoring 12 goals in 10 matches and being the driving force on the offense. “He works his tail off both out and in possession. He takes care of himself and his team, now he’s the one scoring goals. Against Tormenta in the Open Cup, it was MD Meyers and it might be someone else in the next game. But when a player is playing that hot, you want to get them the ball as much as possible. He picks very good spots and does a lot of really good things, we just want to keep going with his form because its been so tremendous.”

“I didn’t expect to be the number one team with possession this season, but we are, so I need to make sure that possession is purposeful and doesn’t result in chances for the other team.” As he said it, Pirmann’s train of thought leads him to his next thought. He’s constantly analyzing, thinking ahead, in this interview and as a head coach. “We’re always focused on what’s next. After every single match, we talk about what’s next. We play Birmingham tonight, next week we have Atlanta United, but we aren’t discussing Atlanta. We’re solely focused on Birmingham.” He chuckled and then referred to his team’s undefeated streak. “Winning never gets old. Losing is terrible. In football, it’s the worst. Losing stinks and nobody wants to lose. I hate losing more than I love winning…No matter how you perform, we want to celebrate hard work and hopefully we’re on the winning side that gets three points. That drives our training environment, we just keep pushing each other.” That drive has put his team in the top spot in the league after 10 matches and there’s every reason to assume that they’ll continue to be successful this season.

Tonight, Charleston will be working to extend its undefeated streak against a tough Birmingham side. Ben Pirmann will have his team ready and prepared to improve over the last match, because that’s what he’s expecting. Constant improvement is a result of purposeful mentality and Pirmann has embedded that way of thinking in every player on his team. They may not win every match this season, but they’ll be working to improve after every result.

- Dan Vaughn