Charleston, SC. The Charleston Battery will take on Major League Soccer’s DC United Saturday night at Blackbaud Stadium in the finale of the 2010 Carolina Challenge Cup (7:15 PM, $15 - $25, 843-971-4625, charlestonbattery.com). DC United will win the tournament if they beat Charleston who will be looking to rebound from a 3-1 loss suffered at the hands of the current MLS champions Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night.

Saturday’s match versus United is a rematch of the 2008 US Open Cup final where DC narrowly edged the Battery by a score of two goals to one. Charleston’s rivalry with DC United extends back to the 1999 season when the teams first met with Charleston beating United 4-3 in the third round of the US Open Cup. United returned to the Open Cup final in 2009 but were edged by expansion MLS side the Seattle Sounders.

DC have been in exceptional form through the first two matches of the Challenge Cup beating Real Salt lake 2-1 in the opening fixture of the tournament and then dominating Toronto FC on the way to a 1-0 win versus the Canadian champions on Wednesday.

Veteran striker Jaime Moreno has led the way scoring all three of United’s goals. The Santa Cruz, Bolivia native is one of the oldest players in the tournament at 36 yrs he also the only DC United player remaining from the first meeting between the Battery and DC in 1999.

DC United head coach Curt Onalfo will be using the game versus Charleston as a final tune-up for his squad who kick off their 2010 MLS season on Saturday, March 27 with a match versus Onalfo’s old team the Kansas City Wizards.

This is DC United’s fifth visit to Charleston for the Carolina Challenge cup and somewhat surprisingly United have never won the tournament. DC is the most successful professional soccer organization in the US. United is a four-time MLS Cup Champion (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2004) and winners of the 1996 and 2008 U.S. Open Cup, the 1998 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the 1998 Interamerican Cup and the 1997, 1999, 2006 and 2007 MLS Supporters Shield.

Charleston Battery head coach Mike Anhaeuser got a first look at his on-loan winger Rudolph Mayard on Wednesday night in the match versus Salt lake; Mayard who joins the Battery on a season long loan from the Montreal Impact scored the Battery’s lone goal with an emphatic finish from ten yards out.

The match versus RSL also saw the debut of former Atlanta Silverback Josh Bolton who came into the match as a second half substitute. Brazilian forward Amaury Nunes left the game after 20 minutes with a thigh strain and is doubtful for the game on Saturday night.

The first game of the doubleheader on Saturday pits the current MLS champs Real Salt Lake versus the current Canadian champions Toronto FC. Salt Lake earned their first points of the competition on Wednesday with a 3-1 win versus the Charleston Battery. The defending CCC champs could still win the tournament if they defeat Toronto but would also need the Battery to beat DC United.

Toronto will be looking to rebound following two sub-par results during the first part of the Challenge Cup. After being held to a 0-0 tie by the Battery in the opening game Toronto struggled to create chances in their 1-0 loss versus DC United. TFC’s cause was not helped by the first half dismissal of midfielder Amadou Sanyang forcing them to play a man short for the remainder of the fixture.

Real Salt Lake kicks off the defense of their MLS crown with a visit to the San Jose Earthquakes on March 27 (FOX Soccer Channel 9 p.m. EST while Toronto FC travel to the Columbus Crew.

The first game of the 2010 MLS season is set for Thursday, March 25 as the expansion Philadelphia Union take on the Seattle Sounders at Quest Field, Seattle (ESPN2 9:30 p.m. EST).

Carolina Challenge Cup tickets – Free Magnet Schedulecourtesy of Angie Gainey Bailey Realty
Everyone in attendance on Saturday will receive a complimentary Charleston Battery magnet schedule cup courtesy of Angie Gainey Bailey Realty. Fans can enjoy $2 drafts until kick off in the Battery Beer Garden and children will have access to the Charleston County Parks Fun Zone.

Also at half time of the Battery versus DC United game one luck fan will have the chance to win $10,000 in the Heritage Trust Kick for Cash!

Tickets for the 2010 Carolina Challenge Cup are on sale now with prices frozen at 2009 levels ($15 - $25, (843) 971-GOAL (4625) / www.Charlestonbattery.com). Charleston Battery Season Ticket holders receive complimentary tickets to all three Carolina Challenge Cup doubleheaders.

Carolina Challenge Cup and MLS success
There is a remarkable correlation between success in the Carolina Challenge Cup and success in Major League Soccer. Each year aside from 2008, the winner of the Carolina Challenge Cup has gone on to win either that season’s MLS Supporters Shield (regular season champions) or MLS Cup.

Despite not creating an MLS champion in 2008 two of that years participants came very close to winning a major trophy as the Charleston Battery lost to DC United in the final of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup and the New York Red Bulls lost to the Columbus Crew in the MLS Cup final.

Carolina Challenge Cup past winners
2004 - Columbus Crew (MLS)
2005 - San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
2006 - Houston Dynamo (MLS)
2007 - Houston Dynamo (MLS)
2008 - San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
2009 - Real Salt Lake (MLS)