The Carolina Challenge Cup is a four-team round robin pre-season competition hosted by the Charleston Battery. It was started in 2004 and features teams from Major League Soccer and the United Soccer Leagues. The Columbus Crew edged out D.C. United on goal differential to win the 2004 competition, while the San Jose Earthquakes won the 2005 competition. San Jose's second iteration (although a separate team), the Houston Dynamo, won the 2006 version. In the short history of this tournament, the champion has gone on to win one of the two year-end MLS trophies, the MLS Supporters' Shield or MLS Cup. The Charleston Battery is a U.S. professional mens soccer team based in Charleston, South Carolina. ... Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada. ... The United Soccer Leagues (USL) is directly affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA). ... Year founded 1994 League Major League Soccer Nickname Crew Stadium Columbus Crew Stadium Coach Sigi Schmid, 2006 Owner Lamar Hunt First Game Columbus Crew 4–0 D.C. United (Ohio Stadium; April 13, 1996) Largest Win Columbus Crew 6–1 New England Revolution (Ohio Stadium; August 8, 1998) Columbus Crew... Year founded 1995 League Major League Soccer Nickname Black and Red Stadium RFK Stadium Coach Peter Nowak, 2004— Owner AEG First Game San Jose Clash 1–0 D.C. United (Spartan Stadium; April 6, 1996) Largest Win 6–1, once; 5–0, 4 times Worst Defeat Kansas City Wizards 6... Year founded 1995 League Major League Soccer Nickname Earthquakes, Quakes, The Boys in Blue, Los Terremotos de San José Stadium Spartan Stadium Coach - Owner Earthquakes Soccer, LLC First Game San Jose Clash 1 - 0 D.C. United (Spartan Stadium; April 6, 1996) Last Game San Jose Earthquakes 1 - 1 Los... Year founded 2005 League Major League Soccer Nickname Dynamo, The Men in Orange Stadium Robertson Stadium Coach Dominic Kinnear, 2006— Owner AEG First Game Houston Dynamo 5–2 Colorado Rapids (Robertson Stadium; April 2, 2006) Largest Win Houston Dynamo 5–2 Colorado Rapids (Robertson Stadium; April 2, 2006) Worst Defeat... The MLS Supporters Shield The Major League Soccer Supporters Shield is an annual award given to the Major League Soccer team with the best regular season record, as determined by the MLS points system - much like the Presidents Trophy in the NHL. While MLS is similar to other North American... The Alan I. Rothenberg Trophy The MLS Cup is the final game of the Major League Soccer postseason, officially recognized as the championship of the league. ...

Coffee Pot Cup

A highlight of the competitions that have been held so far is the Coffee Pot Cup, a game between D.C. United and the host Charleston Battery, making it a rare example of an MLS-USL team rivalry. The history behind this comes from a postgame incident after the Third Round of the 1999 U.S. Open Cup, where Charleston pulled a shocking 4-3 extra time upset at home over D.C. A news report from then: The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is an American soccer competition open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams all the way to the professional teams of Major League Soccer. ...

"DC United apparently used the visitors' locker room to vent its frustration over losing to the Charleston Battery in last Wednesday's US Open Cup match at Blackbaud Stadium here. Members of the Major League Soccer team smashed two coffee pots and pulled off some showerheads, according to Battery officials. 'I think a bill will be sent to them,' Battery general manager Buckley Andrews said earlier this week. The US Soccer Federation website's match report on Charleston's 4-3 overtime win over the two-time MLS champion called it 'one of the biggest upsets ever seen in American soccer history ... It will surely go down as an Open Cup classic.'"

After a few years, supporters of both sides in the name of spirited competition decided to have an actual Coffee Pot played for between the sides as a friendly wager. The winner has the other team's supporters fill the Cup with beer for the winning team's supporters to enjoy. Supporters of both sides say that whenever the two sides play, they are playing for the Coffee Pot Cup, although since its creation this has only occurred in the Carolina Challenge Cup (the two sides could meet in the U.S. Open Cup if drawn together, or in an arranged friendly). The inaugural winners of the Cup in 2004 were D.C. United after winning 2-1. In 2005 and 2006, the two teams played to a tie (2-2, 1-1), meaning no one had to pay for the beer to fill the Cup.

Mainly due to their commitment to play in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, D.C. United were unable to play in the 2007 version of the tournament. CONCACAF Champions cup logo The CONCACAF Champions Cup is the annual international football competition held in the CONCACAF region (North America and the Caribbean). ...

• 2004, Carolina Challenge Cup: D.C. United 2, Charleston Battery 1
• 2005, Carolina Challenge Cup: D.C. United 2, Charleston Battery 2
• 2006, Carolina Challenge Cup: D.C. United 1, Charleston Battery 1

Participants

• 2004: Charleston Battery (USL 1st Div.), Columbus Crew (MLS), DC United (MLS), Wilmington Hammerheads (USL 2nd Div.)
• 2005: Charleston Battery (USL 1st Div.), Columbus Crew (MLS), DC United (MLS), San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)
• 2006: Charleston Battery (USL 1st Div.), New York Red Bulls (MLS), DC United (MLS), Houston Dynamo (MLS)
• 2007: Charleston Battery (USL 1st Div.), New York Red Bulls (MLS), Houston Dynamo (MLS), Toronto FC (MLS)

