Bring your defibrillator to Patriots Point, ladies and gents! Last Saturday, Charleston and Louisville both pulled off the kind of rally that usually ends with a coach saying he has aged a decade. Now one of them is playing for a trip to the USL Championship Final. Saturday’s Eastern Conference Final is effectively a semifinal for the league title. It’s single elimination, and the winner plays either New Mexico or Sacramento on Nov. 21.
Charleston’s Chaotic Clutch
Charleston were down 3-0 to Hartford Athletic after just over half an hour courtesy of Michee Ngalina, Barry Coffey and Sadat Anaku. Charleston had totally dominated, with 71% possession, 36 touches in Hartford’s box, and a whopping 212 passes completed with 83% accuracy. But despite ratcheting up the pressure in the second half, with fifteen minutes remaining that 3-0 scoreline held steady.
Then Langston Blacklock made an ankle-breaking shake-n-bake to flummox Emmanuel Samadia. He grabbed Blackstock right on the edge of the penalty box; the referee pointed straight to the spot. Emilo Ycaza converted. Three minutes later Colton Swan headed in another, and Battery fans began thinking “all is not lost.” Seven minutes into stoppage time, substitute Kirill Pakhomov slipped in behind the Hartford defender and met Nanan Houssou’s hopeful cross with a diving header that equalized the match. Patriots Point erupted; Hartford fans were gutted.
After a scoreless extra time, John Berner made a save and Jeremy Kelly converted to win the shootout 5-4. It was the biggest comeback in league playoff history. It also matched their first-round win over Rhode Island, which came through the same goalkeeper, the same penalty taker and the same 5-4 score.
“I think I’ve aged more in the last two matches than I have in the four seasons I’ve been here,” Battery coach Ben Pirmann said. Hartford supporters were less enthused.
Louisville City Says: “Hold My Beer”
Not to be outdone in the late drama category, Louisville City also produced a nail-biter against the upstart Miami FC. Normally one the USL’s laughstock teams, Miami FC snuck into the final playoff spot in the closing weeks. They were clearly assisted by the introduction of two hapless expansion franchises which gifted them 10 points on the season, but in any case, they went on to upset the Players Shield winners Tampa Bay Rowdies. And after forty-five minutes at Lynn Family Stadium it looked like lightning would strike twice: Louisville were down 2-0 to Miami FC at halftime.
But LouCity emerged from the dressing room (no doubt after getting a dressing down from interim manager Simon Bird) fired up. They flipped the script on the visitors, owning the tempo, the possession, and steadily wore Miami down. Chris Donovan broke the seal in the 79th minute, meeting Tola Showunmi’s cross with a perfectly timed run between the Miami defenders. Right at the 90th minute, Ray Serrano pounced on a loose ball at the top of the box and curled in the equalizer. Miami keeper Eloy Room didn’t even move, the strike was so pure. Louisville City would have three more fast breaks during stoppage time, and it was the third one that found the net, with Tola Showunmi punching the ball in from close range. Another clutch moment, even if it mitigated the need for a penalty shootout.
History and Rivalry
These are the two winningest teams in the league over the past four seasons, and they are familiar conference foes. Louisville leads the all-time series 12-5-7 and have won four of the last five meetings. This season each team won on the other’s field – no real advantage there. Charleston won 2-0 in Louisville on April 4, their first win there in club history, on goals from Laurent Kissiedou and Pakhomov. Louisville returned the favor 2-0 in Mount Pleasant on Oct. 10 with goals from Jansen Wilson and Mukwelle Akale.
The playoff history favors Charleston. Their last postseason meeting came at this same stage in 2023, and the Battery won 2-1.
Players to Watch
Battery’s Colton Swan has 14 goals across all competitions and is a finalist for Young Player of the Year. He’s also set to join Scottish club Hibernian in January, so every game now could be his last for the club. Center back Joey Akpunonu made the All-League First Team, is a Defender of the Year finalist and leads the team with 156 clearances. Ycaza, the captain, made the Second Team after scoring a career-high eight goals. Charleston are also clutchmasters. They’ve also scored 20 goals in the final 15 minutes of games this season, more than anyone else in the league.
On the Louisville side, look to the bench. Tola Showunmi has two playoff game-winners as a substitute and could become the first player with three in a single postseason (assuming they don’t start him). Serrano leads Louisville with nine goals. Midfielder Taylor Davila made the All-League Second Team (LouCity).
Given what happened last week, this isn’t a match any viewer can walk away from. Whether you’re sporting purple, yellow or a neutral color, another late finish full of drama wouldn’t be a surprise.
Match Details
- Competition: 2026 USL Championship Playoffs, Eastern Conference Final
- Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026
- Kickoff: 6:00 p.m. ET / 3:00 p.m. PT
- Venue: Patriots Point Soccer Stadium, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Watch: ESPN+
The Qooligan is an alias of Hooligan Soccer founder Q Williams. Q is a 20+ year veteran of numerous technology and media companies, including MTV, Gracenote, Watchwith and Crunchyroll. He has a master’s degree in European History from Columbia University. Q is also a respected Sports Journalist with extensive experience in Soccer, particularly the Premier League, Champions League, MLS and USL. The Qooligan provides analysis and valuable insights based on years of professional practice. Connect with The Qooligan on X and Bluesky. He is committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy content that reflects expertise, experience and no shortage of attitude.
