Clayton Adams could not have drawn up a better debut for his Chattanooga Football Club career.
Just five minutes after being subbed into a 1-1 affair with the New York Cosmos on Saturday night at Finley Stadium, the 25-year-old midfielder provided what was perhaps Chattanooga FC’s biggest moment during its National Independent Soccer Association fall season to that point.
Adams sprinted down the right sideline for CFC’s attack, cut his way past several defenders to the middle of the field and, while still in full stride, used his left foot to connect with the ball some 25 yards away from the goal. The shot bulleted into the upper left corner of the net in the 82nd minute for what turned out to be the decisive score of a 2-1 victory, a result secured against a familiar foe and with fans at a CFC home game for the first time this year.
He was soon lifted by teammates as they danced to the welcome tune of the Chattahooligans’ drumline, which was making its 2020 debut in a CFC season drastically altered by the coronavirus pandemic. Afterward, Adams was named the man of the match in his first appearance for CFC after signing this past winter.
A native of Slidell, Louisiana, Adams played last year for Austin Bold FC of the USL Championship, but he was familiar with CFC after playing in 2018 for the Georgia Revolution FC. The McDonough team competes in the National Premier Soccer League, which counted CFC among its membership before the Chattanooga club moved to the professional ranks this year as part of the NISA.