December’s Battery news

The 2019 Carolina Challenge Cup field has been set, and the USL has unveiled the schedule for the newly-rebreanded USL Championship ahead of the new year.

It’ll be the Columbus Crew as the third team coming to MUSC Health Stadium for the 2019 edition of the Carolina Challenge Cup, which kicks off February 16th. They join Chicago Fire, led by World Cup winner and Bayern Munich Legend Bastian Schweinsteiger, as well as old USL foes FC Cincinnati ahead of their first year in MLS.

The full schedule for the newly-rebranded USL Championship has been announced ahead of the 2019 season. The Battery start their season on March 9th against the Ottawa Fury, and will close against the Bethlehem Steel on October 19th. Kick offs will revert back to 7:35 for the new season, after the 7:05 kick offs of the last few seasons. Additionally, there will be three matches played on Sunday afternoon, two of which are Southern Derby matches. Six new teams will make the trip to Charleston this year, with Hartford Athletic, Loudon United FC, Birmingham Legion, and Memphis 901 arrive as expansion clubs for 2019, as well as Swope Park Rangers and St. Louis FC, who join the East after playing in the Western Conference in 2018. The new additions are all part of a balanced schedule, as the league now features 36 teams. You can view the full schedule here.