The newest design is a black shirt accented with yellow elements including the club crest, player names, and Hummel chevrons. The simple design from a distance gives rise to a subtle map of the Charleston peninsula and surrounding Ashley and Cooper Rivers sublimated into the shirt.

The new kit is available for pre-orders right now on the club website and will be on sale at the team shop as the Battery take the pitch for the home opener on March 7 versus the Pittsburgh RiverHounds.

Triumph to play first few home games at Stone Stadium

The Greenville Triumph will open the 2026 season hosting their first three matches at Eugene Stone Stadium on the campus of Furman University. This will give the fans one last group of games at Furman ahead of the spring opening of the new stadium GE Vernova Park at BridgeWay Station in Mauldin. The season opener versus Chattanooga on March 14, a mid-week clash versus the USL1 expansion Cosmos on March 25, and a Sunday night match against Westchester on March 29 will be the three matches at Stone Stadium. All three matches kickoff at 7 PM.

UPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference alignment announced

The UPSL Premier Mid-Atlantic Conference has announced the Spring 2026 teams vying for one of the most competitive UPSL crowns in the nation. Perennial powers Soda City and the SC United Heat will have new South Carolina foes Electric City (Spring 2025 UPSL D1 Promotion Champs) and the South Carolina Surf (rebranding of former Charleston United franchise) battling it out for state bragging rights. Boiling Springs United will skip the Spring UPSL season leaving South Carolina with four franchises. Fall expansion team the Coastal Kings are back from Savannah, Georgia with several clubs from North Carolina (Asheville FC, Ballers FC, Mint Hill, Charlotte SA, Gastonia FC, Combine Academy, and Pre-College DA) rounding out the 12-team conference. The spring season will kickoff in early March.

Battery transfer Viggo Ortiz to Independence

The Charleston Battery preseason roster build continues as Viggo Ortiz has been permanently transferred to the USL1 Charlotte Independence. Ortiz played two seasons with the Battery organization beginning his journey in the USL Academy side before making his professional debut in the US Open Cup versus Tormenta in 2025. His first professional goal versus the Colorado Springs Switchbacks on October 13 put him in the Battery record books as the second-youngest goalscorer in club history at 17 years, 4 months old. The Battery will host MLS Next Pro side Crown Legacy this Saturday at 5 PM in their next preseason match.

Recent soccer news from the Palmetto State.

The opening matches of the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup are set for mid-March. The Greenville Triumph will travel to USL2 Asheville City in the first round on March 18 in a rematch of last year’s scoreless draw that saw the Triumph advance 4-3 in penalties. The Charleston Battery will host the Florida Badgers of the UPSL in their first-round match also on March 18. The Battery advanced into the knockout stages in the 2025 USOC and were eliminated in the Round of 32 at DC United. Both matches kickoff at 6:30 PM.

The Charleston Battery played their first preseason match against Charlotte FC last weekend in North Carolina falling 1-3 to the MLS side. The Battery continue to build their 2026 roster by signing former Battery man Laurent Kissiedou (2017) to a multi-year deal. After his debut with the Battery, Kissiedou has played for Memphis 901, Detroit City, and in the Czech First Division for FK Pardubice.

Greenville continues their 2026 roster construction signing the experienced Jamaican goalkeeper Amal Knight to a multi-year contract. Knight recently featured in the nets for the Charlotte Independence and previously played for Lexington SC. The reliable shot-stopper already sits in 7^th place in the all-time USL1 league history in saves and will bring his leadership and calming presence to the Triumph defense this season.

Soda City FC opened their preseason dates with a 2-2 draw versus Carolina Core last weekend. Jose Flores and Caree Collier found the nets for Soda in the match.

The South Carolina United Heat will hold Open Tryouts on February 3 at 7:30 PM. The tryouts are Free and players can register in person the day of the tryouts. Tryouts will be held at the Southeast Freight Lines soccer park located at 115 Sunbelt Blvd in Columbia.

The South Carolina Surf will be the UPSL team in the Charleston area this spring. The Surf are taking over the operations of the former Charleston United franchise keeping the USPL active in the Lowcountry. Tryouts will be held February 7 and 8 at the Shea Family Fields in Awendaw. Tryouts start at 5 PM both days.

USL Preseason Notes:

The USL Preseason dates are set for both the Battery and Triumph. Both teams will see a mix of NCAA, USL, MLS Next Pro, and MLS competition as they prepare for their 2026 campaigns.

The Charleston Battery will play both closed-door and open-to-the-public preseason matches as Coach Ben Pirmann looks to blend a strong batch of new signings into his USLC powerhouse squad. Despite several key players from 2025 moving elsewhere in the offseason, the Battery return a strong nucleus of talent that seems poised to stay at the top of the USLC table.

The Battery open the preseason on the road at Charlotte FC on January 23 before hosting four matches at the Point from January 31 to February 15. Two matches are closed-door versus Carolina Core (Jan. 31) and Greenville Triumph (Feb. 11) but fans can see the matches versus Crown Legacy (Feb. 07) and Tormenta (Feb. 15). The Battery then visit USLC expansion side Sporting Jax on February 21 before wrapping up the preseason dates in a match open to the fans versus The College of Charleston on February 27.

