Preview | Miami FC vs. Charleston Battery

Presented by MUSC Health

Matchday Preview

The Charleston Battery hit the road in Week 4 to face Miami FC on March 30 for the final match of the month. Kickoff at FIU Football Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will air on ESPN+.

Charleston and Miami square off for the first time this season. The South Florida side won the previous meeting, 1-2, in the penultimate match of the 2023 regular season. Charleston will aim to avenge that result this weekend.

The Battery (1W-0L-2D, 5 pts) enter Saturday following their first win of the season, an imposing 4-0 victory over New Mexico United. Six different players recorded goal contributions and the goals were scored by Nick Markanich, Arturo Rodriguez, Aaron Molloy and Jackson Conway. Goalkeeper Adam Grinwis tallied his second clean sheet of the season, placing him tied for the league lead.

Miami (1W-1L-1D, 4 pts) return to Florida following a 2-2 road draw against Orange County SC. Miami let a halftime lead slip but the side put in an all-around strong performance away from home, with Allen Gavilanes’ brace earning his side a point.

In the all-time series, Miami hold an edge with a 6W-3L-3D record against Charleston and are undefeated in the last seven meetings.

Storylines of the Match

Carry the Momentum – The Week 3 victory over New Mexico saw Charleston’s offense produce its best game to date, with four goals on 10 of 18 shots being on target. The Battery, who lead the league with 47 shots taken, will hope the upward trend continues on the road.

Searching for South Florida Success – The Battery have played six matches at Miami’s FIU Stadium but have a 0W-3L-3D record at the venue since the first match in 2020. Charleston will be searching for their first win in trip No. 7 to the grounds this weekend.

New Look Miami – The Miami team Charleston will face on Saturday will be unlike what they saw in 2023. Only three Miami players from last year’s team remain with the 2024 squad under first-year head coach Antonio Nocerino.

All Clear – This weekend’s match will feature two of the early leaders in clearances this season in center-backs Nicolás Cardona of Miami (18, tied for third-most) and Graham Smith of Charleston (16, tied for seventh-most).

Battles of Bests from Week 3 – The league’s Week 3 Team of the Week featured three Battery players, Nathan Dossantos, Aaron Molloy and Nick Markanich, but Miami’s Allen Gavilanes took home Player of the Week honors. The in-form sides are now set to clash in the next round of fixtures.

Familiar Faces – Saturday will mark two firsts. It will be the first return to Miami for Mark Segbers since he joined the Battery from Miami via transfer late in the 2023 season. The night will also see Andrew Booth’s first match against the Battery since joining Miami in the offseason after a two-year stay in the Lowcountry.