The Charleston Battery return home to host Greenville Triumph SC in Round 2 of the USL Jägermeister Cup group stage on Sat., May 31. The match at Patriots Point will kick off at 6 p.m. ET, and will stream on ESPN+ and air locally on Palmetto Sports Network.
Saturday marks the second official meeting all-time between Charleston and Greenville, who compete in the USL Championship and USL League One, respectively. The first contest was in the 2019 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a 1-2 road win for the Battery.
Charleston enter Round 2 looking to bounce back from their 1-0 road loss in the opening group stage match against FC Naples. The Battery came close to leveling the match at the end, with Arturo Rodriguez hitting the post in the final minutes of stoppage time, but were unable to find an equalizer. In league play, Charleston most recently defeated Detroit City FC on the road, 1-3, to extend their win streak to seven matches.
Greenville also head into Round 2 looking to get in the win column after dropping their first Cup game against Tormenta, 2-1. The Triumph are currently in a five-game winless run in League One action and fell 1-0 on the road to Texoma FC last Saturday.
Looking at the Group 6 standings, the Battery are in sixth and Greenville are in fifth.
Storylines of the Match
All-South Carolina Evening – Saturday is set to be a big day for South Carolina as the state’s two professional clubs meet officially for the first time in six years. Along with the in-state rivalry, legendary former College of Charleston Men’s Soccer head coach Ralph Lundy will be recognized as the honorary captain before kickoff. Lundy was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame this month.
New Threads Debuting – Fans can expect a new look on the pitch for the Battery on Saturday, as two new shirts will make their first appearance. The Palmetto Kit, inspired by the South Carolina state flag, will be worn by the goalkeepers and the Cup Third Kit, white with black and yellow trim, will be worn by the field players.
Familiarity Between the Sides – A familiar face will be on opposite sides for both clubs. First is Battery goalkeeper Christian Garner, who spent 2024 with the Triumph and posted four clean sheets in 15 matches in the USL League One regular season and Jägermeister Cup. Next is Zeke Soto, who joined Greenville on loan from Charleston this month. Soto made his Greenville debut last Saturday.
Road Ahead in Group 6 – Including this weekend, only three group stage games remain for the Battery. Charleston find themselves on the outside looking in, in terms of advancing to the knockout phase, but stringing together positive results could put them back in contention to win the group or make a wild card spot. Tormenta FC currently lead the group with three points and the tiebreaker over Naples on goals scored.
Jennings’ Historic Form – Cal Jennings is on a tear. In Championship play, the striker tied a league record for most consecutive games with a goal contribution (nine), which has placed him in first in the league’s Golden Boot race. He also moved into second all-time for most two-goal and multi-goal games in Championship history. While the Jägermeister Cup won’t bear any impact on the league regular records or stats, Jennings will be one to watch, given the current heater he is on.
Torres in Hunt for Golden Playmaker – In addition to Jennings leading the league in scoring, Juan David Torres is tied for the lead in the Championship Golden Playmaker race with five assists. He also has the second-most chances created in the league (23).
Akponunu Stepping Up Big – One of the other recent bright spots for the Battery has been Joey Akpunonu’s run of strong performances while starting at center-back. The 6-3 defender currently leads the team in clearances (44) and blocks (five, tied) in eight regular season matches. Akpunonu is also tied for the seventh-most clearances per 90 minutes in the league.
Top of the League Table – While not having an impact on the Cup tie, the Battery currently command first place in the USL Championship standings and Players’ Shield race. Charleston’s ascent has been driven by the club’s seven-game winning streak in league play, a new club record in their Championship era. They also sport the league’s best goal differential at +14.
Jägermeister Cup Format Rundown
A Shot at Glory – Saturday will mark Charleston’s second contest in the Jägermeister Cup. The Battery are members of Group 6, along with Naples, Greenville, 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.
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 the weekend of 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.
From the Training Ground
MATCH INFO
Charleston Battery vs. Greenville Triumph SC
USL Jägermeister Cup | Group Stage | Round 2
Saturday, May 31 – 6 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Saturday’s match will stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league’s YouTube channel for free internationally. It 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.
A limited amount of tickets for Saturday are available now via SeatGeek.com, the Battery’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.