The Greenville Triumph will play all closed-door preseason matches as new boss Dave Dixon looks to build his squad ahead of their move into GE Vernova Park. NCAA D1 opponents Furman, Clemson, and Presbyterian are on the schedule along with matches against the Battery and Crown Legacy. The first preseason match is versus Tecce Football Collective on January 31.

UPSL Tryout Updates:

Electric City FC have postponed their tryouts scheduled for this coming weekend due to the wintery weather in the forecast. The new tryout dates are January 31 and February 1 with both dates at the Michelin Athletic Fields in Anderson from 2-4 PM.

There have been plenty of off-the-field moves around the Palmetto State since the beginning of 2026 and here are the headlines you might have missed.

Charleston Battery

New players, new coaches, and 2026 game day promotions highlight the recent news out of the Lowcounty. There has been a flurry of players joining the Battery over the past two weeks. MLS Veteran Miguel Berry, US U-19 Colton Swan, and 2025 USLC champ Sean Suber will all call the Point home for the 2026 season.

The Battery technical staff also added former Tormenta boss Ian Cameron, Rob Seaton from CoC, and Pete Calabrese from the Rowdies fitness staff to assist Head Coach Ben Pirmann this campaign.

All the match day theme nights were published earlier this week with Cinco de Mayo (5/2), Military Appreciation (5/30), Back to School (8/22), and fireworks (6/13) all highlighting game day promotions this season.

Greenville Triumph

In the Upstate, new Triumph boss Dave Dixon is busy building his staff and squad ahead of the club’s historic move into their new stadium GE Vernova Park. Joel Tyson joins the technical staff after helping NC State to their historic College Cup run in 2025. Former Triumph player and most recent member of Forward Madison, Devin Boyce returns to the club after playing around the USL for Forward, Omaha, and Memphis during his time away. The home opener for the Triumph is set for March 14.

UPSL Premier

It is tryout season for the UPSL teams ahead of the Spring 2026 season.

The defending Mid-Atlantic champs the SC United Heat are adding several positions including assistant coach, goalkeeper coach, strength and conditioning coach, and video analyst for the coming season. Contact the Heat at scuheat@gmail.com for information.

Soda City FC will hold tryouts on January 17 at 3 PM at Irmo High School. Check the Soda Socials for details on how to register.

Electric City will hold tryouts of both their UPSL D1 team and new UPSL Premier team on January 24 and 25 at the Michelin Athletic Fields in Anderson. Interested players can get the sign-up link from Electric’s Instagram.

UPSL Division 1

River City FC will take a break this spring from UPSL action but will still be fielding teams in SCASA Sunday League as well as playing NPSL, UPSL, and college friendlies. Details on how to be part of the River Family can be found on the River social media accounts.

As we turn the calendar from 2025 to 2026, here are some soccer stories from around the Palmetto State from the past year. There were champions, record-setting seasons, successful returns, deep runs in the USL Cup, and individual honors highlighting a great year of soccer for the fans in South Carolina. Here’s to 2026 providing the same level of fun and excitement…

Heat advances 2-1 over Arlington in UPSL Round of 16

The South Carolina United Heat won their UPSL Premier National Round of 32 match last weekend in North Carolina defeating Arlington SA 2-1. The Heat will play the weekend of January 3-4 versus Georgia Conference champs Kalonji Pro Profile in the National Round of 16.

River City falls in penalty kicks to Liberty Arsenal International

River City FC and Liberty Arsenal International SA played to a 2-2 tie after 120 minutes before Liberty Arsenal edged the hosts 4-2 in penalties to advance into the UPSL D1 Mid-Atlantic Final. Evan Williams scored a brace for River City providing the dramatic game-tying goal in second-half stoppage time and the then go-ahead goal just seconds into extra time only to see Liberty tie things up in the 101st minute. The Liberty Arsenal International keeper came up with two big saves in the penalty kick shootout and sets up a Liberty Arsenal final versus the No. 1 seed Tar Devils SC.

Electric City tryouts set as team adds UPSL Premier Team

Electric City will hold 2026 Spring tryouts on January 24, 2026. Electric City won the Spring 2025 UPSL Mid-Atlantic crown and will offer both UPSL Division 1 and UPSL Premier Division teams for the upcoming season. Great news to see another UPSL Premier team coming to South Carolina to join the Heat, Soda, Boiling Springs, and Charleston.

Heat claim the Mid-Atlantic crown and play Arlington in Round of 32

The South Carolina United Heat cruised to a 7-1 win over Charleston United in the UPSL Premier Mid-Atlantic final last weekend in Columbia. Heat forward John Ighede posted another first-half hat trick to propel the Heat back into the UPSL National tournament. Ighede also posted a first-half hat trick in the previous round versus the Coastal Kings. Up next is a Round of 32 trip to neutral site WRAL Soccer Park in Raleigh, NC where the Heat will face Arlington SA. Arlington enters the match as the champs (9W-0L-1T) from the Virginia North Conference and scored a blistering 54 goals allowing just 6 during the fall season. Kickoff is set for 4 PM on Saturday, December 20 in Raleigh.

USL schedules released for the Battery and Triumph

The USL schedules dropped this week and the Battery and Triumph have an exciting slate of games scheduled for 2026. The Battery will open the 2026 season at home hosting the 2025 champion Pittsburgh Riverhounds on March 7. The Triumph kickoff their 2026 campaign hosting the Chattanooga Red Wolves on Saturday, March 14.

