USL Charleston Battery

First Night of Carolina Challenge Cup Sells out in Record Time

Published on February 4, 2015 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release


CHARLESTON, SC -- The Charleston Battery's ticket office ran through the last of its publicly available seats for the first night of Carolina Challenge Cup last week, released a few remaining "group hold" tickets... and then promptly sold out of those, too.

Opening night of the CCC has often sold out in the past. But those sellouts have typically occurred the week of the event. Interest in this year's Saturday, Feb. 21, tournament doubleheader has been unprecedented.

"We were effectively sold out the final week in January," said Battery Club President Andrew Bell, who announced the sold-out date at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 4. "That's never happened before. Usually we come into February with a plan to get to a first-night sellout. This year we were so far ahead of normal that we decided in mid-January to stop marketing the first night and shift our emphasis to promoting the mid-week match and the finale."

Soccer fans looking to catch the Battery's first match of the tournament against the club's 2015 MLS affiliate Houston Dynamo, or the historic first-meeting between 2015 Major League Soccer expansion clubs New York City F.C. and Orlando City S.C. now have two options: Purchase Battery season tickets, or await a late decision on standing-room-only tickets.

Tickets to the other two nights are running ahead of previous years, but great seats are still available for the Wednesday, Feb. 25, double-header and the Saturday, Feb. 28, finale. The midweek card features Houston vs. NYCFC in the 5 p.m. match, with Charleston Battery taking on former USL PRO foe Orlando City in the nightcap. The tournament concludes on Night No. 3 with Orlando playing Houston in the early match and the Battery wrapping things up in the club's first meeting with NYCFC.

Bell attributed the surge in ticket sales to several factors.

"First off, when you have famous players coming to Charleston, soccer fans here take notice," he said. This year's field includes world soccer superstars Kaká of Orlando City and Spanish striker David Villa of NYCFC. The two clubs also signed two rising stars of the U.S. Men's National Team in Brek Shea of Orlando and Mix Diskerud of NYC. They join World Cup veterans Brad Davis and DaMarcus Beasley of Houston.

"Second, with Orlando and New York both joining MLS this year, the interest in our tournament is strong in both those markets," Bell said. "We're also benefiting from cooperation with Major League Soccer for the first time, and we got marketing support from the (Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau) and three local municipalities. It all adds up.

"The other variable is the expansion of interest in our sport, both here in Charleston and around the country," he said. "It's been a gradual thing. But we also saw a change during and after the World Cup last summer."

Tickets to Nights Two and Three of the Challenge Cup start at $20 and can be ordered over the phone at 843-971-GOAL (4625) or online at charlestonbattery.com.

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