Chattanooga FC and Atlanta Silverbacks FC Finish with Draw

July 10, 2018

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CFC traveled to Atlanta Sunday night to play the final game of the regular season. Chattanooga FC, the newly crowned Southeast Conference regular season champions, took on the Silverbacks and battled to take home a tie.

The lineup for the match against Atlanta was a little different than fans are use to. The youngest members of the squad were out on the field and some new faces joined the team as well, including Drew Viscomi, Chattanooga native and Tennessee High School Player of the Year. The starting lineup included both Ricketts brothers, Stephen and Jonathan, playing in defense.

Pierre Bocquet took control of the midfield from the beginning of the game, yet CFC wasn’t able to get a shot off until later in the half. Possession in the first half was split and neither team was able to gain control of the game in the first half. CFC offense struggled to find their rhythm early at the beginning and they couldn’t find the back of the net.

Nick Croucher played keeper the entire match and defended the goal aggressively. Just 23 minutes into the game though, the Silverbacks were able to slip one by the CFC defense and made the score 1-0 with a shot at the top of the box, about 35 yards out from the goal.

It wasn’t until the 30th minute that got the crowd truly engaged in the match, but their contribution energized the players. The defense from both teams was battling hard but both offenses struggled to find the back of the net. The score at halftime remained 1-0.

The second half started off to a slow pace as both teams played very deep in the back and were slow to attack.

Fifteen minutes into the second half CFC decided to make some changes to its offensive line. Felipe Oliveira, Cameron Woodfin, and Santiago Moore joined Charlie Clarke on the field.

Immediately, CFC created scoring opportunities. The fresh legs created momentum and energy on the field, getting the ball inside the box in order to get shots on goal.

Only a few minutes after taking the field, Oliveira received a ball from midfield and got the defense behind him for a breakaway. Thirty minutes into the second half Oliveira tied up the match at 1-1.

The intensity from CFC increased tremendously in the second half and the goal by Oliveira was the motivation CFC needed. With only four minutes left to play, Stephen Ricketts made a fantastic save right before the ball crossed the line and kept the score tied 1-1 to finish the match.

“I think we got off to a rough start but we pulled through to get the tie,” Chattanooga FC Head Coach Bill Elliott said. “This match was a good opportunity to get some young guys out on the field as well and we are proud of their performance.”

“We were excited to have some new, young faces in our starting lineup tonight and I think they did a great job,” Chattanooga FC General Manager Sean McDaniel said. “It was a good learning experience for them. We are proud of how the season finished out and looking forward to seeing the fans back at Finley on Thursday.”