On Saturday night, Charleston and Richmond will face off for the 60th time. Their rivalry covers 25 years of soccer: these are two of the oldest active clubs in U.S. Soccer History, with both clubs pre-dating Major League Soccer. It’s a huge match for both clubs and supporters. For most Battery fans, this is the one match you want to win.

Everything can be going wrong, but three points against Richmond can make it all feel okay.

Thankfully that’s not the case this year: Charleston is in first place with 24 points… Richmond is in 14th with ten.

I personally look forward to this match more than any other over the course of the season. The first Battery match I ever attended was against Richmond, and my first road trip was an eight-hour van ride to Richmond from Charleston. The Battery lost that one in double overtime on a header from Kickers legend Mathew Delicate, who to this day I still say was offside.

After the match, 20 Battery supporters and myself had to make the long trek back to Charleston. It was the longest drive of my life. However, it was what sparked my personal animosity towards just about everything Richmond.

Battery supporters in Richmond for the 2014 playoff game. Battery lost 2–1 in double overtime.

The only exception to that hatred is the River City Red Army, the Kickers’ official supporters group. They are always a blast to tailgate with and to be honest, I have the best time during matches with them. They are always up for some awesome game day banter. But it should go without saying those good feelings disappear once the whistle blows, and nothing was sweeter than watching the Battery send the Kickers back to Richmond during the 2015 USL Playoffs.

Season So Far

Battery: Charleston is coming off of a crazy 4–4 draw against Louisville City FC. They gave up three two-goal leads and definitely feel they should have finished the match taking all three points. However, the Battery has responded well after matches where the final result was not what they felt they deserved. Earlier in the season, Pittsburgh stole all three points with a late winner. The following match saw the Battery put away five goals against Rochester.

Battery supporters will hope that this trend continues, especially with Richmond sitting near the bottom of the USL Eastern Conference table. Super Romario Williams, who leads the team in goals (10) and sits in 2nd in the overall league statistics, will be looking to put in another impressive performance before heading off to play for the Reggae Boys in their June 13th friendly against Peru.

Richmond: Richmond’s season has been frustrating so far. They currently are sitting in 14th and are only three points off of the bottom of the entire USL Eastern Conference table. Their biggest issue has been scoring: that have only 8 goals in 12 matches and have a -5 goal differential. They have only scored multiple goals in a match twice and have been shutout seven matches.

The majority of their losses were 1–0 so they have been in every single match they have played, but they have simply struggled to find the back of the net. They were even eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup by Christos F.C., an amateur side from Baltimore, Maryland.

Moyer’s Match Prediction:

This is a no-brainer that the Battery should be picked by everyone to win this match. However, when you are playing your oldest rival, records and table position has be thrown out. These two clubs know each other better then any other clubs in the USL. The key to the match will be how long Richmond is able to stay in it. I believe the Battery will come out fast and put the pressure on the kickers early. If they are able to get an early goal, the final scoreline could be pretty ugly for Richmond, which would be totally fine for me.

Final Score: Battery WIN 3–1

Last two years of Meetings… we’re not going back 25 years… (Results are for Charleston)

2016 (USL)

2–1 (Win)

1–1 (Draw)

2–0 (Win)

2015 (USL)

2–1 (Win) USL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

2–0 (Win)

1–1 (Draw)

2–2 (Draw)

Hometown Heroes Night Honoring the Charleston 9

One thing that might seem a little off this Saturday night is the fact that Charleston will be the ones wearing red. The Battery will be wearing red to honor local heroes and also help us all remember the Charleston 9. You can bid on the game worn jerseys as well.

Final Thoughts

For all of those clubs out there saying they have the best rivalry or derby matches in all of U.S. Soccer, I say call me when both clubs have been around for 25 years and/or you are coming up on your 60th matchup.

This is, in my opinion, the best rivalry in U.S. Soccer. Most clubs would not even be around today if it wasn’t for the work both Charleston and Richmond have done over the last quarter century. So take two hours on Saturday night to take in one of the best, Battery vs. Kickers.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to check back after the games for our recaps, read all our Battery coverage here, and as always, follow @SoccerNSweetTea on Twitter for all the latest Carolina soccer news.