Presented by MUSC Health
Matchday Preview
The Charleston Battery are back home for Week 2 to host Rhode Island FC on Sat., March 15. Kickoff at Patriots Point is 7:30 p.m. ET. Saturday’s match will stream for free on CBS Sports Golazo Network, and air on local television on the Palmetto Sports and Entertainment Network.
Charleston and Rhode Island clash for the first time since the Eastern Conference Final last November, when RIFC came away victorious to advance to the USL Championship Final.
The Battery (0W-1L-0D) are looking to bounce back following defeat on opening night against Louisville City FC. Juan David Torres scored a sensational equalizer midway through the second half, but a contentious red card shown to Arturo Rodríguez was followed up by Louisville scoring the eventual winner. The match was evenly contested between the sides but the one-man disadvantage was a bridge too far for the Battery.
Rhode Island (0W-0L-0D) had a bye in Week 1, making Saturday’s match their first of 2025. Rhode Island’s last official outing was the 2024 USL Championship Final, where they were defeated 3-0 by Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. In lieu of a Week 1 match, Rhode Island hosted USL League One side Portland Hearts of Pine in an exhibition.
Looking at the Eastern Conference table, Charleston are in eighth and Rhode Island are in seventh.
Storylines of the Match
Conference Final Rematch – The marquee headline going into Saturday is the rematch of the 2024 Eastern Conference Final, which was contested at Patriots Point just four months ago. Charleston will look to exact revenge on Rhode Island after the New England side won 1-2 that night to secure the conference title. Much of Charleston’s squad from that night returned for 2025, adding some extra meaning to what’s already a heavyweight clash.
All-Time Series – Rhode Island hold a narrow advantage in the all-time series with a 1W-0L-2D record over the Battery. Both regular season matches last year ended in draws, 0-0 at Rhode Island and 1-1 at Charleston. The Battery will be aiming for a winning combination on Saturday to even the series against the second-year club.
Looking to Rebound – Charleston were dealt a defeat in their home opener for the first time since 2021, falling 1-2 to Louisville while playing with 10 men. The match was contested relatively evenly throughout the night as both teams created a similar number of chances and the difference in xG was only 0.07 in favor of Louisville. The setback only adds extra motivation for Charleston on Saturday.
Torres Scores Battery’s First – Juan David Torres scored Charleston’s first goal of 2025 with a perfectly-placed free-kick against Louisville. The goal was just honors for Torres, who had a goal waved off just minutes before and also won the foul that led to the free-kick. The ball was slotted into no man’s land and bounced into the net untouched. It was his first goal after scoring eight in 2024.
Six Club Debuts – A total of six players made their Battery debuts on Saturday: Cal Jennings, Houssou Landry, Johnny Klein, Luis Zamudio, Langston Blackstock and Douglas Martinez. There will be the potential for debuts in Week 2 for Joey Akpunonu and Viggo Ortiz, who were unused substitutes against Louisville.
First Look at RIFC – Like the Battery, much of Rhode Island’s squad from the Conference Final was carried into this year. Their squad is headlined by the likes of Noah Fuson, Albert Dikwa, JJ Williams and Koke Vegas, among other returners, along with new faces such as Maxi Rodriguez and Dani Rovira. The New England outfit appear poised to build on the success found in 2024.
Rodríguez Unavailable – Charleston’s Arturo Rodríguez will miss the Rhode Island match while serving a one-game suspension for the red card issued in Week 1.
From the Training Ground
MATCH INFO
Charleston Battery vs. Rhode Island FC
Saturday, March 15 – 7:30 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Saturday’s match will stream for free on the CBS Sports Golazo Network! The Golazo Network can be accessed for free via the CBS Sports App (under the ‘Live TV’ section), Pluto TV, Roku TV, Paramount+ app (no subscription needed), the PlutoTV app or on the channel’s website: https://www.cbssports.com/watch/cbs-sports-golazo-network
The match will also 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.