Chris Lavie passes the ball to a teammate during a Chattanooga Football Club practice in Finley Stadium.Chattanooga Football Club coach Bill Elliott might want to consider issuing name tags for his 2014 men’s soccer team. Or at least have a meet-and-greet or put names on the backs of their jerseys.
It’ll definitely be a new look this season.
The entire back line is gone from a team that lost in the the National Premier Soccer League South Region championship match a year ago. New guys have been floating around practices in preparation, and some others will arrive in the coming weeks. Chattanooga FC has yet to have practiced with a full roster, which won’t be complete when the team takes the pitch for its season opener against the Georgia Revolution in Conyers, Ga., this evening at 7:30.
“It’s going to be different than it has looked the past couple of years,” Elliott said at midweek. “I don’t know myself what it’s going to look like, but when you lose your entire back line that’s anchored the team for two years, it’s going to look different for sure.”
Greg Hartley, the 2013 goalkeeper, hasn’t practiced yet and will be meeting the team in Atlanta today, which could open an opportunity for former Lee University standout Thomas Halsall to earn some time in goal.