The Coastal Kings FC suffered a hard-fought 0–2 defeat on the road against Charleston United on Saturday night. For 70 minutes, the match remained deadlocked at 0–0, with the Kings controlling long stretches of possession and creating several promising chances that ultimately went unfinished.

An early strike off the post and two close-range efforts in the first half nearly put the Kings ahead, but momentum shifted late. Two defensive lapses in the final 20 minutes led to Charleston goals that sealed the result and left the Kings empty-handed despite another strong performance.

From the Coach
“Today is a tough loss,” said Head Coach David Koebler. “Similar to previous performances, it was 0–0 for 70 minutes with a majority of control in our favor. We hit a post early and had two, maybe three, chances we couldn’t put away. We made two mistakes late in the match, and suddenly we were down two goals. That is how it goes at this level. You have to be perfect, better than your opponent, or lucky.

It’s frustrating, very, very frustrating. Still, the boys played well today. I can’t say they didn’t work, improve on what we’ve been training, or show effort, grit, or fight. The team is getting better every week. We work on areas of weakness aggressively in training. While the outcomes are different than in the beginning of the season, the team is much better today than eight weeks ago.”

Koebler emphasized the bigger picture as the Kings push toward the playoffs:
“We knew the last three matches would decide our fate. We opened the game up today trying to earn points. We got caught twice and paid for it dearly.”

Opposition View
Charleston United Head Coach Jay Jamal also spoke highly of the contest and the Kings’ performance.
“Great matchup today — the game could have gone either way,” Jamal said. “The Kings were well-organized, disciplined, and executed their game plan effectively, which created a lot of challenges for us throughout the match. I was proud of how we stayed patient, trusted our structure, and waited for the right moments to take our chances.”

Playoff Picture
The Kings’ playoff hopes are now under pressure for the first time this season. With two matches remaining, the club likely needs to win both games, along with a bit of luck around the league, to clinch a postseason berth.

The Kings will be off next week before traveling to face SCU Heat on November 9 in South Carolina.