Following a 1-1 draw against the Chicago Fire in the opener of the Carolina Challenge Cup, Columbus Crew SC continues its three-match round-robin schedule against hosts, the Charleston Battery, on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. ET. Supporters not in attendance can stream the full match at www.CharlestonBattery.com.
Last season, the Battery finished fourth in the USL’s Eastern Conference, marking an 11th-straight postseason appearance before bowing out in the quarterfinals to New York Red Bulls II by a 1-0 score. Notably, New York Red Bulls II eventually advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals following a 1-0 win over MLS expansion team FC Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio.
In their Cup opener, the Battery fell 2-1 to Cincinnati following goals from Fanendo Adi and Darren Mattocks, with Adi’s coming just 66 seconds into the match.
As for the two-time defending champion of the annual preseason tournament, the Crew currently stand tied for second-place despite playing a man down for 60 minutes in the opening draw vs. the Fire. Last preseason, the Black & Gold topped Charleston 2-1.