Match Preview: Charleston vs. Birmingham
Published on October 23, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release
The Charleston Battery return home for the regular season finale on Sat., Oct. 25, against Birmingham Legion FC. Kickoff at Patriots Point is set for 5 p.m. ET. The match will air on national television on TUDN and locally on the Palmetto Sports and Entertainment Network, and stream on ESPN+.
It's the second clash between Charleston and Birmingham this year after the sides played to a scoreless draw back in July.
The Battery (18W-6L-5D, 59pts) return home following a midweek defeat at Sacramento Republic FC on Wednesday. Charleston featured several changes to the lineup for the game that was originally scheduled for October 5. After a scoreless first half, a goal by Sacramento shortly after the break proved to be the difference maker.
Birmingham (5W-12L-12D, 27pts) arrive in the Lowcountry after falling 2-3 at home to Miami FC on Sunday. Miami scored their three goals all in the first half, and Legion FC's comeback bid fell short despite Ronaldo Damus' goal in the second half.
Looking at the Eastern Conference table, Charleston are in second and Birmingham are in 12th.
Storylines of the Match
Regular Season Finale - This Saturday marks the final match of the USL Championship regular season. It's also the second time in the last three years that Charleston and Birmingham have met in the final matchweek, with the Battery winning the 2023 finale, 1-0. The game will offer Charleston a chance to build momentum before postseason play, while Birmingham will be aiming to conclude their difficult 2025 campaign on a positive note.
All-Time Series - Historically, Charleston lead the series against Birmingham with a 6W-3L-2D record, dating back to 2019. The Battery are also on a six-game undefeated run against Legion FC since 2023, recording five wins and one draw in that span. This year's draw was the first time the sides shared points in a match since October 2019.
Paterson's Return - Something to keep an eye on is the potential return of former Battery defender AJ Paterson on Saturday. Paterson joined Birmingham in 2024 but was not in the squad for last year's meeting at Patriots Point, meaning this weekend could be his first match back in the Lowcountry since his departure.
Three Games, One Week - Saturday will be the third game in the space of one week for the Battery and it will be all hands on deck to finish the regular season strong while balancing workloads. The Sacramento game featured seven new entries to the starting lineup from the game before, and with notable changes including Viggo Ortiz's first league start, Diego Rodríguez's first league appearance, and Jeremy Kelly's first match back since September 6.
Last Chance for Wins Record - This weekend will be the Battery's final opportunity to secure a record-setting 19th victory in the regular season, a mark that would be a new club best in their Championship era. Their 19th win will reset the record for the third consecutive season, after the 2023 and 2024 teams, who played 34 games instead of this year's 30, also set new win records during their respective seasons.
Golden Awards Watch - Going into the final weekend of the regular season, the race for the Golden Boot and Golden Playmaker awards have never been hotter. For the Golden Boot, Cal Jennings and MD Myers find themselves in second and third place, respectively. Myers has closed in on the competition after scoring five goals in the past six matches. And with 10 assists, Juan David Torres is tied for the lead in the Golden Playmaker race with two others.
Myers Aims for 20 - With 19 goals across all competitions this year, MD Myers matched his single-season career best scoring mark that he set in 2023 with New York City FC II, when he won the MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot. The striker is also nearing a spot in the Battery record books and could become the sixth player in club history to record 20 goals in a single year. His current mark of 19 is also the sixth-best single-season tally (all competitions) in club history.
Zamudio Eyes Career Best - Luis Zamudio currently has seven clean sheets to his name, which matches his personal best set in 2022. With one more shutout, it would set a new career high for the 27-year-old shot-stopper. Additionally, Zamudio has the sixth-best save percentage in the league at 69.6%.
Potential Playoff Picture - While nothing will change with the Battery's standing as the No. 2 seed in the USL Championship Playoffs, their opponent in the opening round is still to be determined going into the final weekend. Currently, Rhode Island FC shape up to be the No. 7 seed, but a loss for them and a win for Detroit City FC would see Detroit take that spot instead. The Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Patriots Point is set for Sun., Nov. 2, kicking off at 2 p.m. ET and airing nationally on CBS Sports Network.
Smith Approaches Milestone - Graham Smith continues to close in on 15,000 career minutes played in the USL Championship regular season and has 14,939 to his name heading into the last contest.
From the Training Ground
MATCH INFO
Charleston Battery vs. Birmingham Legion FC
Saturday, October 25 - 5 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Saturday's contest will air on national television on TUDN in Spanish.
Saturday's match will also stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league's YouTube channel for free internationally. It will additionally 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.
A limited amount of tickets for Saturday are available now via SeatGeek.com, the Battery's exclusive digital ticketing provider.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 23, 2025
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