Although the abbreviated 2020 season was technically Chattanooga Red Wolves coach Jimmy Obleda’s first in charge, nobody associated with the professional soccer team is looking at it that way.
His first year with the club was marred by the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed the USL League One schedule back to a late July start and led to the postseason being limited to a championship match that was ultimately canceled because of coronavirus protocol. In addition, with Tim Hankinson having coached the Red Wolves during their inaugural season, there was a roster in place last year that didn’t necessarily represent Obleda’s vision or that of the club.
Couple all of that with the fact the Red Wolves, after playing home games at Chattanooga Christian School in 2019, were opening a brand-new venue in East Ridge – the first stadium in the state of Tennessee built specifically for a professional soccer team – that may have been, at best, about 15% complete last season.
Now fast forward to what the organization considers year one for Obleda.
CHI Memorial Stadium has made a lot of progress, with a jumbotron about to be put up that will be visible from Interstate 75. The large display screen will most likely be in place by the time the Red Wolves play their regular-season home opener May 22 against Fort Lauderdale CF after beginning with back-to-back road matches against North Texas SC (May 8) and New England Revolution II (May 16).