With age comes wisdom for Charleston's Wilson

Charleston Battery defender John Wilson isn't a young man anymore.

In his youth, Wilson was known not only for his outstanding speed, but his penchant for jumping into the attack and running more than any other player on the field.

But after more than a decade at the professional level, the days of running up and down the pitch for 90 minutes are all but a faint memory for the former Clemson All-American.

John Wilson

"I'm an old man now," Wilson said laughing. "I don't run around out there like I used to. The first few seasons I was playing professionally, I think I would run just for the sake of running. I look back and think about the way I used to play and it makes me laugh because I wasted so much energy. Over the years, I began to understand the game a lot better and learned how to play without running so much."

It's not that Wilson's work rate has diminished over the years — it hasn't. It's just that Wilson, 31, is a much wiser player than he used to be and has learned when to pick his moments.

"The more you play, the more experience you get, the smarter you play," Wilson said. "You read the play and anticipate where the ball is going, so there's not as much wasted motion out there. You take your opportunities when you get them and then you try to make the most of the opportunities you do get them. I don't try to force things like I used to and I think that's the biggest lesson I learned over the years."

It is a mentality shared by Wilson's fellow defenders, Marco Reda and Nelson Akwari.

Lost in Randi Patterson's league-leading six goals this season has been the play of the Battery defense. A year ago, the Battery was among the worst defensive teams in the USL First Division.

Now, they're one of the best.

The difference from last year has been the experience of the Battery's back defenders. Wilson, Reda and Akwari are veterans of Major League Soccer and form the core of the defense. That experience has made the Battery's defense one of the best in the USL First Division. It's a major reason why Charleston has won five straight games headed into tonight's matchup with Vancouver.

"Marco and Nelson have been just amazing to play with," Wilson said. "Those guys are so smart and it seems like we've jelled from the first time we stepped on the field together. All three of us have a lot of experience and we've seen just about everything a team can throw at us. Even this season, it seems like we've seen just about every formation and every style of play you can think of, and we've responded pretty well."

After giving up three goals in its first two games, the Battery has surrendered just two goals in its last six. The Battery has recorded three consecutive shutouts and not allowed a goal in four of its last five matches.

"If you don't give up a goal, there's no chance you can lose," said Charleston Battery coach Mike Anhaeuser. "That's kind of been our mentality all season. We've been a very solid defensive team pretty much all season. We gave up two goals in the season opener against Miami, but since then, we've been pretty consistent."

Charleston keeper Keith Wiggans agreed.

"The guys have done a really good job of keeping the other team's scoring chances to a minimum," Wiggans said. "We're probably giving up only one or two scoring chances a game. The guys in front of me have made my job pretty easy here lately, and I hope it continues."

In Saturday night's 2-0 win over Atlanta, the Silverbacks had five shots, but just one on target.

"Atlanta sat back and didn't attack much, so some of those statistics are a little bit deceiving," Anhaeuser said. "Still, we were very solid defensively. We kept our shape and didn't allow them to find many openings."

Wilson, Akwari and Reda are not about to take all of the credit.

"We defend with 11 guys," Wilson said. "That's what's great about this team. It's not just the four guys in the back. It starts up front, and the midfield has done a great job defensively. It's all 11 guys and that's what it takes to be a good defensive team. Both of our keepers have done a great job, as well. I think they deserve a lot of credit."

The Battery is facing one of the top defensive teams tonight in the Whitecaps. Vancouver has allowed a league-low three goals and is 2-0-1 on the road. The Whitecaps have not given up a goal on the road yet this season and beat Portland, 1-0, this past Saturday night. The Timbers had not lost a game at home since September of 2006.

"We've got to be patient against them," Anhaeuser said. "We've got to possess the ball as much as we can and then find some holes in their defense. We might only get one or two chances, but we've got to capitalize on the chances we get. Vancouver has had some very impressive results already on the road this season. They are probably the biggest challenge we've faced to this point in the season."

Reach Andrew Miller at apmiller@postandcourier.com and check out the new Charleston Battery blog at, charleston.net/blogs/battery/