Presented by MUSC Health
Matchday Preview
The Charleston Battery are back home to take on the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Sat., April 5, in Week 5 of the USL Championship. The afternoon kickoff at Patriots Point is set for 5:30 p.m. ET and the match will stream on ESPN+ and air locally on Palmetto Sports Network.
Saturday will be the first meeting of the No Quarter Derby rivals. The last time these sides faced each other was in the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Patriots Point last year, a 2-1 Battery win.
Charleston (1W-2L-0D, 3pts) return home for the first of three home games to open the April schedule. They will be looking to bounce back after being dealt a 2-1 road defeat in Week 4 against North Carolina FC. Cal Jennings scored his third goal in as many games but the Battery were unable to find an equalizer in the second half to salvage a point.
Tampa Bay (1W-2L-0D, 3pts) are coming off a bye in Week 4. The Rowdies secured their first win of 2025 in their last match, a 1-2 road triumph over Miami FC. After the hosts scored in just the 2nd minute, the Rowdies rallied before halftime with goals from Woobens Pacius and Daniel Crisostomo to secure the three points.
Looking at the Eastern Conference table, the Battery are in seventh and the Rowdies are right behind them in eighth.
Storylines of the Match
No Quarter Derby Renewed – Charleston and Tampa Bay will renew their rivalry on Saturday in the No Quarter Derby, the name given for the fixture by the clubs’ respective supporter groups. Supporters of the winning team will receive a cooler chest full of beers from the fans of the losing team, with the victors determined after the two regular season contests. The Battery have won the derby the past three seasons (2022, 2023, 2024).
Playoff Rematch – Saturday’s duel will also be the first meeting between the sides since last year’s playoffs, when the Battery defeated Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Aaron Molloy’s late winner lifted Charleston past the Rowdies to book a spot in the Eastern Conference Final.
April Home Stand – The game against Tampa Bay also kicks off a three-game home stand for the Battery in the first half of April. In addition to the game on April 5, Charleston will have home games on April 12 against Pittsburgh and on April 15-16 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Jennings Leads the Way – Battery newcomer Cal Jennings added to his team-leading tally of three goals with his conversion from the penalty spot against North Carolina. The ex-Rowdie is currently tied for the second-most goals in the league after one month of play.
Head-to-Head History – Going into Saturday, Charleston hold a slight advantage in the all-time series against Tampa Bay. The Battery have posted a 12W-9L-3D record against the Rowdies since 2017.
First of Three – Charleston and Tampa Bay will become acutely familiar with each other this year, as they are currently set to duel three times in 2025, twice in the USL Championship regular season, April 5 (H) and May 10 (A), and once in the group stage of the USL Jägermeister Cup, July 26 (H). It is possible that the sides could also meet in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and/or the playoffs.
Battery Looking to Bounce Back – Charleston will look to rebound on Saturday after a dismal day in North Carolina in Week 4. The Battery actually maintained a higher xG rating than North Carolina (1.32 vs. 0.50) but were unable to find the finishing touch a second time to pull level. A return home against another rival could be what the squad needs to find their form again.
Jennings Nearing 70 Goals – Cal Jennings is nearing a career milestone of 70 goals in the USL Championship regular season, currently sitting at 68. Jennings has already recorded a brace for the Battery, and is one of the league’s best in terms of multi-goal games, making the milestone well within reach on Saturday. Additionally, Jennings needs just one goal to move into sole possession of the 10th-most goals all-time in league history.
From the Training Ground
MATCH INFO
Charleston Battery vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies
Saturday, April 5 – 5:30 p.m. ET Kickoff
Patriots Point
HOW TO WATCH:
Saturday’s match will stream on ESPN+. It 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.
