Presented by MUSC Health
Matchday Preview
The Charleston Battery return home with a quick turnaround to host Hartford Athletic on Wed., Sept. 2, in Week 27 of the USL Championship regular season. Kickoff at Patriots Point is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the match will stream for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network, air on local television on the Palmetto Sports and Entertainment Network, and broadcast over SiriusXM FC.
Charleston and Hartford are set for their first clash of the year, with the reverse fixture set for October 3.
The Battery (12W-7L-3D, 39pts) return home after a perfect Week 26 where the side claimed a pair of wins. After the 5-0 triumph over Miami FC on Monday, Charleston defeated Las Vegas Lights FC on the road, 0-2, thanks to Maalique Foster’s brace at Cashman Field. Goalkeeper John Berner posted a pair of shutouts during the week, including three crucial saves against Las Vegas.
Hartford (6W-5L-9D, 27pts) venture to the Lowcountry following their 3-2 home win over Birmingham Legion FC. The Athletic delivered a thriller for their home crowd by clawing back from an early 0-2 deficit and leveling the score at 2-2 before halftime. A penalty miss by Peter-Lee Vassell and a goal by Jordan Scarlett for the hosts in the 74th minute completed the comeback win, a crucial result in Hartford’s fight to stay above the playoff line.
Looking at the Eastern Conference table, Charleston are in second and Hartford are in eighth.
Storylines of the Match
H2H History – Charleston and Hartford have met 14 times since 2019, with the Battery holding a 10W-3L-1D record in the all-time series. The Battery have been particularly strong at home against the Athletic, with seven wins in seven meetings as the hosts. Hartford’s last visit to Charleston was a thrilling 4-2 comeback victory for the Battery.
Final Midweek Match – This Wednesday will mark the final midweek match on the Battery’s schedule, as the rest of the games will be on Saturday until the end of the regular season. With the quick turnaround, the Battery will be granted the following weekend off, a welcome reprieve following the cross-country travel the previous weekend.
Fortress at Patriots Point – The Battery will be looking forward to their return home from the West Coast in the quick turnaround, as Patriots Point has continued to bring out the best in the side. Charleston’s unbeaten run at home in the regular season was extended to 24 games with the win over Miami, which is four away from the club record in the USL Championship era (28 games, May 24, 2014 – May 14, 2016). The Battery have the most points won (25), most wins (eight), most goals scored (32) and best goal differential (+25) at home in the league this year.
Foster’s Career Year Continues – Maalique Foster is amid a career year and has been one of the hottest players as of late after scoring three goals in the last two matches, bringing his total to 11 across all competitions (tied with Colton Swan for the team lead) and a club-best nine in league play. His 11 goals continue to add to the single-season best goal total he set after the Miami win, and his nine in Championship action put him into the top-10 of the Golden Boot race.
Berner Back-to-Back Shutouts – On the other end, John Berner has also been in top form after posting two shutouts in his first two regular season appearances of the year. The pair of donuts brings his clean sheet total to four across all competitions in 2026. Should Berner continue to deputize for Luis Zamudio on Wednesday, he will do so with some momentum while he faces his former club in 2025.
Berry’s Efforts Paying Off – Miguel Berry is another player who has been quietly putting together several strong performances recently, as both a goalscorer and provider for his teammates. The veteran striker has amassed three goals and three assists in his last five matches, averaging a goal involvement every 67.5 minutes of play in that span.
Messer in Golden Playmaker Race – Nathan Messer currently has seven assists to his name in the league, which puts him into a tie for the lead in the Championship Golden Playmaker race. Messer additionally leads the team in chances created (40, tied) and the league in crosses (167).
Playoff Race Heating Up – With every passing week, the race for playoff positioning will continue to heat up more and more. Charleston are playing a team sitting in eighth place for the third consecutive game as Hartford will be aiming to create distance from Miami, whose loss to Charleston helped dip them into ninth in the table, and Las Vegas suffered a similar fate in the Western Conference after Saturday. The Battery, meanwhile, are looking to both keep pace with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who are six points clear in first, and separate themselves from third-place Detroit, who are three points behind but have a game in hand. A top-four finish will lock in hosting in at least the opening round of postseason play.
Houssou 150 – Houssou Landry enters Wednesday with 149 career appearances in the USL Championship regular season, putting himself one game away from eclipsing the 150 milestone.
ICYMI, Swan to Hibs in 2027 – News that was made official prior to the Miami match was the confirmation that forward Colton Swan will join Scottish Premiership side Hibernian FC following the conclusion of the 2026 season. The two clubs agreed to a six-figure fee and sell-on clause for the transfer of Swan’s services to Europe.
Pups at the Pitch Round 2 – For the second time this year, the Battery are hosting Pups at the Pitch, meaning fans can bring their canine companions to enjoy the game with them inside the stadium. Fans can also look forward to a military K-9 demonstration by Joint Base Lindsey Graham before kickoff, an agility dog performance at halftime, adoptable shelter pups in the stadium and plenty more festivities. Full details about the day, policies, tickets and more can be found at charlestonbattery.com/dogs.
From the Training Ground
MATCH INFO
Charleston Battery vs. Hartford Athletic
Wednesday, September 2 – 7 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Wednesday’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.
On radio, the game will air on SiriusXM FC (channel 188).
A limited amount of tickets for Wednesday are available now via SeatGeek.com, the Battery’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.
