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The Quick History Lesson
The Carolina Challenge Cup was established back in 2004. It was designed to bring MLS teams to Charleston for a week of training and competitive exhibition matches. It is a four team round robin tournament.
The Schedule Rundown
| Saturday, February 21st | Charleston Battery vs Houston Dynamo | 5 pm |
| Saturday, February 21st | New York City FC vs Orlando City SC | 7:30 pm |
| Wednesday, February 25th | Houston Dynamo vs New York City FC | 5 pm |
| Wednesday, February 25th | Charleston Battery vs Orlando City SC | 7:30 pm |
| Saturday, February 28th | Orlando City SC vs Houston Dynamo | 5 pm |
| Saturday, February 28th | Charleston Battery vs New York City FC | 7:30 pm |
The Competitors
| Team | 2014 Regular Season Record | Previous CCC Appearances(Championships) | Club Colors | Manager |
| Charleston Battery | 11-9-8 | 11 (0) | Yellow, Black Red | Mike Anhaeuser |
| New York City FC | Newly Formed Club | N/A | Navy Blue, Sky Blue, Orange | Jason Kreis |
| Orlando City SC | 19-4-5(In USL Pro, 2015 is 1st year in MLS) | N/A | Red, Purple, Gold, White | Adrian Heath |
| Houston Dynamo | 11-17-6 | 4 (2) | Orange, Black, White | Owen Coyle |
The Top Ten Players To Watch
David Villa (NYCFC) 2010 World Cup Silver Boot winning striker makes his transition from La Liga to the MLS.
Kaka (Orlando City SC) 2007 FIFA Player of the year and Ballon D'Or winner hailing from Brazil.
Giles Barnes (Houston) The leading scorer from last year's Houston club.
Chandler Hoffman (Houston) Acquired in the offseason and has been a bright spot in early friendlies.
Kwadwo Poku (NYCFC) Anyone who draws a comparision to a young Yaya Toure deserves to be highlighted!
Memo Rodriguez (Houston) A Homegrown talent, has shown a knack for smooth passing. Also of interest to Battery fans because of a good chance for loan
to Charleston.
Stefan Jerome (Charleston) Former US U-20 player recently added to the Battery roster
Bryan Rochez (Orlando City SC) Honduran national team forward, a hot commodity added by OCSC this offseason.
Austin Savage (Charleston) Has impressed in early training sessions for the Battery.
Brek Shea (Orlando City SC) USMNT member and former Stoke City forward.
The Place To Watch The Action
If you unfortunately weren't able to schedule a trip down to beautiful Charleston this weekend to watch the games live at Blackbaud Stadium, no worries, all the games will be broadcast in HD on the Charleston Battery YouTube Channel.
The Poll
Make sure to vote in the poll below to predict who you think will be the 2015 Carolina Challenge Cup Champion!
And of course check out next week's edition of my Charleston Charge where I'll update you on everything CCC related and more!