Battery Secure 3-2 Comeback Win over Birmingham on Goals by Swan, Ycaza
USL Charleston Battery

Battery Secure 3-2 Comeback Win over Birmingham on Goals by Swan, Ycaza

Published on March 21, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release


CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Charleston Battery secured a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Birmingham Legion FC at Patriots Point on Saturday. After being dealt a 0-2 deficit in the first half, the Battery rallied on goals from Colton Swan and Emilio Ycaza, with Ycaza's brace occurring in the final 20 minutes of the match. It marks back-to-back wins for Charleston in the first two games of the league campaign.

Play kicked off at Patriots Point under perfect weather and clear skies.

Both sides came out of the gate up tempo, Jeremy Kelly recording the first shot in the 10th minute, a strong attempt from distance that went just over the bar. On the other end, Sean Suber made a crucial intervention in the 20th minute to cut off a dangerous cross into the box by the visitors.

Birmingham managed to open the scoring with two goals in quick succession, first by Romario Williams in the 25th minute and second by Samuel Shashoua in the 27th minute, to go up 0-2.

Charleston were forced into an early personnel change in the 37th minute when Douglas Martinez was involved in a head-on collision and replaced by Kirill Pakhomov, credited as a concussion substitution.

The Battery began to reapply pressure in the waning stages of the half, with on-target attempts by Wilmer Cabrera and Laurent Kissiedou that nearly got the hosts on the board but were saved.

Birmingham took the 0-2 lead into the break, despite Charleston outshooting the visitors by a margin of 10 to six.

Play resumed in the second half with Charleston searching for a way back into the match.

After renewed waves of pressure early on, halftime substitute Colton Swan got the Battery on the board in the 58th minute to cut the score to 1-2. Nathan Messer initiated the sequence from the left flank with a cross into the area, where Miguel Berry met it at the back post and volleyed it on frame. Birmingham goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat made the save, but Swan reacted instantly, pouncing on the rebound and knocking the ball into the net.

The goal was Swan's first in league play, and his third of the season across all competitions after notching a brace in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday.

In the 65th minute, Charleston came inches from finding the equalizer. Berry led a fast break upfield before playing it wide to Messer, who quickly delivered a cross back into the box. Maalique Foster met it with a strong run at the back post, but his close-range effort was stopped by a goal-line denial from Birmingham.

The next decisive moment of the half came when Charleston were awarded a penalty in the 78th minute after Berry was brought down in the box by Phanuel Kavita.

Emilio Ycaza stepped up and converted in the 80th minute to level the score at 2-2, confidently driving it down the middle with roughly 10 minutes left to play.

The equalizer marked Ycaza's first goal of the 2026 season.

After leveling the terms, Charleston's pressure ramped up further in search of a winner. Foster delivered a dangerous cross into the box minutes after the second goal, which Swan met with a quick attempt on target, but Koleilat came up with the save.

At the other end, Luis Zamudio delivered a crucial stop in the 87th minute, denying Sebastian Tregarthen to keep the score at 2-2.

Charleston's golden moment came in the 93rd minute when Ycaza knocked home the go-ahead goal, giving the Battery a late 3-2 lead. Messer again provided dangerous service from a corner kick that was punched away by Koleilat, but the clearance fell to Joey Akpunonu, who headed it back toward goal. Ycaza was there to finish it with a quick backheel, all but completing the dramatic comeback for the Battery.

The eventual match-winner secured the brace for Ycaza, and Akpunonu's assist was his first of the year.

Another notable moment for the Battery arrived near the end of stoppage when Kruz Held made his professional debut off the bench at 17 years, eight months and 28 days old.

Charleston secured the 3-2 victory over Birmingham for their second league win of the campaign, improving their record to 2W-0L-0D (6pts), good for fourth in the Eastern Conference table.

Head Coach Ben Pirmann and midfielder Emilio Ycaza discussed the victory after the final whistle, with key quotes to follow.

Coach Pirmann on the team's response in the second half...

