The Chattanooga Football Club already has clinched the NPSL Southeast Division title and a spot in the league’s playoff semifinals later this month in Madison, Ala.
The only things on the line in the regular-season finale at Finley Stadium tonight at 7 against Huntsville’s Rocket City United are CFC’s quest for an undefeated season and its seeding in the Final Four.
The second-year club is 5-0-2, and a win tonight would be its first against Rocket City (3-1-3). The teams tied 1-1 on June 26.
“We had a very good matchup at their place and they’ve got quality players. This should be a good test for us,” Chattanooga coach Brian Crossman said.
He will be without leading scorer Chris Ochieng, who suffered a serious leg injury during a scrimmage Thursday night. Ochieng scored seven goals this season and will be in a cast for up to six weeks.
Thursday’s scrimmage wasn’t part of CFC’s usual training routine. Crossman said it was held so close to tonight’s game to simulate the physical demands that his squad will face in the Final Four, with two games in two or three days.
The NPSL semifinals will be held July 29, with the top seed playing the No. 4 and the two middle seeds facing each other. The losers will meet in a third-place game on July 30, and the championship game is July 31.
Crossman said the seeds are determined by points-per-game average, so CFC can’t afford to let up against Rocket City.
Before tonight’s game, 10 Chattanooga FC players will take to the field at 5:30 and play a 10-minute match against 100 local youth players.
Chattanooga FC will be in action again next Saturday in Washington against the Super-20 team from D.C. United.
John Frierson is in his fifth year at the Times Free Press and fifth year covering University of Tennessee at Chattanooga athletics. The bulk of his time is spent covering Mocs football, but he also writes about women’s basketball and the big-picture issues and news involving the athletic department. A native of Athens, Ga., John grew up a few hundred yards from the University of Georgia campus. Instead of becoming a Bulldog he attended Ole ...
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