Battery star the thinking man's striker

Charleston Battery striker Byron Alvarez might not be the fastest forward in the USL First Division.

The former Portland Timbers star might not have the strongest leg or the most accurate shot, but one thing Alvarez has in abundance is intelligence.

At 5-9 and 170 pounds, Alvarez isn't blessed with exceptional physical ability. But Alvarez has turned himself into one of the most prolific goal scorers in the USL First Division with a superior soccer IQ.

"You look at Byron and his physical ability doesn't blow you away," said Charleston Battery coach Mike Anhaeuser. "Don't get me wrong, he does have very good technical skill, but he's not the kind of player that's going to beat you with his

pace. He's not going to jump over someone to win a ball in the air and he's not going to outmuscle a defender.

"What Byron is going to do is outthink everyone on the field. He's a veteran player. He's been around. He knows all the tricks and he just seems to be one step ahead of everyone else and that's because he thinks the game so well."

After 12 years at the professional level, which included a season in Major League Soccer with the MetroStars, Alvarez knows his limitations on the field.

"I know what I can and what I cannot do," said Alvarez, who scored 41 goals in four seasons with the Portland Timbers. "I'm not going to go out there and do things I'm not capable of doing. What I try to do most of the time is outwork and outthink the other team."

After a sluggish start to the season, Alvarez has shown the scoring touch that made him the all-time leading goal scorer in Portland Timbers club history. Alvarez has a team-high four goals already this season, including a pair of goals last weekend in the Battery's 2-1 victory over Minnesota.

"He kind of got off to a slow start, but over the last four or five games he's been fantastic," Anhaeuser said. "When he wasn't scoring early, I wasn't that concerned because he was getting chances and I knew eventually the ball would start going in for him. I just think it took him a while to get used to our style of play, to get his fitness level a little higher, and get used to playing with everyone. He's really starting to hit his stride."

After going without a goal in his first four games, Alvarez' has four goals in his last four starts. Only Vancouver's Eduardo Sebrango-Rodriguez has more goals than Alvarez this season.

"There's always pressure when you're a forward to score," Alvarez said. "I tried not to worry about it or put more pressure on myself. I tried to just relax and be patient."

But no one was more relieved than Alvarez when he finally scored his first goal of the season against Miami. "It was something special. I've wanted to play here for a long time, so to finally get my first goal in a Charleston Battery uniform was something I'll never forget."

Alvarez said the Battery's offensive scheme suits his talents better than what he was used to in Portland.

"It's a totally different system," Alvarez said. "In Portland, we used the long ball and chased everything down to get our goals. Here, it's more technical. You've got to be more skilled. They play the ball to my feet more and I think that's my strength."

Notes

--Midfielder Stephen Armstrong will be available for tonight's game. Armstrong, who is second on the team with three goals, served a one-game suspension after receiving a red card last week against California.

--Forward Ian Fuller will miss at least six weeks with a pulled hamstring. Fuller, who has two goals, suffered the injury this past Saturday against Minnesota.

Reach Andrew Miller at apmiller@postandcourier.com or 937-5599.