Atlanta, Columbus, Minnesota set for CCC ’18

The Charleston Battery will welcome Atlanta United, Columbus Crew and Minnesota United in the 14th edition of the Carolina Challenge Cup in February of 2018.

The competition, which has consistently brought some of MLS’ top talent to Charleston over the years, will be held from February 17th-24th, with double-headers over three matchdays in a round robin tournament.

Atlanta return after last year in which they played their first competitive games in the tournament and gave fans in the lowcountry an early look at what has become one of the best sides to watch in the league in 2017, behind performances from Josef Martinez, Miguel Almiron, and Tito Villalba among others.

The Crew, a year after winning the competition in 2017,  are regular visitors to the area through the competition. They were MLS Cup finalists in 2015, and consistently challenge among the top teams in the East. Now under the guidance of Manager Gregg Berhalter, they boast a mixture of young talent and league stalwarts such as Justin Meram, Ola Kamara and Kekuta Manneh.

Minnesota will be visiting the lowcountry for the first time, but boast a few names that should be familiar to fans of the Black and Yellow. Adrian Heath is at the helm in Minnesota’s first season, having previously spent time with Orlando City SC in both USL and MLS, and brought attacking midfielder Kevin Molino with him from his time in Florida.

In addition to hosting the tournament, the Battery and their new Youth Academy will also host the Youth Carolina Challenge Cup, with more information here.

2018 season ticket packages will include tickets for all three matchdays of the CCC, with single day tickets going on sale on October 20th, with prices starting at $35.