USL Cup matches will be played from April to July as the Battery host the Hounds and Charlotte Independence this tournament. The Triumph host Loudoun and Richmond in their home Cup matches.

Must-see matches for the Battery will include home matches versus expansion side Sporting Jax on May 2, USLC Finalist FC Tulsa on June 13, western conference power Sacramento FC on July 18, and the Battery’s most recent nemesis Rhode Island FC on September 26.

Can’t-miss matches at the Triumph include the April 11 match versus the expansion New York Cosmos, the April 8 match at bitter rivals Tormenta, the August 15 match versus theUSL1 champs One Knox, and the September 30 home match against those birds from Tormenta.

Triumph names Dave Dixon as new Head Coach

The Greenville Triumph have their new boss. Former Charlotte Independence assistant Dave Dixon was named the Triumph’s head coach this week. In addition to coaching with the Independence, Dixon has served as a coach with the Indy Eleven, Mississippi Brilla, and Charlotte Eagles. Dixon brings a wealth of USL knowledge to the Upstate including his USL2 Coach of the Year honors in 2015 and his USL2 National Championship in 2017 both with the Charlotte Eagles.

River City set to host UPSL playoff match

River City’s successful return to the UPSL continues as they will host a UPSL Division 1 playoff match this Sunday afternoon at Irmo High School. Kickoff is set for 3 PM. River posted a 5W-4L-1T record this season and ended up in a wild four-way tie (16 points) for second place in the conference. The tiebreakers all fall in favor of River City and they get to host this playoff match due to all these factors checking in as the No. 2 seed.

UPSL Playoffs this weekend

The UPSL Premier Mid-Atlantic final is this Saturday in Columbia. The South Carolina United Heat will host Charleston United at 6 PM on Saturday, December 13 at the Southeast Freight Lines Complex. The Heat crushed the Coastal Kings 6-0 in their semifinal last weekend while Charleston defeated regular-season champs Soda City 2-1 to punch their ticket to the final. The Heat defeated Charleston twice during the regular season with a 4-0 win in Summerville and a 2-0 win in Columbia.

Battery add winger from El Paso Locomotive

The Charleston Battery signed winger Wilmer Cabrera Jr. to a multi-year deal in preparation for the 2026 season. The Columbian recently played for El Paso Locomotive FC and featured 41 times for Locomotive scoring 13 goals. “Wilmer is a lethal attacking player who can play a variety of positions, whether wide or central, and is always looking to impact the final play,” said Battery Head Coach Ben Pirmann. “He has a knack for finding space around the opponent’s goal, can take players on in one-on-one situations and can combine with teammates around him in the build-up.”

Battery extend the contract of Head Coach Ben Pirmann

The Charleston Battery have extended the contract of Head Coach Ben Pirmann with a new multi-year deal. Pirmann has collected a record of 64W-26L-27D in 117 matches across all competitions at the helm the Battery and will be in the Lowcountry for the next several years.

UPSL Mid-Atlantic Semifinals on tap this weekend

The fall 2025 UPSL Premier Mid-Atlantic semifinals are this weekend in Columbia. Soda City will host Charleston United while just across town, the South Carolina United Heat will host the Coastal Kings. Soda defeated Charleston 5-0 in Irmo in late September while the Kings defeated the Heat 4-3 in Columbia in early November. It’s a spot in the final on the line in Columbia this weekend and both of these matches should be exciting UPSL playoff matches for the fans in the Midlands.

Soda City FC announces 2026 tryouts for their WPSL and UPSL women’s teams.

Tryouts are scheduled for Monday, December 15 at 6 PM in Lexington. Complete details as well as registration information can be found on the Soda City WSOC Instagram page (@scfcwsoc).

Battery re-sign 2024 USLC Defender of the Year Graham Smith

The Charleston Battery have re-signed 2024 USL Championship Defender of the Year Graham Smith to a multi-year contract extending his stay in the Lowcountry at the Point. The rugged center back has made 62 appearances for the Battery over the past two seasons in all competitions and will anchor the defensive line in 2026.

River City wraps up the regular season with 0-2 loss at Mint Hill

River City dropped a 0-2 decision on the road Wednesday night in the Charlotte suburbs and have concluded their regular season campaign. River currently sits in second place with a 5W-4L-1T mark on 16 points in the table. Other teams like Liberty Arsenal and Combine Academy II are around River in the table and their results in the final matches of the season will determine the playoff field.

UPSL Premier Playoffs

The UPSL Premier Mid-Atlantic semi-finals are set as every team from the South Conference advanced last weekend versus their northern neighbors. Soda City will host Charleston after Soda defeated AC Raleigh 4-1 and Charleston defeated NCFC 2-1. The South Carolina United Heat will host the Coastal Kings after the Heat defeated Combine Academy 2-1 and the Kings defeated Pro-Management 3-1. Both matches will be played the weekend of December 6 and 7.

Charleston Battery end-of-season roster decisions

The Charleston Battery announced their roster decisions as the club enters the USL Championship offseason. The Battery despite the early playoff exit to Rhode Island, posted historic results for wins in 2025 and will look to this core of returning players to prepare the club for another run in 2026.

