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Matchday Preview
The Charleston Battery will travel to face Indy Eleven on Sat., July 4, in Week 18 of the USL Championship regular season. The Independence Day clash kicks off at 4 p.m. ET, and the match will stream on ESPN+.
Charleston and Indy meet for the first time this year, and the reverse fixture at Patriots Point is scheduled for October 24, the regular season finale.
The Battery (8W-4L-2D, 26pts) head to the Indiana capital following a dominant 4-1 win over Loudoun United FC last Wednesday, one of just three league games last week. Charleston were lifted by goals from Maalique Foster, Colton Swan, Emilio Ycaza and Jeremy Kelly. The win marked three victories in a row in league play for the Battery.
Indy (5W-3L-3D, 18pts) last played a league contest on June 13, a 1-0 road loss to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. The match appeared destined to be a scoreless draw, but a stoppage time winner by Lasse Kelp made the difference. Indy’s most recent match was on June 20 in the Prinx Tires USL Cup, a scoreless stalemate with Lexington SC, with Indy winning the penalty shootout.
Looking at the Eastern Conference table, Charleston are in second and Indy are in sixth.
Storylines of the Match
All-Time Series – Since 2018, Charleston lead the all-time series against Indy with a 7W-4L-2D record in the fixture. For games played in Indianapolis, the series is evenly split at two wins apiece and two draws. The Battery flipped the series tilt over the past few years and are currently on a six-game undefeated run against Indy, with five wins and one draw.
Cannons Firing – Charleston have scored 14 goals in their last three matches, a red-hot form that saw the side take the lead as the league’s top attack. The Battery are first in the Championship with 30 goals scored at an average of 2.1 goals per match. Production has come from all across the pitch, too, as eight different players have scored in those three matches.
Battery Match Own Record – Charleston equaled their own league record with their 14 goals in a three-game span. The Battery previously achieved the feat in 2024 when the side logged 14 goals across three games between April 13-27: 4-2 vs. Indy Eleven, 4-1 vs. FC Tulsa, 6-0 vs. Las Vegas Lights FC. New York Red Bulls II also achieved the feat twice, in 2018 and 2019. The Battery could now take aim at Reno 1868 FC’s record for the most goals in a four-game stretch, 18, this Saturday against Indy Eleven.
Familiar Faces Return – A pair of familiar faces return to Circle City in Charleston’s Douglas Martinez and Maalique Foster. Martinez competed for Indy from 2023-24 and Foster from 2024-25. The two have combined for seven goals and three assists for the Battery across all competitions this year.
Swan’s Indiana Return – While not a full homecoming, Colton Swan will be making his return to the Hoosier State in style after previously competing at Indiana University, just an hour down the road from the state capital. Swan is on a run of five consecutive games with a goal contribution, scoring four tallies and adding two assists in that span.
Swan Hits Double Digits – Riding the wave of his current form, Swan has now notched 10 goals across all competitions, which made Swan the sixth teenager to record double-digit goals across all competitions in the Championship’s history. With seven tallies in league play, Swan has a chance to make a run for the Championship record for most goals scored by a teenager in a regular season, 12.
Foster’s Fire Form – Maalique Foster has scored a goal in four consecutive games following his tally against Loudoun. With six goals, the Jamaican is now the team’s second-highest goalscorer, behind Swan’s 10, and has been a key figure in the recent resurgence of the Battery’s attack.
Zamudio Rising on Charts – Following Week 17, Luis Zamudio now has the second-most saves in the league with 38. Zamudio is second only to Sporting Club Jacksonville’s Christian Olivares, who has 56 saves.
Ycaza POTM Nominee – For the second consecutive month, the Battery have a nominee for the Championship’s Player of the Month award for June, as Emilio Ycaza is up for the honors. The veteran midfielder led the Battery with five goal contributions over the month, scoring twice and logging three assists across the regular season and Prinx Tires USL Cup. If Ycaza wins, it would follow up Swan winning the award for May. Fans can vote for Ycaza here.
Milestone Watch – Laurent Kissiedou and Maalique Foster are on milestone watch going into this weekend, as both players are approaching 150 career matches in the USL Championship regular season. Kissiedou currently has 148 to his name and Foster has 149.
From the Training Ground
MATCH INFO
Indy Eleven vs. Charleston Battery
Saturday, July 4 – 4 p.m. ET Kickoff
Carroll Stadium
HOW TO WATCH:
Saturday’s contest will stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league’s YouTube channel for free internationally.
