The Charleston Battery are set to host the Tampa Bay Rowdies Sun., Nov. 10, in the USL Championship Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals. Kickoff for the playoff match is set for 3 p.m. ET and the match will air on national television on CBS Sports Network.
Charleston and Tampa Bay meet after splitting the regular season with one win apiece. The Battery won the most recent meeting, a 3-1 triumph over the Rowdies on September 21.
No. 2 Charleston enter Sunday after knocking out No. 7 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC with a 1-0 home victory. The Battery handled the upset-minded Hounds in check throughout the night and Nick Markanich’s 8th-minute goal proved to be the difference. Charleston’s defense held the visitors to just one shot on target.
No. 6 Tampa Bay arrive in the Lowcountry after upsetting No. 3 Detroit City FC in Michigan in the Quarterfinals. The sides played to a 1-1 draw after extra time but Tampa Bay prevailed 1-3 on penalties. After the first two penalties taken by both teams were saved, the Rowdies converted their next three attempts to propel them into the next round.
The Eastern Conference Semifinals is the second round of the USL Championship Playoffs and is a single-elimination match. The Conference Final will be the weekend of November 16-17.
Storylines of the Match
Playoff Derby Day – It’ll be a No Quarter Derby matchup on Sunday. Charleston hold a slight advantage in the all-time series with an 11W-9L-3D record against Tampa Bay, dating back to 2017.
Vengeance for 2020 Playoffs – Sunday will mark the second time Charleston and Tampa Bay have met in the postseason. The first meeting ended in a 1-0 home victory for Tampa Bay, ending the Battery’s 2020 season in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. With the playoffs returning to Charleston, the Battery will hope to return the favor this time.
Conference Final on the Line – Sunday’s victors will punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final and face the winner of the Louisville-Rhode Island clash happening on Saturday. Charleston will look to get back to the Conference Final for the second consecutive season after defying the odds to win the Eastern title in 2023.
Premier Attacking Duos – The league’s top-two attacking partnerships will take the field on Sunday. The record-setting duo of Nick Markanich and MD Myers have combined for 43 goals across the regular season and playoffs while Tampa Bay’s Cal Jennings and Manuel Arteaga have combined for 33. The pair of partnerships represent the No. 1 and No. 2 top goalscoring duos in the league, respectively.
Damage from Distance – The Battery have recorded 14 goals from outside the 18-yard box this season, tied for the most in the league, with Juan David Torres leading the league individually with five goals from outside the box.
Grinwis Cracks Double Digits – On the defensive side, the Battery turned in their first shutout since August with the 1-0 win over Pittsburgh last weekend. Goalkeeper Adam Grinwis has now cracked double digit clean sheets for the first time in his career, with 10 on the year across all competitions.
Nationally Televised Matinée – Sunday will feature a rare afternoon match at Patriots Point in a 3 p.m. ET kickoff. The contest will also air nationally on CBS Sports Network, the third time the Battery have featured on the channel in 2024 and their seventh nationally televised game of the season.
Honors Roll In – Several Charleston players were honored by their peers in the 2024 USL Players Association Players’ Choice Awards. Nick Markanich won Player of the Year, MD Myers was voted Young Player of the Year, and Markanich, Graham Smith, and Aaron Molloy were named to the Best Eleven.
Ortiz Called Up by Mexico – Academy midfielder Viggo Ortiz, 16, has been called up by the Mexican U-17 national team again for a trio of November matches. In preparation for Concacaf U-17 Championship qualifiers, Ortiz and Mexico will face Canada on November 13, Guatemala on November 15, and Costa Rica on November 18. Ortiz ascended through Meixco’s U-15 and U-16 teams and could make his U-17 team debut.
MATCH INFO
Eastern Conference Semifinals
Charleston Battery vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Sunday, November 10 – 3 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Sunday’s match will air exclusively on national television on CBS Sports Network, which may be accessed through a typical cable or satellite TV subscription that includes CBSSN. Check your TV’s guide for the exact channel number.
The match is exclusive to CBSSN and will not be accessible via a Paramount+ subscription nor will it be available on local linear channels. Fans may use the CBS Sports App or website to stream the games by logging in with their TV subscription credentials.
A limited amount of tickets for Sunday are available now via SeatGeek.com, the Battery’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.
