LEESBURG, Va. – The Charleston Battery secured a dramatic 1-2 road victory over Loudoun United FC in Round 1 of the Prinx Tires USL Cup Group Stage on Saturday at Segra Field. After the hosts’ equalizer negated the lead from Miguel Berry’s goal in the first half, Graham Smith’s tally at the death secured the win for the Battery, providing a positive start to the interleague tournament.
Group 6 of the USL Cup kicked off in Virginia amid rainy conditions from the first minute.
After a few half-chances in the early stages of the match, Miguel Berry broke the game open in the 16th minute to put the Battery ahead, 0-1. Nathan Messer lofted a long ball over the top to Berry, and the striker then powered forward to beat two defenders and danced past goalkeeper Ethan Bandre before smashing the ball into the net uncontested.
The goal marked Berry’s first with the Battery, and Messer’s assist was his third of the year across all competitions.
Loudoun leveled the score, 1-1, in the 27th minute via Pedro Santos.
Douglas Martinez nearly connected with a free Berry in the six-yard box in the 41st minute to restore the Battery’s lead, but the ball just missed the striker’s reach and was claimed by Bandre.
The game went into the break still tied at 1-1. Shots were nearly even between Charleston’s four and Loudoun’s three, but the Opta xG (Expected Goals) rating favored the Battery 1.03 to 0.21.
Play resumed in the second half with the rainy conditions subsiding at Segra Field.
Goalkeeper John Berner recorded his first save of the game in the 48th minute, denying Richard Aman. The shot-stopper made another save in the 74th minute to keep Arquímides Ordóñez from breaking the deadlock.
Emilio Ycaza nearly reclaimed the lead for the Battery in the 78th minute with a first-time strike from the edge of the box, but the shot was saved by Bandre with the help of the crossbar.
Staring down a penalty shootout if the score remained the same at the final whistle, the Battery ramped up the pressure in an effort to secure all three points.
The late heroics came in the 93rd minute when Graham Smith scored the go-ahead goal with a flicked header to put Charleston up, 1-2. Ycaza’s initial corner kick was knocked forward by Joey Akpunonu, and fellow center-back Smith sent the ball toward goal with the right amount of pace to put the Battery ahead at the death.
The goal was Smith’s first of the year, and Akpunonu’s assist was his third of 2026.
Charleston saw out the time that remained and secured all three points with a 1-2 win in the Group 6 opener over Loudoun, placing the Battery into an early favorable position in the Group 6 standings.
For the all-time series against Loudoun, the result improves Charleston’s record to 10W-1L-4D in the fixture and extends their undefeated streak at Segra Field to eight games (5W-0L-3D).
The win offered a sound response and positive development for the Battery’s away record following the Wednesday road defeat against Rhode Island.
Graham Smith had a productive match on both sides of the ball. In addition to the game-winning goal, the veteran center-back led the game with seven clearances and two tackles won (tied).
Joey Akpunonu and Emilio Ycaza tied for the team lead in duels won (six), and both played a key role in Smith’s go-ahead tally.
Miguel Berry opened his Battery account and co-led the team with two chances created, along with registering three duels won, two recoveries, and 90% passing accuracy.
Charleston’s next match will be home vs. Sporting Club Jacksonville in the USL Championship regular season on Sat., May 2. Tickets for the Cinco de Mayo weekend celebration game are on sale now via SeatGeek.com, the club’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.
Lineups:
- LDN: Bandre, Adnan, Essengue, Akinyode, Niyongabire (Piras, 90’), Murphy, Santos, Awuah, Souper (Dias, 66’), Aman, Ordóñez
- CHS: Berner, Messer (Swan, 83’), Akpunonu, Smith, Suber, Martinez (Blackstock, 62’), Kelly, Ycaza, Houssou (Pakhomov, 62’), Cabrera (Foster, 62’), Berry (Wayne, 90’+4)
Scoring Summary:
- CHS - Miguel Berry, 16’ (Nathan Messer)
- LDN - Pedro Santos, 27’
- CHS - Graham Smith, 90’+2 (Joey Akpunonu)