Red Wolves beat Chattanooga FC in first Chattanooga Derby

The scene inside Finley Stadium on the first Wednesday of April was a historic one as 12,131 fans were in attendance to watch the first showdown between Chattanooga Football Club and the Chattanooga Red Wolves SC in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

The Red Wolves came out of an intense battle with bragging rights as they edged Chattanooga FC in penalty kicks 5-4. Regulation ended with a 1-1 draw, which stood after a scoreless extra 30 minutes, sending the match to PKs. Owen Green made the winning PK on the final attempt, while Ricardo Jerez saved the first CFC attempt on a diving save to his right side.

In his 17th year as a member of the Chattahoolligans — CFC’s avid supporter section — Matt Coniglio felt a great deal of nostalgia as the community showcased once again its massive support for soccer that has helped the club gain its notoriety.

“From the very start, CFC blew people away with how the club would draw so many fans for a summer amateur team,” said Coniglio, whose first Chattanooga FC game in 2009 was as an 18-year-old fresh out of high school. “That success in terms of attendance is what led to Atlanta United coming in. When the MLS discovered that the Southeast was a really good spot for soccer, it was because of Chattanooga.

Red Wolves beat Chattanooga FC in first Chattanooga Derby