The Charleston Battery hit the road for their 11th match of the USL Championship season, against Birmingham Legion FC on Wednesday, May 15th. Kickoff at Protective Stadium is set for 8 pm ET and the match will air for free exclusively on CBS Sports Golazo Network.
Charleston and Birmingham meet for the first time since the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinal, which the Battery won 2-1 en route to the USL Championship Final. Emilio Ycaza and Derek Dodson scored.
The Battery (7W-0L-3D, 24pts) enter Birmingham after having a bye week in Week 10. Charleston’s last match came in a 3-2 victory after extra time over South Georgia Tormenta FC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. MD Myers scored all three goals for his first hat trick with the club.
Legion FC (4W-3L-2D, 14pts) head into Wednesday after a 0-1 road victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Enzo Martinez scored the match-winner in the 67th minute. Martinez is Birmingham’s top goalscorer with three goals and one assist so far this year.
Looking at the Eastern Conference table, Charleston are in first and Birmingham are in fifth.
Storylines of the Match
The All-Time Series – The Battery hold a slight advantage in the historical series between the two sides with a 4W-3L-1D record against Legion FC. Charleston swept all three matches in 2023, which includes their first win at Protective Stadium.
Road Warriors – Charleston are tied with Sacramento Republic FC for the league’s best away record at 12 points through six road matches. The majority of the Battery’s schedule heretofore has been away from home but Wednesday will be their first road contest since April 20.
Rest, At Last – The Battery had their first bye week of the year in Week 10. It was a notable one given the club’s busy start to the year as they played more games than any other team in the league through Week 9.
M&M Boys: Double Trouble – Nick Markanich and MD Myers have been among the league’s top producers on offense in 2024. In Championship play, Markanich is first in goals + assists (15) and Myers is tied for third (seven).
Tough Between the Sticks – Both goalkeepers are boasting impressive 2024 numbers so far. Birmingham’s Matt van Oekel currently ranks second in the Championship in saves per match and Charleston’s Adam Grinwis is the league leader in clean sheets. Additionally, Legion FC defender Alex Crognale leads the league in blocks per 90.
A Familiar Adversary – Wednesday’s match will be the first for former Battery defender AJ Paterson against his old club. Paterson played over 100 matches for the Black and Yellow before joining Legion FC this past offseason.
Crawford Closing in on Century Marks – Midfielder Robbie Crawford is nearing two different century mark milestones. First, he is approaching 100 total appearances for the Battery and is currently at 97. Second, Crawford is nearing 100 matches in the USL Championship regular season and is currently at 98. He could achieve both this month if he features in every match.
MATCH INFO
Birmingham Legion FC vs. Charleston Battery
Tuesday, May 15 – 8 p.m. ET Kickoff
Protective Stadium
HOW TO WATCH:
Wednesday’s match will stream for free on the CBS Sports Golazo Network! The Golazo channel can be accessed for free via your CBS Sports app, Paramount+ app, the PlutoTV app or on the channel’s website: https://www.cbssports.com/