Players already under contract for 2026 include: Chris Allan, Langston Blackstock, Jeremy Kelly, Daniel Kuzemka, Houssou Landry, Wesley Leggett, Douglas Martínez, Viggo Ortiz, Juan David Torres, and Emilio Ycaza. 2026 contract options were also extended to Joey Akpunonu, Aaron Molloy, and Luis Zamudio by the club.

The following players will enter free agency and are certain to be in high demand next season: Leland Archer, Cal Jennings, MD Myers, Arturo Rodríguez, Rubio Rubín, Mark Segbers, and Graham Smith. It will be interesting to see how many from this list the Battery can retain for 2026.

Greenville Triumph end-of-season roster decisions

The Triumph continue their transformation this week as the first wave of roster decisions for the 2026 season were announced. The Triumph will have a new head coach after the retirement of Rick Wright and a new stadium with the construction of the GE Vernova Park at BridgeWay Station.

Three players were already under contract for 2026 including: Brandon Fricke, Tyler Polak, and Chapa Herrera. 2026 contract options were also extended to: Seth Torman, Anthony Patti, DJ Benton, Ivan Agyaakwah, Zane Bubb, Toby Sims, Evan Lee, Connor Evans, and Leo Castro. Negotiations with other players out of contract are also ongoing.

River City’s playoff push continues with 5-0 win over Boiling Springs II

River City FC currently sits in second place in the USPL Division 1 Mid-Atlantic table after their recent 5-0 win over Boiling Springs United II. Boiling remains in the basement of the table with the loss. River has one regular season match remaining at Mint Hill II on December 6. Any points from this final match will lock River into one of the top four playoff spots in this very successful return to the UPSL for River City FC.

It’s playoff time in the UPSL Premier Division and three of the four South Carolina based clubs are in the postseason dance that begins this weekend.

In the USL, Battery forward Cal Jennings has been named a finalist for USL Championship Player of the Year. Jennings has already picked up USLC All-League First Team honors after finishing second in the USLC Golden Boot race with 17 goals and 6 assists. The Jedi was joined by his teammates Aaron Molloy and Juan David Torres on the first team with MD Myers added to the second team.

Kings defeat Charleston to leap-frog Mint Hill to claim third place

The Coastal Kings picked up a huge 3-2 win over Charleston United in the regular season finale to jump over Mint Hill and grab the final South Conference playoff spot. The playoffs begin this weekend with Charleston playing at NCFC on Saturday at 5 PM. The Kings will play at Pro-Development Management Saturday in the Charlotte suburbs.

UPSL Premier playoffs set; Soda wins another regular season title

Soda City completed an undefeated season with their 3-1 win over Boiling Springs in the Upstate last Sunday night. Soda will host AC Raleigh in the first round of the Mid-Atlantic playoffs on Saturday at 5 PM. Soda scored 40 goals allowing just 5 goals en route to their latest regular season title.

The South Carolina United Heat finished second place in the conference with 24 points and will host a stingy Combine Academy at 5 PM on Saturday. The Heat scored 27 goals while Combine allowed just 9 goals during the season to set up this intriguing first round match up.

River City to host Boiling Springs II in UPSL First Division match

River will look to stay near the top of the table with a Saturday afternoon meeting with last-place Boiling Springs II in Irmo. River is currently in a three-way tie for second place and a win over struggling Boiling will help keep River setting records for wins in this return-to-UPSL-soccer season.

UPSL Soccer Updates:

The UPSL Mid-Atlantic Conference regular season has entered its final week and the playoffs are beginning to take shape for the South Carolina clubs.

Soda City FC is locked into the top seed and finishes their regular season dates at Boiling Springs in the Upstate this weekend. The SC United Heat are finished with their regular season dates and are the second seed entering the playoffs.

Charleston United has a huge game at the Coastal Kings this weekend in a match that will determine the third-place seed for the playoffs. The winner of this match should claim the third seed and Charleston will look to defeat the Kings again after winning their first meeting 2-0 in Summerville last month.

Boiling Springs United are in sixth place in the table and look to be in the postseason conversation no matter the result of this weekend’s match versus Soda.

In Division 1 play, River City is in a three-way tie for second place in the conference with Boiling Springs II totally adrift sitting rock-bottom in the basement of the table. River will host Boiling II on November 22 in Irmo.

Palmetto State Soccer Headlines:

Soda City blasts struggling Asheville FC 11-0 in Irmo

SC United Heat comeback falls just short in 3-4 loss to Coastal Kings

Asheville posts first win of season in 4-3 result versus Boiling Springs

Tar Devils just too much for struggling Boiling II in 3-0 win

Rush United slips past visiting River City 2-1

Battery’s Rubio Rubin called into World Cup Qualifier for Guatemala

Head Coach Rick Wright retires from Greenville Triumph

Heartbreak for the Battery in USL Playoffs exit via penalty kicks

It was a heartbreaking result for the Charleston Battery as they fell in penalty kicks to Rhode Island FC in the USL Championship eastern conference playoffs. The match ended 0-0 and it was the visitors advancing in penalties 5-3 last Sunday afternoon at Patriots Point. The Battery set numerous records in 2025 and despite the early playoff exit look to be one of the stronger franchises moving forward into the new USL era soccer coming over the next few seasons.

