Russell Courtney won’t be staring at the tens of thousands of seats when he arrives at the 45,596-seat RFK Stadium this afternoon. No, the Chattanooga Football Club defender’s head will be pointed down, not up.
“I, personally, am more excited about playing on a surface that’s that nice,” he said. “It’ll be cool playing in a big stadium, but just being able to play on a true grass surface that’s really that nice is going to be pretty amazing.”
Chattanooga FC is in the nation’s capital to play an exhibition against D.C. United’s under-20 squad at 5:30 p.m. Volkswagen is the title sponsor for both CFC and DC United. Afterward, CFC will stick around to watch D.C. United’s main team play Portsmouth of the English Premier League.
RFK Stadium hosted games during the 1994 World Cup and 1996 Olympics – 14 years ago today, the U.S. tied Portugal 1-1. David Beckham and Ronaldinho are among the soccer greats to play at RFK.
CFC coach Brian Crossman is from the Washington area and said he’ll have a lot of friends and family in the stands watching him coach in one of the more legendary stadiums in the U.S.
“Being from that area, it’s a bit of a thrill for me,” Crossman said. “I think it’s exciting for me, for the guys, and it should be a great experience.”
The team climbed aboard a bus and left Chattanooga at 6 a.m. Friday, arriving in Washington about 10 hours later. After checking in to its hotel, CFC practiced at United’s training facility and then got to walk through RFK.
Today’s game should be a big test for CFC and a great warmup for the squad’s NPSL Final Four matchup next Thursday against the Madison (Wis.) 56ers. Crossman said he’s glad his team has a game before the semifinals, but he doesn’t want the players too worn out at the end.
“Is it better to rest or to play? I’ve always thought it was better to play, but not too much,” he said. “I’m hoping this trip will keep us sharp and keep the momentum going.”