Presented by MUSC Health
Matchday Preview
The Charleston Battery shift to the Prinx Tires USL Cup to host Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Sat., June 6. The Group Stage Round 3 clash will kick off at 7 p.m. ET, and the match will stream on ESPN+ and air locally on Palmetto Sports Network.
Saturday marks the second time Charleston and Pittsburgh clash in 2026. The Battery claimed a victory over the league’s defending champions on opening day, a 2-1 triumph at Patriots Point.
Charleston (6pts in Group 6) are two for two in their Group Stage matches after conquering the Richmond Kickers in a 4-nil win in the previous round. Four different scorers made their mark at City Stadium in Langston Blackstock, Colton Swan, Miguel Berry and Jeremy Kelly. The win catapulted the Battery to the top of the Group 6 table following the other results in Round 2.
Pittsburgh (4pts in Group 6) had to settle for a 1-1 draw and were barred from a bonus point after losing the penalty shootout to Charlotte Independence in Round 2. The Hounds clawed back to pull level in the 82nd minute via Jorge Garcia, but Charlotte won the shootout, 4-2, after the match went straight to penalties after full-time.
Looking at the Group 6 table, Charleston are in first and Pittsburgh are in third.
Competition Structure
At A Glance – This year’s Prinx Tires USL Cup kicked off on April 25, with teams split into seven regional groups. Six groups include six teams, and one includes seven teams, with each club set to play four Group Stage games in the opening phase of the tournament, which will conclude on Saturday, July 11.
Group 6 Members – Charleston and Pittsburgh are part of Group 6, along with Charlotte Independence, Loudoun United FC, Greenville Triumph SC and the Richmond Kickers.
The Lowdown – The 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup is the third edition of the USL’s interleague cup competition, a World Cup-style tournament which features all 42 teams across the USL Championship and League One. Adding more meaningful matches to the annual calendar, this year’s Prinx Tires USL Cup will see Hartford Athletic aim to defend its crown in the biggest edition of the competition to date.
How To Advance – Making it to the knockout stage is simple: Win your group. Scoring in the group table is similar to the regular season standings: Wins earn three points, draws earn one, and losses earn none, and draws will have a penalty shootout immediately after the final whistle, with an additional bonus point up for grabs for the shootout winners. One wild-card team will also advance, and that slot is awarded to the second-placed team with the most points in group play, followed by the first tiebreaker of most goals scored. Last year’s champions, Hartford, advanced to the knockout stage on a wild-card berth.
After the Group Stage – The seven group winners and one wild card will advance to create a field of eight teams in the knockout stage. The Quarterfinals will be held on August 13, followed by the Semifinals on September 9 and the Final on the weekend of October 2-4.
Storylines of the Match
Round II with the Hounds – Charleston and Pittsburgh will clash again at Patriots Point following their opening day meeting on March 7. The Battery won 2-1 on goals from Sean Suber and Wilmer Cabrera. The reverse fixture in league play is set for August 15 at the newly renamed F.N.B. Stadium.
Meeting No. 48 – This weekend also marks the 48th all-time meeting between the Battery and the Hounds since 1999. The series favors Charleston across the past 47 meetings, with a 9W-11L-17D record against Pittsburgh. It’s the Battery’s second-longest actively standing rivalry after Charleston renewed their fixture with fellow 1993 foes Richmond for the 65th meeting during Round 2.
Heavy Implications – While no club can outright win Group 6 this weekend, there are serious consequences for the fate of the group depending on how the games go in the round. If the Battery defeat the Hounds for all three points on Saturday, Charleston could officially win Group 6 come June 24 if Greenville then beat Charlotte for their Round 3 fixture, as the Battery’s 9 points would be too much for Charlotte or Pittsburgh to match in Round 4.
Fort Patriots Point – The Battery look to seize the momentum of the cup with the help of their home form this year, as Charleston are currently undefeated at Patriots Point with five wins and one draw across all competitions. Additionally, the Battery are on a 19-game unbeaten run in the USL Championship regular season, dating back to last year.
Allan Returns, Approaching 100 Matches – One of the big developments late in the victory over Detroit was the return of Chris Allan to match action for his first game since August 2025. The English midfielder was back from an injury sustained last year and now finds himself knocking on the door of 100 appearances for the Battery. Since 2023, Allan has played in 98 matches for Charleston.
Hughes Debughes – Another storyline out of the Detroit win was forward Alec Hughes officially making his club debut. The 6-4 striker joined the Battery ahead of the 2026 season but was sidelined until this past weekend. Hughes’ return is timely as he will be able to help fill the temporary void left by Colton Swan’s departure for national team duty with the United States U-19 team.
Swan on International Duty – Riding the momentum of his recent form, Colton Swan earned a call-up to the United States U-19 national team for an important training camp in preparation for the Concacaf U-20 Championship this summer. That tournament serves as qualification for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Camp for Swan and the USYNT will last from June 1-9, and they are set to face Japan in Atlanta.
Wayne Signs with Buckeyes – USL Academy signing Jack Wayne made his college plans official on June 2 by signing with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Wayne featured in seven matches for the Battery across all competitions, as the USL Academy contract enables signees to gain professional-level experience while preserving their college eligibility. Wayne will depart for Columbus later this summer.
From the Training Ground
MATCH INFO
Charleston Battery vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
Prinx Tires USL Cup | Group Stage | Round 3
Saturday, June 6 – 7 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Saturday’s match will also stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league’s YouTube channel for free internationally. The match will also air on local television on Palmetto Sports and Entertainment Network, channel WCSC 5.3 (SD) and WZCH-TV 35.3 (HD) in Charleston. Check with your TV provider for the exact channel number.
A limited amount of tickets for Saturday are available now via SeatGeek.com, the Battery’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.