Soda City downs Pre-College DA 3-0 to stay perfect on the season

It was goals from Alberto Smith, Hykeem Martin, and Jose Flores that took Soda City to a 3-0 win over Pre-College DA in Pineville, NC last Sunday evening. The win keeps Soda perfect on the season with a 8W-0L-0T record at the top of the UPSL Premier Mid-Atlantic table. Soda hosts winless Asheville FC on Saturday night at 6 PM in Irmo.

Heat slip past Boiling Spring 3-2; Heat keep pace with Soda in 4-0 mid-week win at Charleston

The South Carolina United Heat remain in second place in the conference standings with their 3-2 win over in-state rivals Boiling Springs United last Sunday afternoon in Columbia. Then on Wednesday night, the Heat traveled to Summerville to face Charleston United in a top-three, mid-week clash. The match finished 4-0 to the Heat who now have just one match left in the regular season as they host the Coastal Kings on Sunday at 5 PM.

Charleston United defeated Mint Hill 3-0 in Pineville; Fall to Heat during mid-week

Charleston United traveled to the Charlotte suburbs last Saturday and defeated Mint Hill FC 3-0 to keep pace with the conference leaders Soda and the Heat as the team looks to be locked into a top-three finish in the conference standings. A brace from Kevin Simpson and another goal from Steven Rocca gave the visitors all three points. Wednesday’s loss to the Heat keep the Charleston side in a comfortable third place as the team has the weekend off ahead of their season finale on November 15.

River City picks up huge 2-0 win over ILM FC

Auston Duncan and Jacob Gardner scored the River goals as they collected a huge win over ILM FC last Saturday night in Irmo as River moved up to third in the UPSL Division 1 Mid-Atlantic table with a 4W-2L-1T record on the season. River is on the road this coming weekend in Virginia at Rush United on Sunday for a noon kickoff.

Boiling Springs United II falls 0-1 on the road at Liberty Arsenal

Boiling Springs United II slipped 0-1 on the road in Fayetteville this past weekend dropping the club into 7^th place in the conference standings. The matches don’t get any easier in the next few match days as the first-place Tar Devils SC and third-place River City FC are the next two opponents.

Columbia Derby goes to Soda City

It was a Troy Paul goal that provided the separation on Saturday night in Irmo as Soda City FC defeated cross-town rivals in the South Carolina United Heat to stay atop the UPSL Premier Mid-Atlantic table. The win keeps Soda a perfect 7W-0L-0T on the season in first place on 21 points. The Heat now sits as 6W-1L-0T on 18 points with a five point cushion over third-place Charleston. Based on the regular season results, Soda and the Heat should meet again in the playoffs with a conference title on the line.

Boiling Springs thumps struggling Asheville 4-0 to climb higher in the UPSL table

Jaxon Keene netted a hat trick with Sabiano Sandor adding another goal as Boiling Springs muscled past winless Asheville FC Sunday afternoon in the Upstate. The win carries Boiling into the top four in the table as all the South Carolina members of the conference now occupy the top four slots.

Battery defeat Legion to close out regular season; Focus now turns to USL playoffs

The 2-1 home win for the Battery over the Legion was a club-record 19^th win for the club in the USL Championship era. Houssou Landry and Cal Jennings scored for the Battery with the Jenning’s goal giving him 17 goals for the 2025 campaign. Jennings was just one goal away from the Golden Boot crown as Oakland’s Peter Wilson took the title with a goal versus Lexington late Saturday night to claim the award. Charleston now enters the USLC playoffs as the second-overall seed (Lou City at No.1) and will look to begin a march to the league title Sunday afternoon versus Rhode Island.

River City gets back in the win column with 3-1 win at Boiling Springs II

Oscar Lenos scored a brace with Kevin Gomez Bernal adding another goal as River City picked up their third win of the season Sunday night at the CFC Soccer Complex. The win moves River into third place in the UPSL Mid-Atlantic Division 1 standings on 10 points as Boiling II stays near the bottom of the table with just one win on the season.

Charleston United wins coastal duel over the Kings

Charleston picked up a 2-0 win last Saturday over the visiting Coastal Kings in Summerville. Kevin Simpson and Carlos Menezes scored the Lowcountry goals for the hosts to defeat the Coastal Empire visitors in this first LowCo-Empire derby.

Two-time UPSL National Champion moves from Soda City to Greek 2nd Division

Rauf Salifu has made the jump from Soda City FC to Greek second-division club P.A.E. Chania in recent transfer news. The 23-year old Ghanaian forward was a key part of Soda’s back-to-back UPSL National titles in 2024 after stops at Sporting KC II and Accra Lions FC.

Triumph fall at One Knox and enters the offseason after missing USL One playoffs

It was a 0-1 loss on the road in Knoxville as the 2025 season concluded for the Triumph. The team had been eliminated from the 2025 postseason with an earlier loss and the club now enters the offseason looking ahead to a new stadium set to open at BridgeWay Station in Mauldin in 2026.

Battery announces 2025 Club Awards

The annual Charleston Battery Club awards were announced earlier this week.

MD Myers was awarded the Lou Salvatore, Sr. Player’s Award as voted by his teammates.

Joey Gorman was awarded the Betsy McAdams Award for his service and community engagement as voted by Club Management.

