Match info:
CARY, N.C. (Friday, March 8) — North Carolina FC opens its return to the USL Championship with a rivalry showdown against 2023 Eastern Conference Champion Charleston Battery this Saturday, March 9, for a 7:00 p.m. ET kickoff at WakeMed Soccer Park.
The game is presented by Riccobene Associates Family Dentistry and tickets are still available for purchase here.
North Carolina FC capped of its time in USL League One with a trophy and will look to continue that momentum into the Championship with a healthy mix of returners and newcomers.
Big-time contributors like 2023 USL League One Player of the Year finalist and team leading scorer Oalex Anderson and fellow USL League One All-League First Team selections Rafa Mentzingen and Mikey Maldonado are joined by 14 newcomers including USL Championship All-League team regulars like Paco Craig and Rodrigo Da Costa.
Craig brings over 15,000 minutes of USL Championship experience to North Carolina and will anchor an experienced defensive corps, while Da Costa’s 76 career USL Championship goal contributions will add a lethal spark to an already dangerous attacking lineup.
Charleston was the first team the then-Carolina Railhawks beat at home in their inaugural 2007 season and while North Carolina has the all-time series lead at 7W-5L-3D, Charleston is undefeated in the series since 2009.
Scouting Charleston Battery
The Battery lost some key figures from its 2023 team that fell in penalties in the USL Championship final including Augustine Williams, Fidel Barajas, Derek Dodson and Trey Muse, but did well to reload in the offseason.
Irish midfielder Aaron Molloy has been named to the All-League First teams in each of the last two seasons, while being nominated for MVP in 2022, while MD Meyers tied for the most goals in MLS Next Pro in 2023 with 19.
With both rosters seeing heavy turnover in the offseason, Saturday’s clash could be a tone-setter for the top of the Eastern Conference.
Up Next
After hosting its neighbors to the south in the season opener, North Carolina FC will head north to take on Loudoun United for their first road match of the season. Loudoun ended the 2023 season second-to-last in the Eastern Conference with 25 points from 34 games.