Presented by MUSC Health
Matchday Preview
The Charleston Battery return home to host Indy Eleven on Sat., Oct. 24, in Week 34 of the USL Championship regular season. Kickoff at Patriots Point is set for 6 p.m. ET, and the match will stream on ESPN+ and air locally on Palmetto Sports Network.
Charleston and Indy meet for the second time this year after the Indiana club won the first meeting, 2-0, back in July.
The Battery (15W-9L-5D, 50pts) return home after a two-game road trip that ended in a 1-2 comeback victory over Miami FC on Saturday. Charleston faced a 1-0 deficit at halftime, but a late rally with goals from Colton Swan and Miguel Berry after the 70th minute completed the turnaround to take home all three points. It was the second road win in the all-time series for the Battery against Miami.
Indy (9W-13L-7D, 34pts) arrive in the Lowcountry following a 4-1 road loss against Louisville City FC last Saturday. LouCity took over the game early and scored four times through the 51st minute. Makel Rasheed notched a consolation goal in the 71st minute, but by then the game was out of reach for the Boys in Blue.
Looking at the Eastern Conference table, Charleston are in third and Indy are in ninth.
Storylines of the Match
Do or Die for Indy – Arguably the top overall headline for the game revolves around the visitors, who find themselves in a do-or-die moment with their playoff hopes on the line. Indy have to win on Saturday to make the postseason, as a draw won’t be enough to move them into eighth. The Boys in Blue have sputtered in the last month and a half of the regular season, losing five and managing one draw since September 20. The slide has put them on the outside looking in now. Still, Charleston’s defeat of Miami actually preserved Indy’s chances to make the playoffs for one more week, since Miami have completed their regular season schedule but are only two points ahead of Indy.
Top-Four Clinched… – Charleston took care of business on Saturday by winning over Miami to guarantee a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference. This also locked in home-field advantage for at least the opening round of the 2026 USL Championship Playoffs, marking the fourth consecutive year doing so.
…Top-Two Next – Now, Charleston will now be vying for a top-two finish in the conference to end the year, as they are currently tied on points (50) with Detroit City FC, who travel to face Louisville this weekend. But, Detroit hold the necessary tiebreakers to take second if both teams end the season with the same number of points. In order for the Battery to move up into second, Charleston just need to secure more points than Detroit in Week 34, no matter the combination of wins, draws or losses, as long as the Battery’s point total trumps Detroit’s total.
H2H History – The all-time series between Charleston and Indy is relatively even, with the Battery holding a 7W-5L-2D record in the fixture. Of those, matches played in the Lowcountry have favored the Battery more, with five wins for Charleston and two for Indy.
Opposite Trends – When it comes to home and road form, the Battery will look to make the most of the boost Patriots Point seems to provide the team. Charleston have the most goals scored at home and the best goal differential at home in the league this year, while Indy have the third-fewest road points won and are tied for the fewest wins away from home. The Battery will look to use those trends to their advantage and return to the sole lead in the league for home victories and home points won.
Formidable ‘Keeping Corps – The Battery’s offense will have their work cut out for them with goalkeeper Eric Dick protecting the net on Saturday. The Indy shot-stopper is one of the most decorated goalkeepers currently in the league. In 2024, Dick won the Championship Golden Glove and Goalkeeper of the Year and earned All-League First Team honors, and in 2025 he was instrumental in Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC winning the league title and was subsequently named the Final MVP. However, Indy have not kept a clean sheet in six matches, a run which the Charleston attack will aim to extend to seven matches.
Back to Winning Ways – Charleston ended a brief two-game winless run that included a rare shutout at home, but the Black and Yellow seemed to find their footing again in the win over Miami. The Battery attack was clicking throughout the night and, despite not scoring until the 74th minute, recorded their most shots (18) in a game since August 24, coincidentally also against Miami (23). The bounce-back performance comes at a good time and provides some momentum on the eve of postseason play.
Swan on Scoresheet Again – Colton Swan etched his name back onto the scoresheet for the first time in almost three months with his goal against Miami. Swan last struck on July 11, but was held goalless since then while also splitting time with the national team. Nevertheless, Swan’s impact on the game against Miami was immediate, sparking the comeback, and the strike should set him up with momentum going into the most crucial portion of the league campaign. Swan currently has 12 goals and two assists across all competitions in 2026.
Golden Playmaker Update – Jeremy Kelly enters the final matchweek with nine assists, one off the lead in the Golden Playmaker race. Kelly would need a multi-assist game, a feat he’s yet to achieve this year, in order to give himself a chance at reclaiming the lead. Furthermore, with 10 assists across all competitions for Kelly, two assists would set a new single-season club record, breaking the mark of 11 assists jointly held by Temoc Suarez (2000) and Fidel Barajas (2023).
Quarterfinals at Home Next – While the opponent is still to be determined, Charleston have locked in their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals date to Fri., Oct. 30, kicking off at 7 p.m. ET. The Battery’s matchup will depend on both their seeding, No. 2 or No. 3, and their opponent, No. 7 or No. 6, based on the results from around the league. Potential opponents range from Pittsburgh to Rhode Island to Hartford, as Miami/Indy cannot move higher than No. 8, and those three teams all kick off at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.
From the Training Ground
MATCH INFO
Charleston Battery vs. Indy Eleven
Saturday, October 24 – 6 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Saturday’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 Saturday are available now via SeatGeek.com, the Battery’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.