Aaron Molloy was awarded the Tim Hankinson Most Outstanding Player Award by the fans.

Upcoming Matches for Palmetto State teams:

Nov. 1 ILM FC at River City, 5 PM, Irmo HS Stadium in Irmo , SC

Nov. 2 Rhode Island FC at Charleston Battery, 2PM, Patriots Point Stadium in Mt Pleasant, SC

Nov. 2 Boling Springs II at Liberty Arsenal International, 5 PM, Spivey Rec Center in Fayetteville, NC

Nov. 2 Boiling Springs United FC at SCU Heat, 5 PM, Southeastern Freight Lines Soccer Complex in Columbia, SC

Nov. 2 Soda City FC at Pre-College DA, 5 PM, OrthoCarolina Sportsplex in Pineville, NC

Nov 2. Charleston United at Mint Hill, 6 PM, OrthoCarolina Sportsplex in Pineville, NC

Soccer Headlines from South Carolina:

Battery and Detroit City end knotted at 1-1; Heavily rotated Battery slip at 0-1 at Sacramento

Triumph eliminated from playoff chase with 4-1 loss to Tormenta

Soda City crushes Asheville 5-0

SCU Heat power past Pre-College DA 4-0

Boiling Springs doubled up by Mint Hill in 4-2 loss

River City stumble to 0-4 loss to Combine Academy II

Boiling Springs II postponed match versus Rush United

The Soccer Details:

In the USL Championship it was the Battery continuing their push to the playoffs while in USL League One it was the Triumph falling short of the playoff line in 2025.

Charleston earned a 1-1 draw versus Detroit as MD Myers scored the lone Battery goal last Saturday night at the Point. The team then traveled to Sacramento in their final road match of the regular season and the heavily rotated squad was unable to equalize late dropping the mid-week road match 0-1.

Greenville was eliminated from the 2025 USL League One playoff field dropping their match versus Tormenta 1-4 last Saturday night at Furman.

Meanwhile, in the UPSL…

The UPSL Mid-Atlantic Premier Conference saw Soda City and the SC United Heat climb to the top of the table (both on 18 points) with their Columbia Derby looming at Irmo High School this coming Saturday night. The winner of this match will take a commanding lead at the top of the table and have home-field advantage for the always wild Mid-Atlantic playoffs.

Charleston United has really improved their standings just behind the frontrunners in Columbia as Boiling Springs is sitting mid-table just on the edge of breaking into the top half of the table. Every match matters right now for playoff seeding and expect the final few matches of the regular season to have a little extra energy as all the teams battle for position ahead of the postseason dance.

The UPSL Mid-Atlantic Division 1 Conference saw River City drop back-to-back matches the last two weekends as the schedule has dialed up the competition during this mid-season stretch. Boiling Springs sit deep in the table and postponed their match last weekend due to weather concerns as they look to string together some results. River plays at Boiling this coming Sunday.

Battery blast Switchbacks 5-0 in match postponed until Monday

Saturday night in the Lowcountry found the pitch at the Point unplayable in the second half of the USL Championship match versus the Colorado Springs Switchbacks due to the heavy rains of a nor’easter. Leland Archer scored a goal Saturday in the rain, but the match would be abandoned and replayed in full Monday afternoon. The Battery made no mistake in the Monday afternoon match as they blitzed out to a 3-0 halftime lead and never looked back in the 5-0 result. Molloy, Myers, Ycaza, Dossantos, and Ortiz all scored for the Battery. The Battery will host Detroit City this Saturday at 6 PM.

Triumph play to 0-0 deadlock with Omaha

The Saturday USL League One afternoon match in the Upstate ended in a 0-0 deadlock as Greenville continues to chase a playoff spot with just a handful of matches remaining this season. Gunther Rankenburg made two huge saves in the Triumph nets during the second half to preserve the shutout. Greenville hosts bitter rivals Tormenta on Saturday in a very important match for both teams looking to grab a playoff spot.

Heat slips out of 2026 USOC qualifiers with 2-3 loss at Mint Hill

The South Carolina United Heat slip out of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup 2026 qualifiers with a 2-3 loss on the road at Mint Hill last Saturday afternoon. This is the second-straight year that Mint Hill has knocked the Heat out of the USOC qualifiers following their 1-0 win last October in Columbia. The Heat host Pre- College DA this Sunday.

Soda City wins 3-0 over Mint Hill

Soda City FC used two goal-mouth scrambles and a long-range blast late in the match to win 3-0 over visiting Mint Hill Sunday night in Irmo. Mint had heavily rotated the squad from the US Open Cup match the day before and Soda pressed the Mint defense all match long to create the scoring moments. Jose M Flores, Moses Akinade, and Carlos J Cepedaoda had the goals for Soda who now travels to Asheville this Saturday for their next match.

River City falls 0-3 on the road at Tar Devils FC

It was a battle of undefeated teams on Sunday afternoon in Chapel Hill and River City suffered their first defeat of the Fall 2025 UPSL campaign with the 0-3 loss to the Tar Devils. River hosts Combine Academy II on Sunday at 4 PM in Irmo.

