Charleston, SC. The Charleston Battery (USL-1) squares off against Major League Soccer’s CD Chivas USA this Tuesday night at Blackbaud Stadium in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup; gates open at 6:30 PM with kick off set for 7:30 PM. The Battery advanced to the third round with wins over Atlanta FC and the Miami FC Blues; in 2008 the Battery lost in the Open Cup final to MLS’s DC United.

Charleston enters the game on the back of a 1-0 win versus the Puerto Rico Islanders in a game played last Thursday night at Blackbaud Stadium. Forward Randi Patterson scored the decisive goal drilling home past Islanders goalkeeper Bill Gaudette in the 30th minute.

Charleston is unbeaten at Blackbaud Stadium in 2009 with five wins and three ties. The Battery has also been perfect defensively through the first two rounds of the U.S. Open Cup with three goals scored and none conceded.

Founded on August 2, 2004, as Major League Soccer's then-eleventh team, Los Angeles-based Club Deportivo Chivas USA is the sister team to the Mexican Primera team Club Deportivo Guadalajara, popularly known as Chivas. Chivas USA is the only wholly Mexican-owned team in major professional sports in the United States.

This will be the first time that Charleston has faced Chivas USA; Chivas is currently in second position one point behind the Houston Dynamo in MLS’s Western Conference.

The Battery enjoyed a tremendous run in the Open Cup in 2008 advancing to the championship game, but losing 2-1 to MLS’s DC United who claimed the title with goals from Luciano Emilio and Fred; Battery midfielder Ian Fuller scored Charleston’s goal.

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the U.S. Soccer Federation’s National Championship, is an annual competition open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest annual team tournament in U.S. sports history and among the oldest soccer tournaments of its type in the world. In 1999, the competition was renamed to honor long-time soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt.

At stake in the tournament is $180,000 in prize money broken down as follows: $100,000 to the champion, $50,000 to the runner up and $10,000 to the team that advances deepest into the tournament from each of the Division II, Division III and amateur levels. The winner of the U.S. Open Cup also receives an automatic berth into the CONCACAF Champions League.

U.S. Open Cup Tickets
Tickets for Tuesday evening’s match are on sale now starting at just $10. To purchase tickets, for directions or for more information please call (843) 971-GOAL (4625) or visit www.charlestonbattery.com.