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Matchday Preview
The Charleston Battery return to the Lowcountry to host Detroit City FC on Sat., May 30, in Week 13 of the USL Championship regular season. Kickoff at Patriots Point is set for 6 p.m. ET, and the match will stream on ESPN+ and air locally on Palmetto Sports Network.
Charleston and Detroit clash for the second time this year after the Michigan club claimed a 1-0 win at Keyworth Stadium back in March.
The Battery (4W-4L-1D, 13pts) are aiming to bounce back following a narrow 1-0 road loss against New Mexico United last Saturday. Charleston turned in a valiant effort at Isotopes Park but were unable to find the back of the net, and a late goal from the hosts made the difference on the day. The return to the Lowcountry will be a welcome one as the Black and Yellow kick off three consecutive weekends of home games.
Detroit (5W-3L-2D, 17pts) arrive in South Carolina after a scoreless draw away against Loudoun United FC. It was a relatively evenly contested match with Loudoun holding slightly more possession and Detroit recording a few more shots on target, but neither side could unlock a winner before the final whistle.
Looking at the Eastern Conference table, the Battery are in sixth and Detroit are in second.
Storylines of the Match
Round II with Detroit – The Battery will look to avenge their earlier loss to Detroit, and in doing so would mark their first home win over Le Rouge. The all-time series is led by Detroit, who have four wins to the Battery’s, along with three draws. At Patriots Point, there have been three draws and one Detroit win since 2022.
Upcoming Homestand – Charleston will hope to take advantage of their return home, where they will play three consecutive weekends at home: May 30 vs. Detroit, June 6 vs. Pittsburgh and June 13 vs. Tulsa. One midweek away trip will occur during that span, a June 10 fixture at Tampa Bay. The Battery are undefeated at home with four wins and one draw across all competitions.
Opposite Form – While the Battery are undefeated at home, Detroit are currently winless on the road in league play. Charleston currently average 2.5 goals per game at Patriots Point in the Championship, with three wins and one draw. On the other hand, Detroit have averaged 0.6 goals per road match and accumulated two draws and three losses away from Keyworth Stadium in league action.
The One-Third Mark – On Saturday, Charleston will play their 10th league game and thereby officially hit the one-third point of their Championship campaign. The battle for the top four in the Eastern Conference is tight, with just four points separating the teams from second to eighth in the standings. A win over second-place Detroit could catapult the Battery back above fourth place and into position for a home playoff game come November.
Ones to Watch – Two players to keep an eye on at Patriots Point are the Battery’s Nathan Messer and Detroit’s Darren Smith. Messer is one off pace in the Championship Golden Playmaker race with three assists and is third in the league with six big chances created, along with a team-high 18 overall chances created. Smith, meanwhile, was the man who scored the winner in the reverse fixture and is one goal off the pace of the Championship Golden Boot race with six tallies.
Familiar Faces – A pair of familiar faces to Detroit will be on Charleston’s side in Head Coach Ben Pirmann and midfielder Laurent Kissiedou. Coach Pirmann, a Detroit native, previously led Detroit as manager from 2013-18 and Kissiedou spent a brief loan in the Motor City at the end of the 2024 season, scoring two goals, including one at the Battery’s expense at Patriots Point.
National Team Calling – Colton Swan will be departing for international duty once again after receiving a call-up to the United States U-19 national team camp for June 1-9. Swan and the USYNT will face Japan on June 9 as part of their preparations for the summer’s Concacaf U-20 Championship, which serves as qualification for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Swan last featured for the U-20 national team back in March, recording a goal and an assist against Argentina in Buenos Aires.
Cabrera Century Mark – Wilmer Cabrera is officially on milestone watch as he enters this weekend. The attacker currently has 97 appearances in the USL Championship regular season to his name, meaning he is three away from hitting the career century mark.
Honoring Our Heroes – The Battery will also be recognizing Military Appreciation Night at Patriots Point, celebrating active duty, reserve, retired and veterans of the armed forces and Department of Defense. Members of the military community and/or DoD employees can claim up to four (4) free tickets to the game by presenting a valid military/DoD ID to the Box Office on matchday. Additionally, fans can expect several celebrations of Charleston’s military community and a C-17 Globemaster III flyover before kickoff by the U.S. Air Force from Joint Base Charleston.
From the Training Ground
MATCH INFO
Charleston Battery vs. Detroit City FC
Saturday, May 30 – 6 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Saturday’s match will also stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league’s YouTube channel for free internationally. The match 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.
On radio, the game will air on SiriusXM FC (channel 157).
A limited amount of tickets for Saturday are available now via SeatGeek.com, the Battery’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.
