Playoffs Preview | Charleston vs. Hartford

Presented by MUSC Health

Matchday Preview

The Charleston Battery advanced to the next round of the 2026 USL Championship Playoffs and will host Hartford Athletic on Sat., Nov. 7, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Kickoff at Patriots Point is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, and the match will stream on ESPN+.

Charleston and Hartford clashed in two tight matches in the regular season. The Battery came back to claim a point in the October meeting after forcing a 1-1 draw, but the September meeting went in favor of Hartford by a 1-2 scoreline.

The Battery (No. 2) advanced after exercising demons of the past by knocking out Rhode Island FC on penalties, 5-4, after playing to a thrilling 1-1 draw. Charleston stared down the third consecutive elimination at the hands of Rhode Island when stoppage time in the second half began. However, this time, the Battery rallied at the death as Miguel Berry scored the equalizer in the 94th minute, forcing extra time that went scoreless. Charleston prevailed in the sixth round of the shootout when substitute goalkeeper John Berner made a clutch save, and Jeremy Kelly slotted home the dagger that eliminated Rhode Island.

Hartford (No. 6) made it past the opening round after an impressive 1-2 away win against Detroit City FC, who had the second-best home record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. The score was level at 1-1 at halftime, while Detroit played with 10 men from the 19th minute. Harford pulled ahead in the 75th minute when Sadat Anaku scored his second goal of the evening. Detroit had a golden opportunity to equalize at the death when Cheikhou Niang had the ball rebound to him in front of an empty net, but his shot skied over the crossbar, putting a coda on Detroit’s campaign.

The Eastern Conference Semifinals are the second round of the USL Championship Playoffs, and it is a single-elimination match. The Conference Final will be on the weekend of November 13-15.

Storylines of the Match

Round III with Hartford – For the first time in the history of the Charleston-Hartford fixture, this year, the Battery failed to claim a win against Hartford in a regular season series. Charleston were leading 1-0 in the September match until a red card reduced the Battery to 10 men, which was followed by a Hartford equalizer from the penalty spot and a go-ahead goal in stoppage time. The Battery stole a crucial point in the reverse fixture thanks to a Hartford own goal, but ended the regular season series without securing a victory for the first time since the teams began facing each other in 2019.

First Postseason Meeting – While the Battery and Hartford are no strangers to each other in the regular season, this Saturday will mark the first playoff fixture between the clubs. Hartford will be extra motivated in this inaugural postseason clash as they look to advance to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time. Looking at the all-time record, Charleston are 10W-4L-2D head-to-head against Hartford since 2019.

Harness Home-Field Advantage – If there was ever a time the Battery needed the backing from their supporters the most, it was last Friday in the dying moments of the Rhode Island game. The Patriots Point faithful remained committed to the end and provided the necessary boost and motivation to find the equalizer at the death. Then, in the penalty shootout, the same fans made their presence felt as the Battery persevered, 5-4. Charleston held the league’s best home record and scoring metrics in the regular season and will look to maintain that form for another weekend to advance.

Stern Opposition – Charleston are set to meet one of the league’s top shot-stoppers again this weekend in Hartford’s Antony Siaha between the sticks. Siaha had the second-most saves in the regular season (104) and second-best save percentage (76.5%), and was tied for the seventh-most shutouts (nine). As a team, Hartford also had the second-most interceptions per game in the Championship.

Penalty Shootout Success – In addition to overcoming Rhode Island, the Battery persevered in an area most would rather not discuss: Penalties. The heroics from Kelly and Berner, not to mention Laurent Kissiedou’s crucial conversion in the fifth round to force sudden death, helped Charleston triumph in a penalty shootout in the USL Championship Playoffs for the first time since the Eastern Conference Play-In Round of the 2019 postseason.

Patriots Point Priority – After the Battery’s victory and the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ exit in the opening round, Charleston now hold hosting priority for the remainder of the postseason. The Battery found themselves in a similar situation in 2023 when they made the run to the USL Championship Final and will look to seize the opportunity again with the home support by their side the whole way.

Familiar Face Returns – Augi Williams will make a return to Patriots Point as a member of Hartford. Williams’ return is notable given his instrumental role in Charleston’s 2023 postseason run and his achievement of winning the league title last year with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Williams scored in the last meeting between Charleston and Hartford, and the Battery’s defense will look to neutralize the threats he poses.

Conference Title Trip on the Line – A trip to a trophy game is at stake on Saturday. Charleston are aiming to reach the Eastern Conference Final for the third time in four years, while Hartford are looking to make it to the round for the first time in their history. Given what’s on the line, fans can expect a spirited contest at Patriots Point on Saturday.

Capacity Crowd Expected – Tickets for Saturday have moved fast as the Lowcountry community rallies around their club. As such, a capacity crowd is expected to be on hand at Patriots Point on Saturday as the game nears sold-out status.

Swan Honored – Colton Swan’s impressive season earned recognition from his peers as he was named the 2026 USL Player’s Association Young Player of the Year for the USL Championship. Swan, 19, became just the seventh player to record at least nine goals as a teenager in a single season in the Championship, and he ended the regular season campaign with 13 goals across all competitions. Swan’s nine goals in the regular season are tied for the most scored by a teenager for an independent club in a season (Diego Luna, 2021).

Next Matchup Potential – Saturday’s winner will advance to the Eastern Conference Final set for November 13-15, where they will face the winner of the No. 4 Louisville City FC vs. No. 8 Miami FC conference semifinal.