Image by Charleston BatteryImage by 20080706soccer.jpg Ian Fuller celebrates Lazo Alavanja's 10th minute strike

The Charleston Battery have bested the Seattle Sounders and now have the lead in the USL First Division. The Battery won with a single goal scored by forward Lazo Alavanja during the game's 10th minute. The game pulled in 3,371 spectators, a 66 percent capacity crowd at Blackbaud stadium.

A writeup from the team:
"Getting a win tonight is a big thing — it gets your confidence going", [head coach Mike] Anhaeuser said. "We're getting goals all over the field, and our defense got a shutout tonight. We're going to need all that again Tuesday."

In the hot and humid Charleston weather, the host Battery enjoyed some early possession — perhaps taking advantage of a lethargic Sounders team who were just two days removed from a 2-2 tie with the Carolina RailHawks.

"We really wanted to push the tempo and take it to them," Anhaeuser said. "Seattle is a team that likes to press, even after playing three games in six days. But our guys defended well, created chances and really played a complete game. We really never gave them a chance."

The Battery now have eight wins, three losses and three ties. Past game results are available on their Web site.

The Battery's next game is at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday against FC Dallas in the US Open Cup quarterfinals in Frisco, Texas. You can watch the game online, but a quick scan of Comcast's listings did not show the game being televised.

Their next league game is Saturday (July 12) against the Puerto Rico Islanders.