Presented by MUSC Health
Matchday Preview
The Charleston Battery hit the road again this weekend to face Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Sat., Aug. 15, in Week 24 of the USL Championship regular season. Kickoff at F.N.B. Stadium is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the match will stream on ESPN+.
Like last week, the Battery are set for a third meeting with Pittsburgh after the sides clashed previously in league play and the Prinx Tires USL Cup Group Stage. Charleston won the league contest to open the new season, 2-1, and drew 0-0 in the cup tie but won the subsequent penalty shootout.
Charleston (10W-6L-3D, 33pts) completed the season sweep over Loudoun United FC in the third meeting between the sides in the calendar year. The Battery took home the 0-1 win thanks to Langston Blackstock’s go-ahead goal in the second half, as both he and Douglas Martinez combined to provide the heroics off the bench. Furthermore, the win marked back-to-back victories to start the month for the Battery.
Pittsburgh (8W-8L-3D, 27pts) drew 0-0 with Sacramento Republic FC last weekend. The Hounds found themselves weathering advances from Sacramento, who held the majority of possession and had twice as many shots as the hosts, but held firm to keep Republic FC off the board. Goalkeeper Nico Campuzano notched four saves and one punch in the shutout.
Looking at the Eastern Conference table, Charleston are in second and Pittsburgh are in fifth.
Storylines of the Match
Round III vs. the Hounds – Charleston and Pittsburgh are set for a rare third meeting before the postseason after two previous meetings at Patriots Point. The Battery triumphed on opening day against the league’s reigning champions, 2-1, on goals by Sean Suber and Wilmer Cabrera. Charleston were unlucky to not claim a victory over the Hounds in the USL Cup meeting after going up a man and were forced to settle for a penalty shootout win.
History Since the ‘90s – This weekend, the Battery and Hounds will clash for the 49th time since 1999. Charleston hold a slight advantage in the all-time series with a 19W-11L-18D record against Pittsburgh across all competitions. However, recent matches in the Steel City have favored the hosts, where the Battery were winless since 2018, prior to last year’s 1-2 comeback victory in the previous visit. From 2019-24, Pittsburgh had four wins and two draws in those six games hosting Charleston.
Swan, Kissiedou Available Again – Head Coach Ben Pirmann will receive a personnel boost for this weekend with the return of Colton Swan and Laurent Kissiedou to his availability. Swan, away since July, is back in the Lowcountry from international duty after helping the United States secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup and 2027 Pan American Games. The striker featured in four matches for the USYNT’s run to the tournament’s final. Kissiedou is back in the mix too after serving a one-game red card suspension, which he received after notching a goal and assist against Brooklyn FC.
Houssou Back in the Mix – Another notable return to Charleston’s squad was with Houssou Landry, who featured off the bench against Loudoun. The midfielder had been sidelined since May, and his return to game action adds another piece of important depth for the Battery as they near the home stretch of the campaign.
Familiar Faces Return – A trio of former Hounds will return to Pittsburgh this weekend in Sean Suber, Langston Blackstock and Luis Zamudio. Most notable, arguably, of the three is Suber, who is making his first trip back to the Steel City since helping the Hounds win the league title last year. Suber was an All-League First Team selection and Championship Defender of the Year finalist in 2025, while converting a crucial penalty in the title-winning shootout against FC Tulsa. Blackstock appeared in 61 matches across all competitions for Pittsburgh from 2023 to 2024, and Zamudio posted four shutouts in five matches while on loan with the Hounds in 2023.
Road Woes Remedied – The Battery earned an important away win against Loudoun for their third road victory in 10 tries this season. However, the trend of road woes this year has not been exclusive to the Battery, as only the Tampa Bay Rowdies have more than three away wins (seven) in the Eastern Conference this year, while the rest of the conference has three or fewer. This relative parity signals the difficulty of winning on the road in 2026, and the opportunity to gain crucial points away from home against other teams in the final push to the playoffs. Five of Charleston’s 11 remaining matches are on the road.
Milestones Achieved – Charleston notched two achievements in their win over Loudoun. First, the Battery tied a league record for the most consecutive games unbeaten against a single opponent in USL competitions, extending their undefeated streak to 15 games against Loudoun. Second, Charleston won their 200th game all-time in the USL Championship regular season, becoming the second club in league history to accomplish the feat.
Impact Reinforcements – With Langston Blackstock’s goal off the bench against Loudoun, the Battery added their league-leading total of goals scored off the bench, 10. Charleston currently have the top attack in the league with 38 goals scored, and the tallies have been a true team effort in 2026, with 13 different players chipping in a goal.
Smith Milestone Watch – Graham Smith has the career milestone of 200 appearances in the USL Championship regular season officially on his radar. The 2024 Championship Defender of the Year currently has 197 games to his name.
From the Training Ground
MATCH INFO
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC vs. Charleston Battery
Saturday, August 15 – 7 p.m. ET Kickoff
F.N.B. Stadium
HOW TO WATCH:
Saturday’s contest will stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league’s YouTube channel for free internationally.
