The must-see Palmetto state soccer matches in early 2025
Don't miss these early season matches in South Carolina.
Isn’t every game a must-see soccer match? Now that we’ve cleared that up…what are the games you just can’t miss this spring in South Carolina? From USL to UPSL to US Open Cup, the spring is going to have some incredible soccer moments in the Palmetto State.
March
March 8: Greenville Triumph host Westchester SC in the 2025 USL League One season opener. This will be the debut of expansion side Westchester and Greenville will debut several exciting new players to a solid core group of returners. The trio of Rankenburg in the nets along with defensive anchors Fricke and Polack provide a very solid platform to build a championship-caliber side in the Upstate. Michael Gonzalez and Ropapa Mensah are the new additions up top looking to compliment Castro and fill in the scoring boots after the off-season departure of 2024 leading scorer MacKinnon. Kickoff is set for 4 PM at Paladin Stadium on the campus of Furman University.
March 8: Charleston Battery host Louisville City in their 2025 USL Championship season opener. Lou City finished first in the Eastern Conference standings in 2024 and this is a rematch of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals that the Battery claimed 2-1. You’ll see two of the best USL teams in the East on the opening weekend of the season. Dangerous forward MD Myers is back in Black and Gold after a superb 2024 campaign and will look to partner with new signing Douglas Martinez up top. The midfield additions of Johnny Klein and Houssou Landry to an already stacked lineup of Molloy, Ycaza, Rodriquez, and Allan make this a dominant force in the USL ranks. Kickoff at 7:30 PM.
March 12: Grenville Triumph host Union Omaha. The defending USL One champs pay a visit to the Upstate for a 7 PM mid-week kick. Omaha slipped past the Triumph 2-1 in the 2024 playoff semi-final and GVL will be looking to build an early lead at the top of the table over this formidable foe.
March 15: Charleston Battery host Rhode Island FC in a rematch of the 2024 Eastern Conference championship match that the visitors took 2-1 over the Battery. Rhode Island made some major noise as an expansion team in 2024 and the lethal scoring duo of Albert Dikwa and JJ Williams will provide a tough early season test for the Battery backline. Kickoff at 7:30 PM.
Mid-March: UPSL Mid-Atlantic regular season. Back-to-Back National Champions Soda City FC will kickoff their season dreaming of a three-peat in Columbia while cross-town rivals the SCU Heat will look to climb their way back to the top of the Mid-Atlantic table. Teams in Charleston, Spartanburg, and Greenwood also begin play in Division 1.
Photo: 2024 US Open Cup match featuring Atlanta United at the Charleston Battery
April
April 15 or 16 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Third Round. The Charleston Battery are guaranteed to enter the 2025 tournament with a home match at Patriots Point on April 15 or 16. The opponent will have survived the first two rounds of the tournament and there are some great regional opponents in the field that would provide an intriguing matchup.
May
Early May: USL League Two sides SC United Bantams and Charlotte Independence begin their seasons in Columbia and Rock Hill. The USL W League will also begin in May with the Greenville Liberty, Carolina Ascent, and SC United Bantams,
May 31: Greenville Triumph at Charleston Battery playing in USL Jägermeister Cup. The South Carolina derby in the new USL in-season Cup will make a stop at Patriots Point to close out the spring dates. Kickoff is set for 6 PM at the Point.
Here are some photos from previous Palmetto State matches to get you ready for 2025.
Photo: 2024 US Open Cup match featuring the Greenville Triumph at SC United Bantams.
Photo: 2024 NISA Independent Cup featuring the Savannah Clovers at SC United Heat
Photo: 2022 US Open Cup featuring Charlotte FC at the Greenville Triumph