Jägermeister Cup Preview | Naples vs. Charleston

Presented by MUSC Health

Matchday Preview

The Charleston Battery hit the road to Florida to kick off their USL Jägermeister Cup campaign against USL League One side FC Naples on Sat., April 26. The Round 1 group stage match at Paradise Coast Sports Complex is set for 7 p.m. ET and will stream on ESPN+.

Charleston and Naples have not previously met in any competition, making this weekend the first official contest between the sides.

The Battery enter Saturday on a four-game winning streak across all competitions. Charleston most recently cruised to a 1-3 victory over Indy Eleven in Championship play. MD Myers bagged his fourth and fifth goals of the week within the opening 10 minutes of the match, and Arturo Rodriguez scored in the second half to put the game out of reach.

Naples, embarking upon their inaugural season, are the top team in League One and are three points clear in first in the table. However, after an undefeated start to the year, they have endured back-to-back defeats in their last two outings. Naples’ U.S. Open Cup run came to an end in penalties against the Tampa Bay Rowdies after a valiant effort, and then they were dealt a 0-1 home loss against One Knoxville SC last Saturday.

Since it is Round 1, the table is even as everyone enters the group stage with a clean slate.

Jägermeister Cup Format Rundown

A Shot at Glory – Saturday will mark Charleston’s debut in the Jägermeister Cup after the tournament’s first edition last year was only contested between League One teams. The Battery are members of Group 6, along with Naples, Greenville Triumph SC, Miami FC, South Georgia Tormenta FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Jägermeister Cup is a World Cup-style tournament with a group stage and knockout phase.

How to Advance – After four rounds of group stage matches (two home, two away), the winners of each group will advance to the knockout phase. There will also be two wild card teams that didn’t win their group but will make it through to the knockout phase (more on that later). Points are standard for wins, losses and draws, but games that end in ties will immediately go to penalty kicks for one additional point. So, a team that ties and wins the PK shootout will come away with two points, while the other team would only take one point. The club with the most points wins the group, with wins and then goals scored being the next two tiebreakers.

Goals and Wild Cards – The two wild card spots will be largely determined by offensive prowess, as the first determining factor will be overall goals scored in the group stage. So, the two second-place group teams who have the most goals scored would be in the driver’s seat to make the knockout phase on a wild card berth. Additional tiebreakers after that are points won and total wins.

Looking to the Knockout Phase – Once the group stage concludes, the two wild card teams will be automatically slotted as away teams for the quarterfinals, the opening round of the knockout phase. From there, a draw will determine the rest of the set of matches in the quarterfinals. From there, the tournament will proceed in a single-elimination format with draws after each completed round to determine the succeeding one. The Final is set for October 4.

New Competition, Clean Slate – In terms of discipline rules, there is no caution accumulation in Jägermeister Cup games, and yellow cards do not count toward the regular season caution accumulations. Red cards will only result in suspensions for the next Cup match unless deemed more severe by the League Disciplinary Committee. Additionally, goals and assists in the Cup do not count toward a player’s league regular season total.

Storylines of the Match

First Meeting – Charleston and Naples have not previously met in any competition, official or exhibition. The Battery (est. 1993) are the oldest club in the Championship while Naples (est. 2024) are playing in their inaugural League One season. With an Open Cup meeting no longer on the table, the Jägermeister Cup will be the only way Charleston and Naples clash in 2025.

Recent Success Against League One – While a third-division league, the USL League One boasts some formidable talent and Naples are no exception. Charleston’s recent record of four wins in the past five matches against League One teams is the most among Championship clubs. Naples are sure to present the Battery a tough test at their home on Saturday.

The Doc Delivers (Again) – MD Myers is back, tell a friend to tell a friend. The striker scored five times last week, three in the Open Cup on Tuesday and twice against Indy on Saturday, to bring his season total to six in just four games across all competitions. Myers took home the Championship Player of the Week award for his exceptional showing in Week 7.

Bienvenido, Rubio Rubín – Speaking of strikers, the Battery welcomed Guatemalan international Rubio Rubín to the team on Thursday, signing with the club ahead of the Jägermeister Cup clash. Rubín boasts a résumé with stops in Europe, MLS and Liga MX, along with previously playing for the U.S. Men’s National Team before switching to Guatemala. The versatile and veteran attacker could make his Battery debut in Naples.

Entering Florida In-Form – The Battery have hit their stride recently after a 1W-2L-0D start to the season and have won three league matches in a row, plus the Open Cup triumph over Tormenta. In those four wins, Charleston have outscored their opponents 11-3 and have seen seven different players record goal contributions.