The Charleston Battery announced the signing of goalkeeper John Berner to the 2026 roster on Friday.
Berner, 35, has had a well-traveled career with stops in Major League Soccer, MLS NEXT Pro and the USL Championship.
“Honestly, I’m excited for a little bit of everything, from the club to the team to some good people to work with every day, and not to mention a pretty decent place to live,” said Berner. “What drew my interest was that this club has had a good amount of success over the last couple of years, so I am very excited to be a part of it. I want to help continue to push the team to the heights they are trying to reach.”
Berner split the 2025 season with FC Tulsa and Hartford Athletic, making four appearances for the Connecticut club and posting one shutout. He was also part of the Hartford squad that won the 2025 USL Jägermeister Cup.
The 6-3 shot-stopper made his professional debut in 2014 with MLS side Colorado Rapids after being selected 35th overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft and competed with the Rapids until 2017.
Berner’s past stops also included USL sides Charlotte Independence, Phoenix Rising FC, OKC Energy FC, Saint Louis FC, and Memphis 901 FC, and MLS NEXT Pro clubs Huntsville City FC and Atlanta United 2.
Additionally, Berner reunites with Head Coach Ben Pirmann after the two were together at Memphis from 2021 to 2022, along with former 901 FC teammates Graham Smith, Jeremy Kelly, Chris Allan and Laurent Kissiedou.
“John is a tremendous goalkeeper with experience across MLS and USL, and he showcased his abilities in our league yet again last season,” said Coach Pirmann. “He is a very good shot-blocker and can build the game from the back with tremendous accountability. The game is slow for him, and he is like a coach on the field.
“With many transitions happening right now, John will be a massive personality and leader at our club. Since John knows a lot of the boys well from previous campaigns, adding him a little later in the preseason will still be seamless. He understands our game model, our standards, and what it takes to win, so we are lucky to have him for both abilities and proven experiences, and because he is a great person, competitor, and selfless leader.”
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Berner had a standout collegiate career at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he earned consecutive Missouri Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Year honors in 2012 and 2013.
Berner is looking forward to pushing for success in the Lowcountry with his past connections.
“It’s always a good feeling walking into a locker room and having a lot of familiarity with some of the guys and the staff,” said Berner. “We had a lot of success in Memphis with Ben, and I expect the same coming here.”
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2026 Roster
Goalkeepers: John Berner, Daniel Kuzemka, Luis Zamudio
Defenders: Joey Akpunonu, Langston Blackstock, Nathan Messer, Graham Smith, Sean Suber
Midfielders: Chris Allan, Wilmer Cabrera Jr., Jeremy Kelly, Laurent Kissiedou, Houssou Landry, Kirill Pakhomov, Emilio Ycaza
Forwards: Miguel Berry, Maalique Foster, Alec Hughes, Douglas Martínez, Colton Swan
