MUSC Match Preview | Birmingham vs. Charleston

Presented by MUSC Health

Matchday Preview

The Charleston Battery hit the road to face Birmingham Legion FC on Sat., Sept. 12, in Week 28 of the USL Championship regular season. Kickoff at Dunnavant Valley Fields is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will stream on ESPN+.

Saturday marks the reverse fixture between the Battery and Legion FC after Charleston claimed a 3-2 victory in thrilling comeback fashion in March.

Charleston (12W-8L-3D, 39pts) enter this weekend aiming to rebound from their shorthanded 1-2 loss at home to Hartford Athletic. The Battery took a 1-0 lead via Kirill Pakhomov, but a red card to Nathan Messer in the 60th minute gave way for Hartford to equalize shortly after and then score the winner at the death.

Birmingham (3W-9L-9D, 18pts) are also looking to bounce back from their current four-game winless run following a 2-2 road draw with Indy Eleven. Birmingham seemed destined to claim a 1-2 win over Indy until Dylan Sing scored a late equalizer in the 98th minute to split the points.

Looking at the Eastern Conference table, Charleston are second and Birmingham are 11th.

Storylines of the Match

New Date, Time, Venue – Fans might recall the original Birmingham-Charleston fixture was set for Sunday, but the game was shifted up to Saturday and moved to Dunnavant Valley Fields to accommodate a scheduling conflict at Protective Stadium.

Past History – The all-time series between Charleston and Birmingham has shifted in the Battery’s favor in recent years after the Alabama club dominated the fixture in earlier meetings. Charleston hold an 8W-3L-2D record against Birmingham since 2019, including a current eight-game unbeaten run that was extended following the 3-2 win back in March.

Playoff Clinching Almost Within Reach – While the Battery are near the top of the table, clinching a spot in the postseason is not mathematically within reach, yet. If results go Charleston’s way this weekend, they will be poised to punch their ticket to the playoffs as early as September 19, when the Black and Yellow host Monterey Bay FC.

Business End of Regular Season – Charleston are amid the final stretch of the regular season and only seven matches remain, including the Birmingham game. Four of those seven are at home, three away, and the fight will be on to ensure a top-four finish in the conference, thereby securing home field advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. Only six points separate second from fifth in the standings.

Sanchez Debut Potential – Camilo Sánchez could be poised for a club debut this weekend after officially joining the team last week. The Colombian forward brings experience from Europe and Asia, and was signed for the roster following a successful spell as a trialist during the summer.

Academy Reinforcements – The Battery confirmed the additions of Briggs Gwozdo and Aarav Nihalani to USL Academy contracts on Thursday. Gwozdo is a native of Summerville, South Carolina, and has had an accomplished youth career for South Carolina Surf SC and Pinewood Preparatory School. Nihalani hails from Columbus, Indiana, and arrives in the Lowcountry after making various stops with USL and MLS NEXT sides. Both players are available for selection this weekend.

Kissiedou 10K – After achieving 150 career appearances in the USL Championship earlier this year, Laurent Kissiedou is now nearing 10,000 career minutes played in the USLC regular season. The Battery No. 10 currently has 9,818 minutes played to his name.

Messer Unavailable – Nathan Messer will be forced to miss this weekend’s clash while serving a one-game suspension for the red card issued in the Hartford match.

HFDvCHS Update – The previously scheduled Hartford-Charleston fixture in October was moved back to October 14 due to Hartford’s participation in the Prinx Tires USL Cup Final.