MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (Interstat) — The Charleston Battery opened their USL Championship season with a 2-1 comeback victory over Phoenix Rising FC on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at Patriots Point, defying pregame projections that heavily favored the visitors.

Interstat’s ELO system had given Phoenix Rising a 58 percent probability to win, with its game simulator predicting a 1-1 draw. Instead, the Battery secured a full three points to start their campaign, while Phoenix was left to rue missed opportunities in its opener.

The match began in chaotic fashion, with Phoenix Rising’s Armando González opening the scoring in the 35th minute. The goal came against the early run of play, as Charleston had controlled much of the opening half-hour. The physical tone was set early, with Phoenix’s Ali Ávila receiving the first of the match’s eight yellow cards in the 21st minute. Teammates Santiago Homenchenko and Renzo José Zambrano would also be booked, along with González himself in the 73rd minute.

Charleston responded forcefully after halftime. In the 60th minute, midfielder Andrew Booth leveled the score at 1-1 with a well-taken finish. The equalizer shifted momentum firmly toward the home side.

Fourteen minutes later, the Battery completed the turnaround. Substitute Michael Carcelén, who had entered the match in the 74th minute, provided the assist for fellow substitute Mateo Coronel, who scored the decisive goal in the 81st minute. The quick impact from Charleston’s bench proved critical.

Phoenix Rising pushed for a late equalizer and found a lifeline in the 74th minute. Substitute Gabriel Torres, a native of Salvador, Brazil, created the opportunity, delivering an assist for attacker Danny Trejo Del Rio, who slotted home to cut the deficit to 2-1. The goal was Trejo Del Rio’s lone highlight in a full 90-minute shift.

Despite nine minutes of stoppage time, Charleston’s defense held firm under pressure to seal the victory. The match concluded with a flurry of disciplinary actions, including a yellow card for Phoenix’s Manuel Alejandro Arteaga Rubianes in the 89th minute.

With the win, Charleston Battery begins its USL Championship season with a record of 1 win, 0 losses, its overall record across all competitions mirroring that mark. Phoenix Rising starts 0-1 in the league and overall, needing to regroup after a match where its statistical favoritism did not translate to the field. The result underscored the unpredictable nature of the league’s opening day, where preseason analytics met the uncompromising reality of live competition.