Charleston Battery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Charleston Battery

Full name	Charleston Battery
Nickname(s)	Black and Yellow, Battery, Holy City FC
Founded	1993 (32 years ago) (1993)
Stadium	Patriots Point Soccer Complex Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Stadium capacity	5,000
Owner	Rob Salvatore
Head coach	Ben Pirmann
League	USL Championship
2024	2nd, Eastern Conference Playoffs: USL Championship Conference Final
Home colors Away colors

The Charleston Battery is a professional soccer club. They are based in Charleston, South Carolina. The team is part of the USL Championship. The Battery started in 1993. This makes them the oldest professional soccer club in the United States that has been playing continuously.

The Charleston Battery is known for being one of the most successful lower-division soccer teams in the U.S. They have won four league titles! They won the USISL Pro League in 1996. They also won the USL A-League in 2003. In 2010, they won the USL Second Division (and the regular season title). Their fourth championship was the USL Championship in 2012. In 2023, they were the Eastern Conference champions. They also made it to the league finals. The Battery has won the Southern Derby competition 10 times. This is a record for the supporter-led event.

Many players who started with the Battery have gone on to play at higher levels. Some famous alumni include Fidel Barajas, Ozzie Alonso, and Lamar Neagle.

The Charleston Battery currently plays at Patriots Point Soccer Complex. This stadium is in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Before 2019, they played at MUSC Health Stadium in Daniel Island. The team's main colors are black and yellow. Their away uniforms are usually red.

Team History: How the Battery Started

The Charleston Battery team was created in 1993. A group of local soccer fans started it. Tony Bakker, who moved his software company Blackbaud to Charleston, led the group. The club hired Tim Hankinson to build the team. The Battery joined the USISL league. This league later became known as the USL in 1995.

First Championship Win

The Battery won their first league championship in 1996. They beat the Charlotte Eagles 3–2 in the final game. Nuno Piteira was their manager at the time. In 1997, Charleston became one of the first clubs in the new A-League.

Moving to a New Stadium

In 1999, the Charleston Battery moved into what is now MUSC Health Stadium. This was a big deal. They were the first professional club outside of Major League Soccer to build their own stadium. This helped them become a well-known lower-division club. They hired English coach Alan Dicks. They also signed many skilled players. These included Paul Conway and Eric Wynalda. They also brought in international players like Terry Phelan.

In 2001, Chris Ramsey took over as coach. He led Charleston to win the A-League championship in 2003. They won 3–0 against Minnesota Thunder. After Ramsey left in 2004, Mike Anhaeuser became the new coach. He had been a player and assistant coach for a long time.

Reaching the U.S. Open Cup Final

In 2008, the Charleston Battery made it to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup final. This was a huge achievement. They played against Major League Soccer team D.C. United. The game was at RFK Stadium. Charleston scored a goal by Ian Fuller. The score was tied 1–1 at halftime. D.C. United scored again in the second half. In the last seconds, Marco Reda scored for Charleston. But the goal was not allowed because of an offside call. D.C. United won the match 2–1.

Charleston celebrates winning the league title in 2012.

More Championships and League Changes

In 2010, several USL clubs wanted to start a new league. This league became the North American Soccer League. But the Battery decided to stay with the USL system. They moved down to the USL Second Division. This division later became the main USL professional division. In their first season in this division (2010), Charleston was at the top of the league all year. They did not lose any home games. Charleston beat the Richmond Kickers 2–1 in the final. This gave them their third league championship. Lamar Neagle was named the league's MVP. He scored 13 goals. Coach Anhaeuser was named Coach of the Year.

In 2012, the Charleston Battery won their fourth league title. They beat their rivals, the Wilmington Hammerheads, 1–0 in the final. Micheal Azira scored the winning goal in the 74th minute.

Working with MLS Teams

In recent years, the Charleston Battery has worked with several Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs. In 2014, they partnered with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. In 2015, they worked with the Houston Dynamo. In 2016, they teamed up with Atlanta United FC. This was before Atlanta joined the MLS in 2017.

Changes in Ownership and Coaching

In 2016, Tony Bakker sold the club to B Sports Entertainment. This was an investment group. Club president Andrew Bell and coach Mike Anhaeuser stayed in charge. In 2018, Andrew Bell left the club. Mike Kelleher took his place.

In October 2019, B Sports Entertainment sold the club to Rob Salvatore. The team then moved to Patriots Point Soccer Complex. This stadium is in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

After the 2021 season, the Battery announced that Mike Anhaeuser was leaving. He had been with the club since 1994. He played for them and then coached. He led them to two USL Championships.

