The Charleston Battery return to play in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup this week when they host UPSL side Florida Badgers FC on Wed., March 18. Kickoff for the First Round tie at Patriots Point is set for 6:30 p.m. ET, and the match will stream for free on the U.S. Soccer YouTube channel, along with airing locally on Palmetto Sports Network.
The Battery and Badgers have never faced each other before in an official competition, making this the inaugural fixture between the sides.
Charleston are back in action after having a bye in Week 2 of the USL Championship regular season. The Battery are making their entry into the U.S. Open Cup alongside 16 other Championship sides who qualified based on the 2025 regular season standings.
Based in Boynton Beach, Florida, Badgers FC are making their debut in the U.S. Open Cup after punching their ticket through the Qualifying Rounds last November. There, Badgers FC knocked out UPSL stalwarts Miami United FC, 5-3, in the final qualification round after overcoming an early deficit to book a spot in the tournament for the first time.
Storylines of the Match
Over a Century of History – Tuesday-Wednesday will kick off the 111th edition of the historic tournament, which was first contested in 1914. The Battery have competed in the U.S. Open Cup since 1999, a year that was marked by the famous upset win over MLS side D.C. United and culminated in a run to the final four.
Open Cup Success – Charleston have been among the tournament’s most successful clubs in recent history. Since 1995, known as the “Modern Era” by TheCup.us, the Battery have advanced 42 times in the tournament (38 outright wins and four penalty shootout wins), which ranks fifth-most among all clubs in the time period and is the most among active lower-division teams. Only MLS sides Chicago Fire FC (51), Seattle Sounders FC (44) and FC Dallas (44) currently have more advances.
Double Matchweek – While the Battery had off last weekend, they will be right back into action with games on Wednesday and Saturday this week, both at Patriots Point. After the cup tie on Wednesday, Charleston host Birmingham Legion FC on Saturday in league play.
USOC2025 Recap – Charleston will look to make another run in the U.S. Open Cup after advancing to the Round of 32 in last year’s tournament. After a commanding 4-0 win over Tormenta FC in the opening game, the Battery took D.C. United into extra time at Audi Field in the Round of 32, but conceded twice during the additional periods for a 2-0 defeat.
Eight Debuts Last Game – Among the storylines coming into the 2026 season was Charleston’s reloaded roster with new faces throughout the squad. A total of eight players made their Battery debuts during the season opener: Nathan Messer, Sean Suber, Wilmer Cabrera Jr., Miguel Berry, Maalique Foster, Colton Swan, Kirill Pakhomov and Medgy Alexandre.
More Debut Potential – Given the double dose of games this week, it’s possible a wider range of players could be called upon to help manage the minutes. Those yet to make their Battery debuts include Kruz Held, Alec Hughes, John Berner, Cohen Rigsby and Jack Wayne.
Road Ahead – The 32 winners from the First Round will then face off in the Second Round on March 31-April 1. From there, the 16 teams that advance from the Second Round will face one of the 16 teams from Major League Soccer in the Round of 32 on April 14-15. A draw for the Round of 32 will be held live on April 2, when the matchups and subsequent round pairings will be determined.
The Grand Prize and Format Update – In this year’s tournament, the field of 80 teams will contest for a $1 million purse and a place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup. Additionally, the U.S. Open Cup format will feature seven rounds – one fewer than recent editions – to avoid overlap with the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ happening this summer. The field of professional teams was reduced from 64 to 48, with slots for each professional division allocated as evenly as possible.
Houssou Returns – Returning to availability for the Battery is midfielder Houssou Landry. The Ivorian missed Charleston’s opener due to serving a red card suspension but is now poised to make his first appearance of 2026.
MATCH INFO
- Charleston Battery vs. Florida Badgers FC
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup First Round
- Wednesday, March 18 – 6:30 p.m. ET Kickoff
- Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
- Wednesday’s match will stream for free on the U.S. Soccer YouTube channel.
- The game 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.