The Charleston Battery is a U.S. professional mens soccer team based in Charleston, South Carolina. ... Year founded 1994 League Major League Soccer Nickname Crew Stadium Columbus Crew Stadium Coach Sigi Schmid, 2006 Owner Lamar Hunt First Game Columbus Crew 4–0 D.C. United (Ohio Stadium; April 13, 1996) Largest Win Columbus Crew 6–1 New England Revolution (Ohio Stadium; August 8, 1998) Columbus Crew... Year Founded 1995 League Major League Soccer Stadium RFK Stadium Coach Peter Nowak, 2004- All-Time Leaders* Games Marco Etcheverry, 191 Goals Jaime Moreno, 76 Assists Marco Etcheverry, 101 Points Jaime Moreno, 218 Shutouts Nick Rimando, 18 First Game San Jose Clash 1 - 0 D.C. United (Spartan Stadium; April... The Wilmington Hammerheads are a minor league soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. ... The Charleston Battery is a U.S. professional mens soccer team based in Charleston, South Carolina. ... Year founded 1994 League Major League Soccer Nickname Crew Stadium Columbus Crew Stadium Coach Sigi Schmid, 2006 Owner Lamar Hunt First Game Columbus Crew 4–0 D.C. United (Ohio Stadium; April 13, 1996) Largest Win Columbus Crew 6–1 New England Revolution (Ohio Stadium; August 8, 1998) Columbus Crew... Year Founded 1995 League Major League Soccer Stadium RFK Stadium Coach Peter Nowak, 2004- All-Time Leaders* Games Marco Etcheverry, 191 Goals Jaime Moreno, 76 Assists Marco Etcheverry, 101 Points Jaime Moreno, 218 Shutouts Nick Rimando, 18 First Game San Jose Clash 1 - 0 D.C. United (Spartan Stadium; April... Year founded 1995 League Major League Soccer Nickname Earthquakes, Quakes, The Boys in Blue, Los Terremotos de San José Stadium Spartan Stadium Coach - Owner Earthquakes Soccer, LLC First Game San Jose Clash 1 - 0 D.C. United (Spartan Stadium; April 6, 1996) Last Game San Jose Earthquakes 1 - 1 Los... The Charleston Battery is a U.S. professional mens soccer team based in Charleston, South Carolina. ... Year Founded 1995 (as MetroStars) League Major League Soccer Stadium Giants Stadium Coach Mo Johnston, 2005- All-Time Leaders* Games Mike Petke, 134 Goals Giovanni Savarese, 41 Assists Tab Ramos, 36 Shutouts Tony Meola, 20 First Game Los Angeles Galaxy 2 - 1 MetroStars (Rose Bowl; April 13, 1996) Largest Win... Year Founded 1995 League Major League Soccer Stadium RFK Stadium Coach Peter Nowak, 2004- All-Time Leaders* Games Marco Etcheverry, 191 Goals Jaime Moreno, 76 Assists Marco Etcheverry, 101 Points Jaime Moreno, 218 Shutouts Nick Rimando, 18 First Game San Jose Clash 1 - 0 D.C. United (Spartan Stadium; April... Year founded 2005 League Major League Soccer Nickname Dynamo, The Men in Orange Stadium Robertson Stadium Coach Dominic Kinnear, 2006— Owner AEG First Game Houston Dynamo 5–2 Colorado Rapids (Robertson Stadium; April 2, 2006) Largest Win Houston Dynamo 5–2 Colorado Rapids (Robertson Stadium; April 2, 2006) Worst Defeat... The Charleston Battery is a U.S. professional mens soccer team based in Charleston, South Carolina. ... Year Founded 1995 (as MetroStars) League Major League Soccer Stadium Giants Stadium Coach Mo Johnston, 2005- All-Time Leaders* Games Mike Petke, 134 Goals Giovanni Savarese, 41 Assists Tab Ramos, 36 Shutouts Tony Meola, 20 First Game Los Angeles Galaxy 2 - 1 MetroStars (Rose Bowl; April 13, 1996) Largest Win... Year founded 2005 League Major League Soccer Nickname Dynamo, The Men in Orange Stadium Robertson Stadium Coach Dominic Kinnear, 2006— Owner AEG First Game Houston Dynamo 5–2 Colorado Rapids (Robertson Stadium; April 2, 2006) Largest Win Houston Dynamo 5–2 Colorado Rapids (Robertson Stadium; April 2, 2006) Worst Defeat... Year founded 2006 League Major League Soccer Nickname TBD Stadium BMO Field Coach Mo Johnston Owner MLSE First Game Chivas USA - Toronto FC (Home Depot Center; April 7, 2007) Largest Win TBD Worst Defeat TBD All-time Top Scorer TBD Supporter Groups Red Patch Boys, U-Sector MLS Cup none...

Champions

• 2004: Columbus Crew
• 2005: San Jose Earthquakes
• 2006: Houston Dynamo

Year founded 1994 League Major League Soccer Nickname Crew Stadium Columbus Crew Stadium Coach Sigi Schmid, 2006 Owner Lamar Hunt First Game Columbus Crew 4–0 D.C. United (Ohio Stadium; April 13, 1996) Largest Win Columbus Crew 6–1 New England Revolution (Ohio Stadium; August 8, 1998) Columbus Crew... Year founded 1995 League Major League Soccer Nickname Earthquakes, Quakes, The Boys in Blue, Los Terremotos de San José Stadium Spartan Stadium Coach - Owner Earthquakes Soccer, LLC First Game San Jose Clash 1 - 0 D.C. United (Spartan Stadium; April 6, 1996) Last Game San Jose Earthquakes 1 - 1 Los... Year founded 2005 League Major League Soccer Nickname Dynamo, The Men in Orange Stadium Robertson Stadium Coach Dominic Kinnear, 2006— Owner AEG First Game Houston Dynamo 5–2 Colorado Rapids (Robertson Stadium; April 2, 2006) Largest Win Houston Dynamo 5–2 Colorado Rapids (Robertson Stadium; April 2, 2006) Worst Defeat...

Results