Like I said, it was my own fault. I did a bad job tonight. We weren't passing the ball forward. We didn't win duels. Jay [Heaps] and Birmingham outplayed us, they could have been up two, three-nothing, and they were.

The good thing was, is we made some changes with some energy. You have to change some things, change the look, but, we were not professional. That was the worst 25 minutes in my four seasons at this club, and we lost a game 0-7 on this field. So it was a nightmare, it was shocking. However, the other 65 minutes, we were brilliant. [We] played with courage, they got themselves out of it. I didn't really do anything, it was them. We just went back to who we are with our energy and our character and our principles. Proud of that effort, thank you to this crowd, thank you to this club, because that's who won the game, not me, and the players needed that, so thank you to all them.

Coach Pirmann on the squad's resiliency and leadership...

That's a great word, resiliency. We talked about being resilient in the offseason, so it was great. It shows courage. We created a load of chances, but we've got to learn. We've got to learn real fast, because we're going to get blown out of the water this season if we don't. I'll start with it. It's me. I've got to put my hand up.

The positive is that we were very resilient. They fed off the supporters, they kept going and going and going. They were warriors. So we'll focus on the positives with massive learning lessons.

Ycaza on the team's mindset after going down 0-2...

I think that was the main thing that [Coach Pirmann] was saying, was to instill belief in the squad. Even though we went down two goals in the first half, we still had loads of chances. So he said as soon as we got the first one, the second would come, and then the momentum would give us a chance to win.

I think [the momentum] just gave us belief more than anything. The last three years, we've been really good at home. I think teams come and struggle here. So as soon as we got that first goal, playing toward our fans, toward our end, we knew the stadium would pop off and that we'd have that momentum and the energy that we needed to complete the comeback.

Ycaza on his two late goals to secure the comeback win...

It felt amazing. To score goals is amazing, but really just to help the team win, that's the most important thing. [Koleilat] dove the way that I went last time. So, it's always an option to go right down the middle. I think it's easy when the team's behind you, believing in you, and just doing my part. A couple other guys contributed to winning the penalty, so it's a team effort.

I didn't see much [on the second goal]. Just when I saw Joey go up for it, he headed it straight through to me, so I was just going to help it along.

Ycaza on what he's seen in the squad's resiliency and chemistry...

I think it's resiliency. So far, we haven't given up any points here, and I think that was kind of the message that [Coach] Ben was trying to get across. We're a really good team. We can outwork them. But, it all just began with sticking to our principles, connecting the pass, and as soon as we got the first goal, we knew that we were going to have the possibility to keep all three points here.

I don't think we have got to push our luck every game, but it says a lot. We had a big turnover, so it's huge for the bonding, for the chemistry. Winning brings a team together, so that's massive.

Charleston are set to hit the road for their next four matches: Detroit City FC (March 28), Charlotte Independence (March 31), Louisville City FC (April 4), Brooklyn FC (April 11). The Battery's next home game will be on Sat., April 18, against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on national television at Patriots Point. Tickets for the match are on sale now via SeatGeek.com, the club's exclusive digital ticketing provider.

Lineups:

CHS: Zamudio, Messer, Smith (Swan, 46'), Akpunonu, Martínez (Pakhomov, 37'), Suber, Houssou (Blackstock, 53'), Kelly (Held, 90'+7), Kissiedou (Ycaza, 46'), Cabrera (Foster, 59'), Berry

BHM: Koleilat, Hamouda, Washington (Kavita, 36'), Daley, McCartney, Ngoma (Cole, 46'), Shashoua, Antwi (Tregarthen, 84'), Pasher (Vassell, 88'), Diarbian (Saucedo, 88'), Williams (McIllhatton, 61')

Scoring Summary:

BHM - Romario Williams, 25'

BHM - Samuel Shashoua, 27'

CHS - Colton Swan, 57'

CHS - Emilio Ycaza, 80' (Penalty)

CHS - Emilio Ycaza, 90'+3 (Joey Akpunonu)

Check out the Charleston Battery Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United Soccer League Championship Stories from March 21, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central