MUSC Match Preview | Detroit vs. Charleston

Presented by MUSC Health

Matchday Preview

The Charleston Battery head out to Michigan for their first away match of the USL Championship campaign this weekend, taking on Detroit City FC on Sat., March 28. Kickoff at Keyworth Stadium is 4 p.m. ET, and the match is airing on national television on TUDN (Spanish) and streaming on ESPN+ (English).

Charleston and Detroit have not yet met this year. The last clash in October 2025 ended in a 1-1 draw at Patriots Point.

The Battery (2W-0L-0D, 6pts) arrive in Motown following their sensational comeback 3-2 victory over Birmingham Legion FC in Week 3. After finding themselves down 0-2 at halftime, Charleston rallied on goals from Colton Swan and Emilio Ycaza to secure the win. Ycaza struck twice in the final 20 minutes of action, which earned him Championship Player of the Week honors.

Detroit (1W-1L-0D, 3pts) will be aiming to bounce back following a 2-1 road defeat against Indy Eleven last time out. Le Rouge were also looking to stage a second half comeback after leveling the score at 1-1 in the 56th minute, but a quick response from Indy only six minutes later proved to be the difference.

Looking at the Eastern Conference standings, Charleston are in fourth and Detroit are in sixth.

Storylines of the Match

Past History – Since Detroit joined the league in 2022, the head-to-head history has been relatively even at two wins for Charleston, three for Detroit and three draws. Both of the Battery’s wins (2023 and 2025) in the fixture have come at Keyworth Stadium. Last year’s clash was a 1-3 victory for Charleston on goals by Cal Jennings and Juan David Torres.

First Away Day – Saturday is not just the Battery’s first road match of the year, but it also kicks off the first stretch of several away games of the campaign. Charleston will hit the road twice next week, against Charlotte Independence on March 31 and Louisville City FC on April 4, and conclude the travel on April 11 against Brooklyn FC.

Familiar Faces Return – A pair of familiar faces will be returning to Detroit in Charleston’s Laurent Kissiedou and Head Coach Ben Pirmann. Kissiedou joined Detroit on loan in 2024, in fact scoring one of his two goals against the Battery, and Coach Pirmann led the Motown club from 2013-18.

Ycaza 100 – A major milestone for the Battery’s Emilio Ycaza will be at stake on Saturday, as he is one match away from hitting the century mark of appearances for Charleston. Ycaza’s 99th appearance across all competitions was marked by his brace against Birmingham. The midfielder first joined Charleston in 2023 and currently has the most games played for the club on the active roster.

Pirmann Century Mark – Coach Pirmann, now the longest-tenured coach in the league, is also nearing a career milestone that is in play this weekend. The boss has a 99W-43L-38D record in the USL Championship regular season and playoffs across his time in Charleston and at Memphis 901 FC, meaning his next triumph will eclipse the century mark for wins. The 40-year-old would become both the second-youngest manager to reach the mark in the league’s history, and could become the second-fastest to achieve the feat.

Early Team Leaders – Early trends and leaders are starting to form for the team after three games. Colton Swan is the team’s leading scorer with three goals across all competitions, but there is a five-way tie for most assists as Jeremy Kelly, Joey Akpunonu, Nathan Messer, Graham Smith, and Kirill Pakhomov all have one each. Messer, however, leads in chances created with 11. Akpunonu’s 11 clearances currently are the team-high.

Swan Flies Out for International Duty – Charleston will be without the services of Colton Swan after the 18-year-old was called up to the United States U-20 national team’s camp in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Swan rejoined the USYNT following the Birmingham win, and they are set to face Argentina on March 27 and then take on the Club Atlético Independiente reserves on March 31. Swan previously earned four caps and scored one goal for the U-18 national team.

Alexandre Signed, Loaned Out – Medgy Alexandre initially joined the Battery on a 25-day contract after impressing during the preseason on trial. Alexandre was signed to a new deal through the 2026 season and subsequently loaned out to USL League One side Spokane Velocity FC.

Secondary Kit Debuts – Fans will want to keep an eye on Saturday’s look, as Charleston’s 2026 Secondary Kit will feature for the first time this season, and it is being paired with the Palmetto Kit for the goalkeepers, which is also making its first appearance in 2026.