U.S. Open Cup Preview | D.C. vs. Charleston

Presented by MUSC Health

Matchday Preview

The Charleston Battery are heading to the nation’s capital to face D.C. United in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 on Tues., May 6. Kickoff at Audi Field is set for 7 p.m. ET and the match will stream exclusively on Paramount+.

Tuesday will mark the fourth official meeting between Charleston and D.C. since 1999, having last met in the 2008 Open Cup Final.

Charleston advanced to the Round of 32 after cruising to a 4-0 victory over South Georgia Tormenta FC, the only match of the round decided by a margin wider than two goals. The story of the night was MD Myers recording his second Open Cup hat trick against Tormenta, along with Chris Allan scoring his first for the club and Christian Garner’s clean sheet. Charleston won their last league match 4-2 over Hartford Athletic on Saturday.

D.C. make their entry into the Open Cup in the Round of 32. The capital club is one of 16 MLS sides to compete in the Open Cup this year, while the other 14 MLS sides were excluded from the Open Cup due to their participation in the Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup. D.C. won their league match ahead of the Cup tie, a 2-1 win over Colorado Rapids.

Looking at their respective leagues, the Battery are third in the USL Championship Eastern Conference with a 5W-2L-0D record and D.C. are in 12th of the MLS Eastern Conference with a 3W-5L-3D record.

Storylines of the Match

Coffee Pot Cup Revisited – Tuesday will add a new chapter to the Coffee Pot Cup rivalry. It is named after the Battery’s famous 4-3 upset win in the 1999 Open Cup in Charleston, which reportedly resulted in smashed locker room coffee pots by the D.C. players in frustration over the loss. At the time, the win was hailed as “one of the biggest upsets ever seen in American soccer history,” by the USSF’s match report. At the time, D.C. had won MLS twice (and would win it again that year) and were the reigning Concacaf Champions’ Cup and Copa Interamericana winners, adding to the significance of the second-division Battery’s upset win.

First Since 2008 – Since that notable night in 1999, however, D.C. has gotten the better of Charleston in the two other Open Cup meetings. Chief among those was the 2008 Open Cup Final, when the Battery’s Cinderella run ended in a 2-1 defeat at RFK Stadium. A roster rich with talent, Michael Anhaeuser’s side was led by the likes of John Wilson, Dusty Hudock, Ian Fuller, Stephen Armstrong and Ozzie Alonso. Fuller scored the Battery’s lone goal and a late apparent equalizer by Marco Reda was ultimately ruled offside. Tuesday will be the first time since 2008 the Battery both meet D.C. in an official match and face them on their home turf.

But, Plenty of Familiarity – There are several ties between the clubs heading into the match. The Battery’s roster currently consists of former D.C. players Luis Zamudio and Houssou Landry, both who have been regular starters in 2025. On the opposite side, D.C. have former Charleston players Derek Dodson and Fidel Barajas and are led on the touchline by ex-Battery players Troy Lesesne and Zach Prince.

Preseason Rematch – The familiarity between the sides is heightened beyond just players going against their former club, but also that the teams met during the preseason back in February. D.C. were the winners of that exhibition in Florida, 2-1, with Juan David Torres scoring the Battery’s lone goal in the second half.

Round of 16 at Stake – Charleston and D.C. are grouped with North Carolina FC and Charlotte FC, meaning the winners of the Round of 32 games are set to face each other in the Round of 16. The North Carolina-Charlotte tie kicks off at the same time as the D.C.-Charleston match. If the Battery and Charlotte both win, Charleston will then host the Queen City club in the Round of 16, based on the hosting priority determined by the draw.

Momentum into the Match – Both Charleston and D.C. will be riding the momentum of their respective league performances going into Tuesday’s match. Charleston defeated Hartford, 4-2, in an all-around dominant display Saturday afternoon and D.C. defeated Colorado, 2-1, with Christian Benteke’s return providing them a much-needed boost.

Former MLS Talent – Charleston’s roster is well-represented with ex-MLS players who may carry with them an added bit of motivation and readiness going into Tuesday’s game. There are 10 players on the Battery’s squad who featured for MLS first teams: Mark Segbers, Joey Akpunonu, Graham Smith, Josh Drack, Rubio Rubín, Cal Jennings, Jackson Conway, Douglas Martínez, Johnny Klein and Houssou Landry.

Torres in Form – Juan David Torres put on a dazzling display against Hartford, recording two goals and one assist for his third consecutive league match with a goal contribution. Torres is now the co-leader in assists (four) in the Championship and is tied for the third-most chances created (16).

Houssou Available – Houssou Landry will be available for selection again after serving a yellow card accumulation suspension in the previous round that carried over from last year’s Open Cup.