Presented by MUSC Health
Matchday Preview
The Charleston Battery are back home to host Miami FC on Sat., Aug. 22, in Week 25 of the USL Championship regular season. Kickoff at Patriots Point is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, and the match will stream for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network and air on local television on the Palmetto Sports and Entertainment Network.
Charleston and Miami are set for their first clash of the year, with the reverse fixture set for October 17 in South Florida.
The Battery (10W-7-3D, 33pts) are looking to bounce back this weekend after their August winning streak was snapped in the 3-1 road loss against Pittsburgh. Douglas Martinez got the Battery back in the game with a goal in the first half, but the hosts pulled ahead in the second half and Charleston ended the game shorthanded when Martinez was shown a second yellow card.
Miami (5W-9L-7D, 22pts) are aiming to snap out of a winless run that’s spanned since July 22. The South Florida side lost on the road, 2-1, at the hands of Hartford Athletic. Miami were destined to earn a point until Hartford scored the winner in stoppage time, which was officially credited as an own goal to goalkeeper Eloy Room.
Looking at the Eastern Conference table, Charleston are in second and Miami are in ninth.
Storylines of the Match
First Meeting with Miami – Charleston and Miami are due for their first clash of the year this weekend, renewing a series that has historically been relatively even. Miami hold a narrow advantage in the all-time series with a 7W-6L-3D record against the Battery. However, Charleston are 5W-3L-0D against Miami when hosting, including two wins in that last two at Patriots Point.
Top Attack vs. World Cup Hero – Charleston enter this weekend leading the league with 39 goals scored, along with a Championship-best +20 goal differential at home. Standing in the way of the goal, however, will be Miami goalkeeper Eloy Room, still fresh off his record-setting performance in the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Curaçao. Room provided heroics against Ecuador by making 15 saves, a World Cup record for a 90-minute match, in the 0-0 draw that earned Curaçao their first-ever World Cup point. It also marked one of the most notable results of the World Cup as Curaçao, the smallest country ever to play at a World Cup by both size and population, managed to withstand the heavily favored Ecuadorian side, largely thanks to Room.
Fort Patriots Point – Charleston are still undefeated at home across all competitions this year (8W-0L-4D) and are currently riding a 23-game unbeaten run in regular season play that spans to last year. The Battery’s home form tops the league with a Championship-best 23 points won, seven wins and 27 goals scored. Charleston will aim to harness the momentum at Patriots Point, on the field and in the stands, as they look to get back to winning ways and remain in contention for the Players’ Shield.
Spreading the Love – While previous campaigns have seen one or two dominant goalscorers for the Battery, the apparent key to this year’s success has been production from across the whole team. Currently, 13 different players have contributed to the Battery’s league-leading total of 39 goals scored.
Counter-Attack Warning – Miami enter this weekend tied for the league lead in goals scored from counter-attacks (six), whereas the Battery have only two goals off counter-attacks, and have the second-most fast counter-attacking opportunities created (35). Paramount to success for Charleston, who have the league’s third-best tackle success rate and ninth-best possession won in the middle third total, against Miami will be minimizing the visitors’ threats in transition.
Ones to Watch – Two players to watch are Charleston’s Colton Swan and Miami’s Jürgen Locadia. Swan made his first appearance with the Battery since returning from international duty last weekend, but now with another week at home, the striker could be poised for a strong reintroduction to Patriots Point for the first time since July 18. On the other side, Locadia has been a force for Miami since also returning from the World Cup with Curaçao, having scored five goals in his last eight contests. Both players are their sides’ respective top goalscorers.
New Look Kits – Keen observers on Saturday will notice the Battery’s Primary Kit will have an updated look, now featuring Mercedes-Benz Vans Charleston as the front-of-kit sponsor for the remainder of the season. The elevated partnership between both organizations further brings together two of the Lowcountry’s community leaders and most renowned entities.
Smith, Houssou Approach Milestones – A pair of Charleston players are nearing career milestones this month. Graham Smith has made 198 appearances in the USL Championship regular season, putting the 200-game mark firmly on his radar. Houssou Landry, meanwhile, enters this weekend three matches shy of 150 career regular season appearances.
Martinez Unavailable – Douglas Martinez will be out this weekend while serving a one-game suspension for the red card he received against Pittsburgh.
From the Training Ground
MATCH INFO
Charleston Battery vs. Miami FC
Saturday, August 22 – 7:30 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Saturday’s match will stream for free on the CBS Sports Golazo Network and through the league’s YouTube channel for free internationally. The Golazo Network can be accessed for free via the CBS Sports App (under the ‘Live TV’ section), PlutoTV, Roku TV, the Paramount+ app (no subscription needed), or on the channel’s website: https://www.cbssports.com/watch/cbs-sports-golazo-network
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.
