What: Knoxville Force (1-1) vs. Chattanooga FC (1-0-1)When: Tonight at 7Where: Finley StadiumAdmission: $5 (under 6 free, $3 for ages 6-12 wearing youth-team soccer jerseys)
In the days following major surgery on his left knee to repair an ACL tear, as well as some other damage, Russell Courtney questioned whether he wanted to continue his Chattanooga Football Club career.
The CFC defender, who's been with the soccer team since its first season, decided pretty quickly he did.
"I considered [retiring] early on, right when I had my surgery, but then as rehab progressed I started seeing that [the knee] was pretty strong," said Courtney, a 29-year-old former Chattanooga Christian standout who was an All-American at Bryan College.
"Knowing that even if I wasn't playing soccer, that I like to be fit and have an active lifestyle, I probably would have rehabbed as strong even if I hadn't come back."
Courtney shredded his knee last July when CFC played an exhibition game against the DC United under-20 team at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The injury not only meant surgery and a lot of difficult rehab, but it also forced him to miss CFC's postseason run to the National Premier Soccer League's championship game.
"That was definitely difficult," he said.
Courtney was back in his starting spot when CFC opened its season earlier this month against Jacksonville United. He said CFC's exhibition games were important for him to get over any nervousness he had about the strength of his knee.
"The first few scrimmages and practices that we had, I think the coaches even noticed a limp or some hesitation," he said. "But in that first game I felt like I didn't have any of that."
Chattanooga FC coach Brian Crossman said Courtney isn't quite back to his pre-injury level, but he's getting there.
"He's still coming back. He's still not 100 percent, but he's further along than I'd hoped at this point," Crossman said.
Tonight's game at Finley Stadium against the Knoxville Force will be Courtney's second since the injury. He missed last week's game against the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves because he was the best man at his brother Drew's wedding.
The first-year Force club will have someone familiar on its bench. Former CFC player Josh Scott is the Force's assistant coach.