Presented by MUSC Health
Matchday Preview
The Charleston Battery return home to face Loudoun United FC on Wed., June 24, in Week 17 of the USL Championship regular season. Kickoff at Patriots Point is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the match will stream on ESPN+ and air locally on Palmetto Sports Network.
This Wednesday is the second meeting between Charleston and Loudoun in 2026, but the first in league play. Charleston previously beat Loudoun in the Prinx Tires USL Cup Group Stage, a 1-2 result at Segra Field with goals from Miguel Berry and Graham Smith.
Charleston (7W-4L-2D, 23pts) arrive back home after recording their second consecutive five-goal performance in the 2-5 road win over Sporting Club Jacksonville. The Battery were led by a brace by Miguel Berry, and goals from Maalique Foster, Jeremy Kelly, and Alec Hughes. The win completed the season sweep over the expansion side and catapulted Charleston to second in the Eastern Conference table.
Loudoun (1W-4L-7D, 10pts) enter the midweek clash following a 1-1 road draw with Birmingham Legion FC last Saturday. Abdellatif Aboukoura netted his first goal of the season, after missing the early portion of the year, in the second half. However, Birmingham leveled the score in the 89th minute via Sebastian Tregarthen to force the points to be shared in the end.
Looking at the Eastern Conference table, Charleston are in second and Loudoun are in 11th.
Storylines of the Match
All-Time Series – Across 15 all-time meetings, the Battery lead the head-to-head series against Loudoun with a 10W-1L-4D record in the fixture since 2019. This includes an unbeaten run of 13 consecutive games since 2021, the longest active streak in the league. Additionally, Charleston’s run is two shy of the longest undefeated streak in a series between two Championship clubs in USL play (regular season, postseason and USL Cup). The longest such streak is a 15-game unbeaten run by San Antonio FC against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.
Prowess at Patriots Point – The Battery are undefeated at Patriots Point this year (six wins and two draws) and will look to maintain that form this week. Additionally, Charleston’s home regular season undefeated streak reached 20 games after the 5-1 victory over FC Tulsa, including a 17W-0L-3D record and a +39 goal differential in that span. The streak ranks second for the club in their Championship era, trailing only a 28-game run between May 2014 and May 2016.
League’s New Top Attack – Following the 2-5 win over Jacksonville, Charleston are the league’s new leaders in average goals per match with 2.0, surpassing Rhode Island FC and El Paso Locomotive FC. The Battery’s attack has been firing on all cylinders with back-to-back five-goal performances, which is the first time the club has achieved that feat in their Championship era. Contributions have come from all across the pitch, too, as the 10 goals were scored by eight different players.
Foster on Fire – One of the key figures in the recent uptick in goalscoring production has been Maalique Foster, who has now scored a goal in three consecutive games. Foster’s incisive positioning and fast action to make teams pay for their mistakes led to two of the Battery’s three first half goals against Jacksonville, one for himself and another that resulted in Miguel Berry’s first tally. The Jamaican now has five goals to his name across all competitions, and has the team’s highest xG (Expected Goals) by Opta at 5.93 in USL play.
Swan Soaring – Not to be outdone, Colton Swan is currently on a run of four consecutive games with a goal contribution, having scored three tallies and added two assists in that span. In fact, Swan has had a goal involvement in six of his last seven Battery matches, with six goals and two assists since May 2. The reigning Championship Player of the Month picked up right where he left off and could be in contention for the award again should his form continue as it has recently.
Miguel Momentum – Miguel Berry turned in his best Battery performance to date with two goals and one assist to his name on Saturday. The brace was his first since August 2021, when he played for Columbus Crew. Additionally, the veteran striker came within inches of a hat trick, but his free kick near the end of the match rocked the woodwork instead, which ended up resulting in Charleston’s fifth goal off the rebound. Up to four goals on the year now, Berry will look to keep that momentum going against a Loudoun side he scored against in the USL Cup match back in April.
Alec’s Account Opens – Alec Hughes officially opened his Battery account on Saturday when he scored the club’s fifth and final goal of the match. Hughes entered the game late off the bench, his fifth appearance of the year, and redirected the rebound from Berry’s free kick that hit the woodwork into the net.
Kissiedou Returns – Another important development in the win over Jacksonville was the reintroduction of Laurent Kissiedou when the midfielder entered the game off the bench in the second half. Kissiedou had not appeared in a game since he was forced into an early exit on April 22 against Rhode Island. The Ivorian’s return could prove to be major boost as the Battery near the midway point of the year.
Good Luck, Jack! – Jack Wayne officially departed the club after the Jacksonville match to begin the next chapter of his career with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Wayne was one of the most active USL Academy signings in the league so far and recorded 10 appearances across all competitions for the Black and Yellow. The club wishes him well as he begins his collegiate career.
Pups at the Pitch – For the first time since moving to Patriots Point, the Battery are hosting Pups at the Pitch, meaning fans can bring their canine companions to enjoy the game with them inside the stadium. There will be a halftime wiener dog race, foster dogs available to walk around and even adopt, pet giveaways, special promotions and activations and more. Full details about the festivities, policies, dog tickets and more can be found at charlestonbattery.com/dogs.
From the Training Ground
MATCH INFO
Charleston Battery vs. Loudoun United FC
Wednesday, June 24 – 7 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Wednesday’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.
A limited amount of tickets for Wednesday are available now via SeatGeek.com, the Battery’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.
Fans interested in bringing their dog with them to the game for Pups at the Pitch can purchase dog tickets via charlestonbattery.com/dogs, along with finding additional information about festivities, policies, waivers and more.
