Match Preview: Orange County vs. Charleston
USL Charleston Battery

Match Preview: Orange County vs. Charleston

Published on September 25, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Charleston Battery News Release


The Charleston Battery are heading west again this weekend to face Orange County SC on Sat., Sept. 27, in Week 30 of the USL Championship regular season. Kickoff is set for 10 p.m. ET at Championship Soccer Stadium, and the match will stream on ESPN+.

Charleston and Orange County meet for the first and only time in 2025. The last fixture was a sensational 6-0 victory for the Battery in August 2024.

Charleston (17W-5L3D, 54pts) travel to California following a 0-2 road win over El Paso Locomotive FC on Saturday. Cal Jennings and MD Myers were on the scoresheet again to help lead the Battery to victory. Goalkeeper Luis Zamudio tallied his sixth clean sheet of the year. The win marked Charleston's first triumph across the three all-time meetings in the series.

Orange County (8W-10L-5D, 29pts) return home following a 3-1 road loss to San Antonio FC last weekend. The visitors looked to stage a comeback after cutting the score to 2-1 in the second half, but San Antonio restored their lead shortly after and did not look back. Orange County find themselves amid a five-game winless run, a stark contrast to their preceding five-game undefeated run in July and August.

Looking at the respective tables, Charleston are second in the Eastern Conference and Orange County are ninth in the Western Conference.

Storylines of the Match

All-Time Series - Charleston and Orange County's history dates back to 2014, but the sides have only met four times previously. The Battery hold a narrow lead in the series with a 2W-1L-1D record against Orange County. However, fortune has favored the home team, as the hosting clubs are undefeated, and the Battery's last trip to Championship Soccer Stadium in 2023 ended in a dismal 2-0 loss. The most recent fixture was a lopsided 6-0 Charleston win at Patriots Point, highlighted by a Nick Markanich hat trick and MD Myers brace.

Cross-Conference Campaign Continues - Continuing this weekend is the Battery's slate of interconference competition. Against Western Conference sides, Charleston are undefeated with a 4W-0L-1D record across those five contests. The Battery picked up their first win against El Paso last Saturday and will be aiming to keep their unbeaten run intact.

USL After Dark - Worth noting to fans watching from the East Coast to prepare accordingly, as Saturday's match will kick off at 10 p.m. ET. It's not the last time the Battery will kick off after dark, either, as their October 22 contest against Sacramento Republic FC is also set for 10 p.m. ET.

Top-Four Secured - The Battery crossed another important mile marker in their 2025 journey when they beat El Paso on Saturday, clinching a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference standings and thereby securing home field advantage in the opening round of the playoffs. That match is set for Sun., Nov. 2, kicking off at 2 p.m. ET and airing nationally on CBS Sports Network. It will be the third consecutive year Charleston host at the start of the postseason.

Torres Takes Lead, Eyes Club Record - After recording his 10th assist of the year last weekend, Juan David Torres reclaimed the lead in the Golden Playmaker race. Torres is also within striking distance of the club record for assists in a single season, 11, set by Fidel Barajas (2023) and Temoc Suarez (2000). At least six games remain across the regular season and playoffs for Torres to break a record that has been standing since before he was born.

The Jennings-Myers Combo - Cal Jennings and MD Myers have continued to reaffirm their standing as the league's top scoring tandem. Last weekend, Jennings added to his lead in the Championship Golden Boot race with his 16th goal, but he may be facing competition in the race from within his own locker room after Myers moved into third place (tied) with his 12th goal. The pair are first and second in overall goal contributions in the league, with Jennings' 21 (16G/5A) and Myers' 16 (12G/4A).

Nearing Win Record (Again) - For a third consecutive season, the Battery are closing in on setting a new club record for regular season wins in their Championship era. Charleston currently have 17 wins and the next one will match the record of 18 set just last year. In 2023, Charleston set the same record with 17 victories, making this trend somewhat of an annual tradition for the club since Head Coach Ben Pirmann took the reins.

Last Game Before a Break - Due to the Sacramento-Charleston game being flexed to October 22 from October 5, the Battery will have a quasi-bye week next weekend. The added free weekend of preparation and recovery could be a blessing in disguise ahead of the final month of the regular season and then the playoffs.

Smith Minutes Milestone Watch - Graham Smith is closing in on 15,000 career minutes played in the USL Championship regular season and is currently at 14,828 going into this weekend.

Jennings Approaches 150 - Cal Jennings is also nearing a career milestone, this time for 150 regular season appearances in the Championship. The striker currently has 148 to his name heading into Saturday.

From the Training Ground

MATCH INFO

Orange County SC vs. Charleston Battery

Saturday, September 27 - 10 p.m. ET Kickoff

Championship Soccer Stadium

HOW TO WATCH:

Saturday's contest will stream on ESPN+ domestically and through the league's YouTube channel internationally for free.

Check out the Charleston Battery Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 25, 2025


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