Charleston Battery News Release -- www.charlestonbattery.com
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Charleston, S.C. -- Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps FC have committed to play in the 2013 Carolina Challenge Cup to be held at Blackbaud Stadium, Charleston, S.C., February 16-23, 2013. Whitecaps FC will join Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire and USL PRO’s Charleston Battery for the round-robin tournament with one more MLS team still to be announced.
This will be the first entry into the Challenge Cup tournament for Vancouver, which just completed its second season in Major League Soccer. This is the 10th consecutive year that the Charleston Battery have hosted the Carolina Challenge Cup.
Whitecaps FC joined Major League Soccer in 2011 and in 2012 became the first Canadian MLS side to advance to post-season play.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC are led by head coach Martin Rennie who is no stranger to the Charleston Battery and Blackbaud Stadium having coached against the Battery during his time with the Carolina RailHawks. Whitecaps FC also played against the Battery while both were members of the United Soccer Leagues First Division from 1997 to 2009.
Vancouver’s roster features US national team defender Jay DeMerit and MLS Rookie of the Year candidate Darren Mattocks.
The Carolina Challenge Cup is the premier pre-season tournament in the US. Each year for the past decade the Battery has been joined by three teams from Major League Soccer for the round-robin competition. Beginning in 2011 the tournament also featured a youth element as the MLS teams brought their USSF Academy sides to Charleston for a parallel USSF Academy tournament.
Carolina Challenge Cup tickets will go on sale Monday, December 3 at 10 AM. For more information please call (843) 971-GOAL (4625) or visit www.charlestonbattery.com.
All-Time Participants (Champions bolded)
2004: Charleston Battery (USL), Columbus Crew (MLS), D.C. United (MLS), Wilmington Hammerheads (USL)
2005: Charleston Battery (USL), Columbus Crew (MLS), D.C. United (MLS), SJ Earthquakes (MLS)
2006: Charleston Battery (USL), NY Red Bulls (MLS), D.C. United (MLS), Houston Dynamo (MLS)
2007: Charleston Battery (USL), NY Red Bulls (MLS), Houston Dynamo (MLS), Toronto FC (MLS)
2008: Charleston Battery (USL), NY Red Bulls (MLS), SJ Earthquakes (MLS), Toronto FC (MLS)
2009: Charleston Battery (USL), D.C. United (MLS), Real Salt Lake (MLS), Toronto FC (MLS)
2010: Charleston Battery (USL), D.C. United (MLS), Real Salt Lake (MLS), Toronto FC (MLS)
2011: Charleston Battery (USL), Chicago Fire (MLS), D.C. United (MLS), Toronto FC (MLS)
2012: Charleston Battery (USL), Chicago Fire (MLS), D.C. United (MLS), Columbus Crew (MLS)
2013: Charleston Battery (USL), Chicago Fire, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (MLS), and one more MLS side to be announced.