MUSC Match Preview | Las Vegas vs. Charleston

Presented by MUSC Health

Matchday Preview

The Charleston Battery travel out west to face Las Vegas Lights FC on Sat., Aug. 29, in Week 26 of the USL Championship regular season. Kickoff is set for 10:30 p.m. ET, and the match will stream on ESPN+.

Charleston and Las Vegas’ interconference clash will mark their sole meeting in the regular season and the first since 2024.

The Battery (11W-7L-3D, 36pts) head to Sin City looking to carry the momentum from their 5-0 win over Miami in the Holy City. Charleston were led by Miguel Berry’s brace, and goals by Maalique Foster, Graham Smith, and Alec Hughes, while John Berner notched the clean sheet. The result extended the club’s home unbeaten streak to 24 games in the regular season.

Las Vegas (8W-8L-5D, 29pts) will be aiming to bounce back from a 2-0 road loss to Lexington SC last Saturday. While the game was tied at halftime, Lexington struck twice in quick succession just before the hour mark to pull ahead and seal the win. The loss snapped the seven-game unbeaten run that Lights FC had going into the game.

Looking at their respective tables, Charleston are second in the Eastern Conference and Las Vegas are eighth.

Storylines of the Match

First Pirmann vs. Rensing – Battery boss Ben Pirmann is set to face Las Vegas manager Devin Rensing for the first time since Rensing took over at Lights FC last year. Coaches Pirmann and Rensing worked together in 2021 and 2022 in Memphis, and again from 2023 to 2025 when Coach Pirmann first took the reins in Charleston.

Limited H2H History – The Battery and Lights FC have only met three previous times in the all-time series, with Charleston holding a 2W-1L-0D record in the fixture. The sides last clashed in 2024, which was the notable 6-0 home win that featured a four-goal haul by Nick Markanich en route to winning the Championship Golden Boot and Player of the Year awards.

Record Against the West – Charleston will be looking to improve upon their form against the Western Conference, as they have a 1W-2L-1D record in interconference games this year. This includes the 5-1 home win over FC Tulsa, a 1-1 home draw against Sacramento Republic FC, and road losses to New Mexico United and Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.

Battery Attack Stays Hot – Charleston notched their fourth five-goal performance of the year, including their third at home, in the win against Miami, which added to their league-leading total of 44 goals scored in 2026. Production continues to come off the bench for the side, as the Battery have now scored 11 goals via substitutes in the Championship this season, more than any other team.

Messer Leads Golden Playmaker Race – Nathan Messer recorded his seventh assist of the league campaign on Monday, which put him back into a tie for the lead in the Championship Golden Playmaker race. Messer has put together a strong first season in Charleston, additionally leading the team in chances created (40) and the league in crosses (166).

Foster Sets New Career Best – With Maalique Foster’s seventh league goal of the year, he tied Colton Swan for the co-lead on the team in Championship play. Foster currently has nine goals to his name across all competitions, which set a new single-season high for his career, surpassing the previous best of eight goals he scored in 2022 with Sacramento Republic FC.

Cashman Farewell – This weekend will be the Battery’s last visit to Cashman Field, as Lights FC announced this summer that the 2026 season will be the club’s final one at the decades-old stadium. Charleston have only visited Cashman Field one previous time, earning a 0-1 road win.

Smith 200 Nears – Graham Smith enters this weekend with 199 career appearances in the USL Championship regular season, making this weekend his chance to eclipse the 200 mark.

Houssou 150 Watch – Similarly, Houssou Landry visits Las Vegas with 148 career matches in the USL Championship regular season to his name, putting himself within reach of the 150 milestone.

Pirmann 200 In Reach – Head Coach Ben Pirmann is set to coach his 200th game in the USL Championship across the regular season and playoffs on Saturday, and will become the eighth manager in league history to achieve the feat. Coach Pirmann has posted a 108W-50L-41D record in his career in the Championship to date.

Martinez Available – Douglas Martinez will be available for selection again this weekend after serving a one-game ban last week for the red card he received in Pittsburgh.

Torres Loan Update – Juan David Torres’ loan with Club Sport Boys in Peru’s top flight ended this summer, and the Colombian was subsequently loaned to Phoenix Rising FC in the Western Conference for the rest of the campaign.