Charleston United win 3-0 on the road at Charlotte SA

Charleston grabbed all three points on the road in Pineville as they ran out a 3-0 win over Charlotte SA Sunday afternoon. Steven Rocca scored a brace while Eduardo Sanchez added in the third goal. The win lifts Charleston into third place in the UPSL Mid-Atlantic South table just behind fellow Palmetto State clubs Soda City and SCU Heat. Charleston has the upcoming weekend off.

Boiling Springs downs the Coastal Kings 3-1

It was a big 3-1 home win for Boiling Springs United as they moved up into the top half of the UPSL Mid-Atlantic South table landing in 5^th place. Sabiano Sandor, Jaxon Keene, and Julio Mora all scored for the hosts. Boiling travels to Mint Hill this Saturday for a 6 PM kickoff.

It was another huge week of soccer around the Palmetto State and the wins just keep pouring in for the local soccer fans. Here are the headlines and stories the kids are talking about…

River City FC continue their undefeated return to UPSL Division 1 action

It was a Jacob Gardner penalty kick and some timely Robert Morales goalkeeper saves that pushed River City FC to a 1-0 win over the visiting Liberty Arsenal International SC last Saturday in Irmo. The win keeps River City FC undefeated at 2W-0L-1T in their return to the UPSL after playing friendlies and SCASA matches the past few seasons. A top-of-the-table clash with the Tar Devils SC in Chapel Hill, NC will provide the next challenge on Saturday, October 11.

Triumph earn hard-fought scoreless draw at Red Wolves

The Greenville Triumph kept their playoff push alive with a scoreless draw on the road in Chattanooga last Saturday night. Gunther Rankenburg went all 90 minutes in the goal for the Triumph to earn the shutout. Greenville is still outside the playoff line sitting in 11^th place in the USL League One table on 31 points just 3 points out of 8^th place and the final 2025 playoff spot. Three games remain in the regular season; home to Omaha on October 11, Home to Tormenta on October 18, and Away to Knoxville on October 25.

Battery enjoy weekend off to prepare for final four regular season matches

There are just four matches left for the Charleston Battery in the 2025 regular season and playoff tickets for the home match at he Point on November 2 are already on sale. Charleston hosts the Switchbacks on October 11 in their next match as they tune-up for the playoffs. Charleston looks to be locked into second-place in the USL Championship eastern Conference with Lou City 11 points clear in 1^st place and NCFC 13 points lagging in 3^rd place.

SCU Heat claim 6-1 win at Asheville FC

The South Carolina United Heat made the trip up I-26 to Asheville and brought home all 3 points in a convincing 6-1 win over winless Asheville FC. The Heat hold the best defensive record in the UPSL Premier Mid-Atlantic Conference having allowed just 3 goals in 5 matches played and sit alone at the top of the table on 15 points from the 5 wins. The Heat will enter the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup 2026 qualification process this coming weekend with a trip to face fellow UPSL foe Mint Hill Saturday afternoon in the Charlotte Suburbs. The Heat then return to UPSL action hosting Pre-DA Academy on Sunday, October 19 at 5 PM.

Soda City FC defeat Coastal Kings 3-1 in Savannah

It was a Jose Flores hat trick in Savannah as Soda City FC stayed undefeated running their UPSL record to 4W-0L-0T and 12 points in 2^nd place in the Mid-Atlantic South table. Soda City has scored the most goals in the conference this year (14 goals) and is tied with the Heat at a +10 goal differential with their October 25 meeting with the Heat looming in a couple of weeks in Irmo. Before the clash with the Heat, Soda hosts Mint Hill on Sunday, October 12 at Irmo HS with a 6 PM kickoff.

Charleston United and Boiling Springs end up knotted 1-1

Two of the four UPSL Premier Palmetto State teams played to a 1-1 draw in Summerville last Saturday afternoon. Kemar Edwards scored for the hosts while Jaxon E Keene scored for the visitors as both teams continue to hover around the middle of the table in the UPSL Premier Mid-Atlantic South Conference. Fourth-place Charleston travels to play Charlotte SA this coming weekend while sixth-place Boiling Springs hosts the Coastal Kings.

Boiling Springs II falls 1-5 on the road in Wilmington

It was rough trip to the coast for Boiling Springs II as they fell 1-5 to ILM FC in Wilmington. Boiling now sits in 6^th place in the UPSL Division 1 Mid-Atlantic Conference with a 1W-2L-0T record. Boiling will host Rush United on Sunday, October 12 at 6 PM in their next match.

The USL playoffs are just ahead and both South Carolina USL teams enter the final stretch of matches with postseason dreams on their mind. The Charleston Battery already has playoff tickets on sale for their USLC Eastern Conference Quarterfinal as they continue to pick up results and keep pressure on Lou City at the top of the table. The Greenville Triumph are currently four points outside of the playoff line but have been in good form rattling off two straight wins to close the gap and make the last few regular season games de facto “play-in” games to get into the USL1 postseason dance.

The UPSL has seen Soda City and the SCU Heat climb top the top of the Premier Mid-Atlantic South Table with Charleston and Boiling Springs checking in mid-table just off the pace of Soda and the Heat. In the UPSL Division 1 ranks it’s River City staying undefeated in 2^nd place on their return to the UPSL while Boling Springs II sit in 6^th place in the bottom third of the table after two match days.

