The last USL2 champion, the Charleston Battery, set to join the new USL PRO in 2011, announced Tuesday Major League Soccer teams DC United, Toronto FC and the Chicago Fire will join the Battery in the field for the 2011 Carolina Challenge Cup March 5-12 at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, SC.
The round-robin tournament is considered one of the most prestigious preseason professional soccer tournaments in the country.
DC United comes to Charleston looking to defend their 2010 championship title.after going undefeated by beating 2009 MLS Cup champion Real Salt Lake, Toronto and the Battery. It will be United's sixth trip to the tournament and Toronto FC's fifth visit.
The Fire are the newcomers to the tournament, but have previous experience playing against the Battery.
Charleston defeated Chicago at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, IL by penalty kicks in a third round matchup at this year's Lamar Hunt US Open Championship, with the Fire beating them in a 2004 LHUSOC game, also at Toyota Park.
The Battery has never won their own tournament as MLS teams have claimed every title.
In fact, in five of the seven years in the tournament's history, the MLS team that won it went on to win that season's Supporters Shield for best regular season record or the MLS Cup title.
Last year, however, was not one of those years, as DC United finished the 2010 season with the worst record in MLS and their worst franchise record ever.
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