MUSC Match Preview: New Mexico vs. Charleston
USL Charleston Battery

MUSC Match Preview: New Mexico vs. Charleston

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


The Charleston Battery return to league play to face New Mexico United on Sat., May 23, in Week 12 of the USL Championship regular season. Kickoff at Isotopes Park is set for 9 p.m. ET, and the match will stream on ESPN+.

Charleston and New Mexico meet for the first and only time of the regular season, as the sides compete in opposite conferences.

The Battery (4W-3L-1D, 13pts) secured a 4-0 home win over Sporting Club Jacksonville in their last Championship contest. Colton Swan bagged a brace, and goals from Maalique Foster and Kirill Pakhomov rounded out the victory. Charleston's last game was a 4-nil road triumph over the Richmond Kickers this past weekend in the Prinx Tires USL Cup.

New Mexico (3W-4L-1D, 10pts) have a quick turnaround between home matches after a Wednesday night 0-1 defeat to the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The hosts went down a goal in just the 5th minute but were unable to find an equalizer in the time that remained, despite several close attempts in the time that remained.

Looking at their respective tables, Charleston are fourth in the Eastern Conference standings and New Mexico are eighth in the Western Conference standings.

Storylines of the Match

Black and Yellow Derby - This Saturday will be the sixth edition of the Black and Yellow Derby, which was first contested in 2021. The Battery narrowly lead the all-time series with a 3W-2L-0D record in the fixture, and are currently on a three-game winning streak against New Mexico.

First Interconference Clash - This weekend marks the Battery's first match against a Western Conference side in 2026. Last year, Charleston enjoyed considerable success in interconference play, posting a 5W-1L-2D record against teams from west of the Mississippi River.

Return to League Play - Charleston return to Championship action this weekend and will look to carry the momentum from their two lopsided wins to improve their Eastern Conference position. At this point, five teams are level with 13 points in the conference, leaving placement in the table to tiebreakers, so it will be imperative not to drop points as each club will be fighting for a spot in the top four.

Facing Familiar Names - The Battery will square off against a pair of familiar faces on Saturday in New Mexico's Jake LaCava and manager Dennis Sanchez. LaCava had a stint with Charleston in 2024 and currently has two assists for New Mexico this year. Sanchez, who is in his second season leading New Mexico, was an assistant coach for the Battery in 2022 and briefly on Ben Pirmann's staff ahead of the 2023 campaign before departing. On the flip side, New Mexico will once again face former midfielder Houssou Landry, who played for the Western Conference club in 2024.

Swan Soaring Again - Colton Swan has been among the Battery's most in-form players as of late, with three goals in the last two matches. The United States U-20 international currently has six goals to his name across all competitions, which leads the team. The goal in Richmond was Swan's first tally away from home, so he will look to carry that streak into New Mexico.

Penalty Problems - Something fans may want to keep an eye on is activity in the 18-yard box, as New Mexico currently lead the league in penalties conceded this year, with four.

Set Piece Specialists - On the other end, Charleston have found considerable success with their set piece plays this year. The Battery are tied with Loudoun United FC for the league lead with five goals off set pieces, but are in a distant second in the Championship for corner kicks awarded, highlighting the efficiency and effectiveness of the Charleston attack in those situations.

Possession Prowess - Similar to last year, Charleston have been a team that tends to dominate the possession battle in 2026. The Battery are the league's leaders in average possession (58.3%), accurate passes per match (393.3) and accurate long balls per match (34.9), and are tied for the second-most big chances created.

Zamudio Milestone Watch - Heading into this weekend, goalkeeper Luis Zamudio is closing in on 200 career saves in the USL Championship regular season. After recording a rare no-save shutout against Sporting Jax, Zamudio's count remains at 198.

From the Training Ground

MATCH INFO

New Mexico United vs. Charleston Battery

Saturday, May 23 - 9 p.m. ET Kickoff

Isotopes Park

HOW TO WATCH:

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

Check out the Charleston Battery Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 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.

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