The lone South Carolina based club in the upcoming Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifiers will be the SC United Heat who will travel to face Mint Hill on Saturday, October 11 at 3 PM. This is the third consecutive year these two have met in USOC qualifiers and the road team has advanced each meeting. The Heat ran out a 6-1 win in North Carolina in 2023 while Mint Hill edged the Heat 1-0 in Columbia in 2024.

Recent Headlines:

Battery earn 2-2 draw at Orange County; MD Myers named to USLC Team of the Week

Triumph with massive 1-0 win over Velocity

Soda City muscle past Charleston 5-0 in massive second-half goal avalanche

Heat grab late winner in 2-1 victory over Mint Hill

Boiling Springs enjoys the weekend off and looks ahead to road match at Charleston.

River City stays undefeated in UPSL return with late equalizer versus Mint Hill II

Boiling Springs II falls to Combine Academy II in home opener

Upcoming Matches:

Saturday, October 4

USLC: Charleston Battery on a Bye

USL1: Greenville Triumph at Red Wolves 7 PM

UPSL Premier: Boiling Springs at Charleston United 3 PM, Pinewood Prep in Summerville

UPSL Premier: SCU Heat at Asheville FC 5 PM

UPSL Premier: Soda City at Coastal Kings 7 PM

UPSL Division 1: Liberty Arsenal International SA at River City 5 PM, Hawkins Stadium-Irmo HS in Irmo

Sunday, October 5

UPSL Division 1: Boiling Springs II at ILM Football Club 4 PM

It was a convincing weekend of winning soccer around the Palmetto State as every team won their match on September 20 and 21. If only those NCAA Football teams could figure things out…

The Palmetto State went a perfect 8-0-0 in all games outscoring the opponents 25 to 7 with three shutouts. Five wins were against North Carolina opponents with the other three wins over teams from Georgia, Texas, and Wisconsin…it was a dominate performance from USPL to USL spanning four leagues.

Triumph blast Forward 3-0

The Triumph enjoyed a 3-0 victory over visiting Forward Madison last Saturday night in the Upstate fueled by a Ropapa Mensah hat trick. The win over Forward ended a five-match slump for the Triumph finally putting them back in to the win column in USL League One play. The time is “now” for the 10^th place Triumph to make a push to break into the top eight and secure a USL1 playoff spot.

Battery derail Locos 2-0 in Texas

It was Cal Jennings and MD Myers providing the goals and the win in El Paso over Locomotive. Luis Zamudio recorded the shutout in the goal and the Battery just keep on winning as they press on to the playoffs. Jennings now has 16 goals this season and extends his lead at the top of the Golden Boot race to three goals. The Battery just put playoff tickets on sale and host their first playoff match on November 2 with a 2 PM kickoff.

River City make victorious return to UPSL action in 3-2 win

Goals from Arlinson Cartaena, Sergio Reyes, and Jaylen King marked the successful return of River City to the UPSL on the road at Combine Academy II. River hosts their home opener this Saturday night at 7:30 PM at Irmo HS versus Mint Hill II.

Soda win 2-1 over Charlotte SA

Soda City went on the road to Charlotte and brought home a 2-1 win last weekend in UPSL action. Troy Paul and Hykeem Martin scored the Soda goals to move the club to 2-0-0 on the season. Soda now sits in a three-way tie in 2^nd place in the conference and hosts one of these sides, Charleston United at 6 PM on Saturday night at Irmo HS.

Boiling Springs win home match over Charlotte SA 3-0

It was a brace from Youkendjy Pacius and a goal from Jaxon Keene to lift Boiling Springs to a 3-0 win over Charlotte Saturday in the Upstate. Boiling sits in 6^th place after three matches with a 1W-1L-1T record and will have the weekend off before traveling to Charleston on October 4 for their next match.

Boiling Springs II outgun Mint Hill II 4-2

It was a quartet of goal scorers in the 4-2 win at Charlotte to open the season. Ferdinand Osase, Joseph Mbuyi, Coleman Barney, and Zandy Elliott Jr. all found the nets for Boiling II on the road. Sunday at 6 PM Boiling II host Combine Academy II in their home opener.

Heat climb to top of table with 2-1 win over Coastal Kings

The South Carolina United Heat stay perfect on the young season moving to 3-0-0 and the top of the UPSL Premier Mid-Atlantic South table with their 2-1 win in Savannah over the Coastal Kings. The Heat will host Mint Hill on Sunday, September 28 with a 6 PM kickoff. The Heat will also face Mint Hill in a couple of weeks on October 11 in the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup second round qualifiers. The USOC match on the 11^th will be at Mint Hill Veterans Memorial Park in the Charlotte suburbs kicking off at 3 PM.

Charleston United crush Pre-College DA 6-1

Steven Rocca netted a hat trick, Eduardo Sanchez added a brace, and Hunter Danna added another goal for Charleston United as they cruised to a comfortable 6-1 win over the visiting Pre-College DA in Summerville. Charleston sits in second place tied with Coastal Kings and the team they will face on the road in Irmo Saturday night, Soda City FC.

First images of new BridgeWay Station shared by the Triumph

2026 can’t get here soon enough based on the new images shared by the Triumph this week of the BridgeWay Station project in Mauldin. This newly-modified 6,300 seat stadium will open next year and provide the Triumph and Liberty with an impressive home field advantage. See you at the first game!