CHARLESTON, S.C. – Saturday night’s game between the Charleston Battery and Seattle Sounders FC at the 2017 Carolina Challenge Cup will also see the renewal of a coaching matchup that dates back more than a decade, but it would be hard to characterize the relationship between Battery Head Coach Mike Anhaeuser and his Seattle counterpart Brian Schmetzer as anything but warm.

“Oh, yeah, we love Mike,” Schmetzer told reporters on Friday at training. “Mike’s such a great host, and he’s a very, very talented coach. We’ve relied on him over the years, we’ve sent him players, the list over the years – [Micheal] Azira, [Lamar] Neagle, Ossie [Alonso] – there’s been a good connection here, so we’re always happy to try and support the Battery all the time.”

Schmetzer first became the Sounders Head Coach in 2002, and over the years the trips to Charleston and Seattle as part of first the USL A-League and then the USL First Division saw the two historic squads square off on a regular basis.

The sides never managed to encounter each other in the postseason, the closest coming in 2003 when the Battery defeated a Minnesota Thunder side in the championship game that had knocked off Seattle in the Western Conference Final, but Anhaeuser has good memories of the matchups between the clubs, and is looking forward to the chance for his side to take on the defending MLS Cup champions.

“I think it’s tremendous,” Anhaeuser said. “When [Anhaeuser and Schmetzer] were at the MLS Combine we actually talked about this. It’ll be great, but I’ll tell you one thing, he’s definitely not going to want to lose to us, so in the end that’s what it’s all about, you still want that competition. He’s had tremendous success, he did a fantastic job, their organization grew and now Seattle is one of, if not the, biggest club in the United States.”

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Those encounters with Seattle also built a relationship between the two clubs that continues to this day. This year will be the second time the Sounders have visited the Low Country for the Carolina Challenge Cup – the previous time coming in 2014 – and the side will have with it one of the iconic players of the Battery’s history.

Now captain of the Sounders, Ossie Alonso was the 2008 USL Rookie of the Year in Charleston before he joined Seattle for its inaugural season in Major League Soccer the following year. Coming back to his former club for the upcoming week is enjoyable, but with the MLS season just two weeks away there’s a focus to making sure the side is ready for its opening game.

“Coming back to this city, I have a lot of friends down here so it’s always great to be here,” Alonso told reporters. “But now I’m focused with Seattle, and to bring my game to the Challenge Cup.”

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With the regular season almost at hand for the Sounders, and fellow CCC participants Atlanta United FC and Columbus Crew SC, and the Battery doing work to build another strong squad for the USL season, the competition should have a good level of intensity when it kicks off on Saturday night.

After the final whistle goes between the Battery and Sounders, though, the friendships between the two clubs will quickly return.

“I told them we’re definitely going to make sure we put our best foot out there to take care of business and beat them,” said Anhaeuser, “but in the end it’s not about that, it’s about the clubs and the sport growing, and I’m very excited to be playing against Brian again. It was great back then and I only look forward to doing it again in two weeks, and I wish him all the success to possibly get another championship in Seattle this season.”