By: Battery Media
The Charleston Battery are back home to face Indy Eleven on Saturday, June 4. Kickoff at Patriots Point is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game is the first of two-straight home matches for the Battey to open up the new month.
Charleston and Indy have not squared off since 2019 and Saturday will be the Indiana club's first visit to Patriots Point. Last time the Boys in Blue visited Charleston, the Battery won 1-0 on a match-winning goal by Romario Piggott on September 9.
Indy will be searching for a bounce-back performance after losing 1-2 at home against New Mexico United on Saturday. New Mexico got on the board first in the 38th minute when Justin Portillo fired in a strike from outside the box to take the lead into halftime. The visitors were aided by an Indy own goal after a backward pass from Alex McQueen went through Mechack Jérôme's step and into their own net. Stéfano Pinho got one back for the hosts in the 80th minute, but it was too little too late for Indy.
Charleston are looking to build on a dramatic 1-1 draw against Loudoun United FC last Saturday. Both sides had a flurry of chances through the hour mark but the match remained scoreless until Loudoun found the back of the net via Alexander Dexter in the 76th minute. Loudoun were reduced to 10 men after Rio Hope-Gund received a red card and was sent off moments later. In stoppage time, it was goalkeeper Joe Kuzminsky who rose to the occasion to level the game after the shot-stopper has moved into the box for a corner kick. Kuzminsky's goal was just the second goalkeeper goal in USL Championship history. After the match, Head Coach Conor Casey praised his side for their best performance of the season. The Black and Yellow will try to carry that momentum into Saturday.
Indy Eleven are home to a pair of former Battery players, A.J. Cochran and Neveal Hackshaw. Hacksaw, who played three seasons in Charleston, will miss Saturday's contest while on international duty with Trinidad and Tobago in the Concacaf Nations League.
Speaking on national teams, Grenada would be well-represented in this fixture in Charleston's Benji Ettienne and AJ Paterson, and Indy's Alex McQueen, but all three are currently with the Spice Boys for the country's upcoming Nations League matches.
Dating back to 2018 when Indy joined the USL Championship, the Battery lead the all-time series with a 2-1-1 record against the Boys in Blue.
