Coach Pirmann, who helped put his hometown side Detroit City FC on the map between 2013 and 2018, saw the value of the multi-faceted Markanich right from the start. As long as he’s near the goal, the Illinois-born attacker is pretty much a swiss army knife.
“I’m happy to go wherever the coach puts me,” said Markanich. “As a winger or in any of the top four positions – a number nine, a withdrawn striker, attacking midfielder – wherever I’m needed.”
Another piece to the happy puzzle is personality. It’s not uncommon for a player, especially one coming from the MLS ranks, to arrive with at least a little chip on his shoulder. Not so with the humble Markanich, whose twin brother Anthony plays for the Colorado Rapids (who are still alive in the 2023 Open Cup and a possible later-stage opponent for the Battery).
Positive Attitude & Impact
“Everyone’s great here,” said the player who, immediately upon arrival, put his head down and got about the business of making the Battery better. “He [Markanich] brings a smile and a positive mindset daily, supports his teammates, but also has a fierce drive to win,” said Pirmann.
There’s much to learn about a new league and a new team – and Markanich is already soaking up all there is to know about the rich history of the Charleston Battery. That goes all the way back to the club’s founding in 1993, eight years before the forward was born.
“I didn’t know a lot of stuff about the Battery, like how they went to an Open Cup Final,” he said, of that time in 2008 with a young Ozzie Alonso prowling in midfield, that the Battery finished Open Cup runners-up. “I’m learning as I go and it just feels great to be a part of something like this.”