In December 2021, Conor Casey became the new head coach. But in October 2022, he and the club decided to part ways. Dennis Sanchez became the interim coach.

On November 17, 2022, the Battery hired Ben Pirmann as their new head coach. Pirmann was named the 2022 USL Championship Coach of the Year. He had led Memphis 901 FC to a great season.

Recent Success in 2023

In 2023, the Battery had an amazing comeback season. They won 17 games, lost 9, and tied 8. They finished third in their conference. This was a huge improvement from 2022. They won many games away from home. They also came back to win 16 points after being behind in games. The Battery reached the 2023 USL Championship Final. They won the Eastern Conference title. This was their first trophy since 2012. They were runners-up in the final game against Phoenix Rising FC.

Players like Fidel Barajas, Nick Markanich, and Trey Muse had great seasons. Barajas tied the record for most assists in a single season with 11. He was also the youngest player to score a goal for the club. He was named the USL Championship Young Player of the Year. Coach Pirmann was a finalist for Coach of the Year.

After the 2023 season, Barajas and Muse were sold to MLS teams.

Team Colors and Badge

Charleston's main colors are yellow, black, and red. In the early years, their home uniform was black and white with red. Since 1997, they have used black with yellow stripes for their home jersey. This has been their main look ever since. The away uniform is usually red, white, and black.

The club's badge (logo) stayed the same from 1993 to 2019. It had small changes in color. Four stars were added to show their league championships. The logo is a classic shield with yellow and black stripes. It shows two crossed artillery cannons. These cannons represent Charleston's naval history. A soccer ball is also on the badge.

In December 2019, the club showed off a new logo for 2020. Matthew Wolff helped design it. The new logo has crossed cannons on a black circle. It also has a crescent shape. "Charleston" is written at the top, and "1993" (the year they started) is at the bottom.

Stadiums Where They Play

• Stoney Field; Charleston, South Carolina (1993–1998)
• MUSC Health Stadium (formerly Blackbaud Stadium); Daniel Island, Charleston, South Carolina (1999–2019)
• Patriots Point Soccer Complex; Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (from 2020)

The Charleston Battery played their first six seasons at Stoney Field. This field was in downtown Charleston. They shared it with other sports teams.

In 1999, the club moved to MUSC Health Stadium. This stadium was the first privately funded soccer-specific stadium built in the United States. It can hold 5,100 people. The stadium was designed like smaller English soccer stadiums. It even has a pub called The Three Lions. There is also a training field and club offices at the stadium.

In 2016, the stadium got a huge video board. It was one of the biggest in the Southeast. It was 3,000 square feet! This made it the largest video board in the world compared to the number of seats.

The stadium also has special boxes for guests. It has a plaza for events. It has modern media tools. This makes it a top soccer venue in the U.S.

In 2019, the club announced they would move to Patriots Point. This is in Mount Pleasant. The new stadium is home to the College of Charleston soccer teams. It is close to the center of Charleston.

After many updates in early 2020, Patriots Point opened. Fans could attend games in 2021. The club has added special seating options. These include "suite boxes" made from shipping containers. Fans can rent these for games.

Team Culture and Fans

The main independent fan group is The Regiment. They stand behind the north goal at the stadium. Other fan groups include Queen Anne's Revenge and Charleston Barra Brava.

The Charleston Battery plays for the Coffee Pot Cup. They play against their rival team, D.C. United. This trophy was started by the fans of both teams. The clubs often play each other in friendly games and cup matches. The 2008 US Open Cup final was a very important game between them. Charleston also has a long rivalry with the Richmond Kickers.

The Battery's fans also compete in the Southern Derby Cup. They play against fans of North Carolina FC. Charleston Battery has won this cup a record 10 times.

Another rivalry is the No Quarter Derby. This is against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Charleston has won this derby four times.

In 2021, the club added a cannon to the stadium. It fires after each Battery goal. It also fires at the start and end of matches.

Local TV station WCSC 5.3 shows the games.

