Match Preview | Indy vs. Charleston

Presented by MUSC Health

Matchday Preview

The Charleston Battery hit the road in Week 7 to face Indy Eleven on Sat., April 19, in the USL Championship. Kickoff at Carroll Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET and the match will stream on ESPN+.

The Battery and Indy have not met this year. Last season, Charleston swept the series with a 2-4 win in Indianapolis and a 5-0 triumph at Patriots Point.

Charleston (3W-2L-0D, 9pts) enter this weekend on a two-game win streak in league play. The Battery defeated Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in thrilling fashion, a 2-1 comeback win thanks to goals in the second half from Aaron Molloy and Cal Jennings. It was an all-around dominant showing from the Battery against one of the league’s better defensive sides.

Indy (1W-1L-2D, 5pts) return home after their scheduled away match against Hartford Athletic in Week 6 was postponed due to inclement weather. In their last league contest, Indy settled for a 2-2 draw against North Carolina FC. The hosts had victory in their grasp until a late goal in stoppage time by North Carolina’s Conor Donovan forced the points to be shared.

Looking at the Eastern Conference table, the Charleston are in fourth and Indy are in seventh.

Storylines of the Match

All-Time Series – Charleston and Indy have met 11 times previously in the regular season and playoffs since 2018. The Battery hold a narrow edge in the all-time series with a 5W-4L-2D record against Indy.

Tough Confines in Indiana – While the Battery have the upper hand in the all-time series, success has been limited for Charleston in the Indiana capital. The Battery were winless at Indy until last season, getting their first win in five tries after posting a 0W-2L-2D record in the previous four visits.

Busy Schedules – Both Charleston and Indy are navigating packed schedules with midweek games for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Third Round. Charleston cruised to a 4-0 victory over Tormenta FC on Tuesday, but Indy were forced to go the distance in their 1-0 win over Miami FC after extra time on Wednesday.

Martinez’s Indy Return – Current Battery forward Douglas Martinez could face his former club for the first time this weekend. Martinez joined Charleston in the offseason after starring for Indy in the previous two seasons.

Second Road Test – The Battery hit the road for the second time in 2025 this weekend after four home matches in their first five of the league campaign. Charleston will hope for a better result after falling 1-2 to North Carolina in the first away day of the season.

Molloy’s Standout Week 6 – Midfielder Aaron Molloy had a big showing in Week 6, where he garnered USL Championship Team of the Week honors. Molloy sparked the comeback against Pittsburgh with his equalizer in the second half, which was also his first goal of the season.

Jennings Maintains Pace – Forward Cal Jennings maintained his league-leading pace of five goals to start the season, tied with Loudoun United FC’s Abdellatif Aboukoura. Jennings has now scored in four consecutive matches, a sterling start for his Battery tenure. He additionally eclipsed 70 career regular season goals in the USL Championship with his winner against Pittsburgh.

Myers’ Impactful Return – The doctor is in. Since returning from injury, MD Myers has scored four goals and one assist in his last three games across all competitions. Myers made history with his hat trick in the Open Cup against Tormenta, becoming the third player in the Open Cup’s modern era to score hat tricks in two different tournaments, and the first to do so in back-to-back Open Cups.

Ortiz Makes Pro Debut – Tuesday was also a day to remember for Viggo Ortiz, as the 16-year-old made his professional debut off the bench to shore up the victory against Tormenta. It was another key step in the Mexican youth international’s professional journey after being elevated from a USL Academy contract to a first-team deal in March 2025.

Allan Gets His Goal – In his 81st overall game for the club, midfielder Chris Allan scored his first goal with the Battery on Tuesday against Tormenta. Allan opened the scoring for the game in the 32nd minute after capitalizing on a poorly cleared corner kick, and his shot from the edge of the penalty area took a favorable deflection to send it over everyone and into the net.