Big Kickers
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Imagine if the Yankees, the Phillies, and the Red Sox came to town to play the RiverDogs. That’s the baseball equivalent of the Carolina Challenge Cup, hosted by the Charleston Battery since 2004. Three Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs come to compete in this preseason soccer tournament each March, and five of the last six champs have gone on to win the MLS Cup or the Supporters Shield league title.
Thanks in no small part to the Lowcountry’s warm winters and Blackbaud Stadium’s enviable facilities, the Battery is the only United Soccer League team to host such an event. “It’s great for locals to see these teams in action, and we get an early gauge of where we stand as a club,” says head coach Mike Anhaeuser.
This year, fans can see how the home team fares against D.C. United, Toronto FC, and Real Salt Lake, with the match between D.C. and Charleston sure to be a highlight. The two squads have been rivals since the 1999 U.S. Open Cup at Blackbaud. Charleston beat D.C., inciting the national heavyweights to break locker room coffee pots in post-loss anger. Now, when the teams match up, they play for the “Coffee Pot Cup,” with the victor winning a beer-filled coffee pot.
Need more incentive? At least five of the visiting players will likely take the field in this June’s World Cup. Cheer for the Battery as they take on the world’s best.
Blackbaud Stadium
1990 Daniel Island Dr.
Wednesday & Saturday, 5-10pm. $25-$15.
(843)971-4625