Players and Staff

Current Roster

No. Position Player 0 GK Enzo Mori 1 GK Christian Garner 2 DF Mark Segbers 4 MF Chris Allan 5 DF Leland Archer 6 MF Aaron Molloy 7 DF Langston Blackstock 8 MF Emilio Ycaza 9 FW MD Myers 10 MF Arturo Rodríguez 11 MF Viggo Ortiz 12 MF Diego Rodríguez 14 FW Rubio Rubín

No. Position Player 16 DF Graham Smith 19 MF Johnny Klein 22 DF Joey Akpunonu 24 GK Daniel Kuzemka 26 FW Cal Jennings 29 MF Jeremy Kelly 34 DF Michael Edwards (on loan from Colorado Rapids) 36 FW Jackson Conway 42 FW Douglas Martínez 56 GK Luis Zamudio 62 DF Nathan Dossantos 80 MF Juan David Torres 91 MF Houssou Landry

Players Out on Loan

No. Position Player 17 FW Zeke Soto (; on loan to Greenville Triumph)

Team Staff

• Lee Cohen – Club President
• Ben Pirmann – Head Coach
• Robbie Crawford – Assistant Coach
• Tim Daniels – Assistant Coach
• Brian Jones – Assistant Coach
• Devin Rensing – Assistant Coach
• Bobby Weisenberger – Head Athletic Trainer

Famous Former Players

This list includes players who were important to the team. Some played for their national teams. Others made big contributions to soccer before or after playing for the Battery.

Head Coaches Through the Years

• Tim Hankinson (1993–1994)
• Nuno Piteira (1995–1999)
• Alan Dicks (1999–2001)
• Chris Ramsey (2001–2004)
• Mike Anhaeuser (2004–2021)
• Conor Casey (2022)
• Ben Pirmann (2023–Present)

Club Presidents

• Tony Bakker (1993–1998)
• Nigel Cooper (1999–2008)
• Andrew Bell (2008–2018)
• Mike Kelleher (2018–2022)
• Lee Cohen (2022–Present)

Team Achievements and Awards

The Charleston Battery has won many awards and championships over the years:

• USISL Pro
  • Champions (1): 1996
  • Atlantic Division Champions (1): 1995
• USL A-League
  • Champions (1): 2003
  • Atlantic Division Champions (1): 2000
  • Southeast Division Champions (2): 2002, 2003
• USL Second Division
  • Champions (1): 2010
  • Regular Season Champions (1): 2010
• USL Championship
  • Champions (1): 2012
  • Runner Up (1): 2023
  • Eastern Conference Champions (Playoffs) (1): 2023
• U.S. Open Cup
  • Runner Up (1): 2008
  • Semifinals (2): 1999, 2004
  • Quarterfinals (3): 2007, 2009, 2010
• Southern Derby
  • Winner (10): 2003, 2005^, 2009^, 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2024

^ as co-champions

• No Quarter Derby
  • Winner (4): 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024

Team Performance Records

Year-by-Year Results

Here are the results for the Charleston Battery over the last five seasons. For all their season history, you can check List of Charleston Battery seasons.

Season	League											Position		Playoffs	USOC	Continental / Other		Average attendance	Top goalscorer(s)
	Div	League	Pld	W	L	D	GF	GA	GD	Pts	PPG	Conf.	Overall						Name	Goals
2019	2	USLC	34	11	10	13	44	44	0	46	1.35	9th	19th	R1	R4	DNQ		2,424	Zeiko Lewis	8
2020		USLC	15	9	3	3	26	15	+11	30	2.00	5th	9th	QF	NH			N/A	Nicque Daley Zeiko Lewis	6
2021		USLC	32	10	15	7	49	60	−11	37	1.16	6th	10th	DNQ	NH			2,771	Claudio Repetto	9
2022		USLC	34	6	21	7	41	77	−36	25	0.74	12th	25th	DNQ	R2			2,797	Augustine Williams	16
2023		USLC	34	17	9	8	47	43	+4	59	1.74	3th	4th	RU	R4			3,113	Augustine Williams	15

1. Avg. attendance includes statistics from league matches only.
2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in league play, playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, and other competitive matches.

Games Against International and MLS Teams

The Charleston Battery has played many games against teams from other countries and from Major League Soccer (MLS).

• Their record in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is 8 wins, 1 tie, and 13 losses.
• In the Carolina Challenge Cup, they have 5 wins, 9 ties, and 20 losses.
• In friendly (exhibition) games, they have 5 wins, 2 ties, and 7 losses.

The table below shows some of these matches:

More Information

• Battery Park
• Carolina Challenge Cup
• Charleston, SC Latest Sports News: Battery stuffs Sounders Battery stuffs Sounders, Charleston Post and Courier Article

See also

In Spanish: Charleston Battery para niños