The Charleston Battery return home for the penultimate match of the regular season on Sat., Oct. 19, against Rhode Island FC. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the match will stream on ESPN+, and air on local television on WCSC 5.3 (Charleston) and WIS 10.4 (Columbia).
Charleston and Rhode Island meet for the second time this season after playing to a rain-soaked scoreless draw back in April.
The Battery (17W-6L-9D, 60pts) enter this weekend looking to bounce back from a 2-0 road defeat in Pittsburgh last Saturday. Charleston featured a rotated squad but were unable to overcome the hosts, who are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Battery, meanwhile, are locked in for the No. 2 seed in the USL Championship Playoffs.
Rhode Island (11W-7L-14D, 47pts) arrive in the Lowcountry following a 0-0 home draw with Loudoun United FC on Sunday. Rhode Island are currently four games unbeaten (three wins, one draw) and remain one point out of the top four. They will have plenty to play for with both a playoff spot not locked in yet and upward mobility in the standings still a possibility.
Looking at the Eastern Conference table, the Battery are in second and Rhode Island are in fifth.
Storylines of the Match
Coastal Clash – Saturday’s match will be just the second meeting between Charleston and the expansion side Rhode Island. The clubs faced each other back in April in a scoreless match of limited chances due to the rainy conditions that dominated the evening.
First Visit to Lowcountry – Rhode Island will make their first trip to Patriots Point as part of their inaugural season this year. The Ocean State club’s away record is relatively even at 5W-5L-6D.
Premier Chance Creators – Two of the league's top offensive creators meet this weekend. Charleston’s Aaron Molloy has the third-most chances created (68), an impressive feat considering Molloy missed two months of action. On the opposite side, Rhode Island’s Noah Fuson leads the league in big chances created (15) and assists (nine).
Full 90s – While the scoreline didn’t go the Battery’s way last weekend, the rotated lineup allowed several players to get more minutes ahead of the playoffs. Playing full 90 minutes were Aaron Molloy for the first time since July 24, a welcome development in his return to fitness from injury, Robbie Crawford since May 8 and Prince Saydee since April 16. Additionally, 17-year-old Zeke Soto featured off the bench and provided an effective spark late against Pittsburgh.
Saydee Faces Former Club – Saturday’s match will be the first meeting between Prince Saydee and his former club. The Liberian midfielder joined the Battery from Rhode Island via transfer in June.
Club Record on Horizon – With 17 wins in the regular season, the Battery have tied their club record for most wins in the regular season in their USL Championship era, a mark set just last season. The all-time club record across all eras is 19 wins, set in the 2002 USL A-League campaign.
Golden Boot in Sights – With 28 goals to his name, Markanich is a shoo-in to win the league’s Golden Boot. He is on pace to become the club’s fifth all-time Golden Boot winner and the first in 14 years. In doing so, he will join Patrick Olalere (1996), Conway (2000 and 2001) and Lamar Neagle (2010) as the next Battery player to be crowned the league’s top goalscorer.
MATCH INFO
Charleston Battery vs. Rhode Island FC
Saturday, October 19 – 7:30 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Saturday’s match will air on local television on WCSC channel 5.3 in Charleston and WIS channel 10.4 in Columbia. Check the local listing for the exact channel number with your television provider.
It will also stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league’s YouTube channel for free internationally.
A limited amount of tickets for Saturday are available now via SeatGeek.com, the Battery’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.