Friday, May 27, 2011
U.S. Open CupThe Chattanooga Football Club is hosting a qualifying regional for the U.S. Open Cup soccer tournament this weekend. A ticket for all five games is $15, a day pass is $10 and one-game tickets are $5.TodayKnoxville Force vs. Jacksonville United FC, 5:30 p.m.Rocket City United vs. FC Tulsa, 8 p.m.SaturdayAtlanta Silverbacks Reserves vs. Knoxville-Jacksonville winner, 5:30 p.m.Chattanooga FC vs. Rocket City-Tulsa winner, 8 p.m.SundayQualifying final, 7 p.m.
One of the six amateur teams competing at Finley Stadium this weekend will earn a spot in the main draw of the U.S. Open Cup soccer tournament.
The Chattanooga Football Club is hosting the qualifying regional and Saturday will face the winner of tonight's games between Rocket City United and FC Tulsa.
"By hosting this event it once again puts us in the national spotlight," CFC general manager Sean McDaniel said. "It's a great opportunity."
Chattanooga FC is 2-0-1 in National Premier Soccer League Southeast Division play this season, and five of the teams in action at Finley are in the division.
The Knoxville Force are in their first season in the NPSL and general manager Jason Goss said playing in the U.S. Open Cup is a great opportunity to build credibility for the club.
"The visibility you can get, if you get a few rounds in, to be seen from [Major League Soccer] teams and other professional teams around the country, that's huge," he said. "It's a chance to get brand exposure beyond just the NPSL market."
It's also a good recruiting tool, McDaniel said. When CFC or any other NPSL team talks will collegiate players about joining that club for the summer, having the U.S. Open Cup on the schedule "certainly helps," he said.
CFC also will host games this season against the U-20 squad of Mexican team Club de Futbol Monterrey and D.C. United's U-23 team.