Chattanooga Red Wolves kick off 2023 season at home this weekend

Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Defender Aaron Lombardi, right, is among the returning players this year for the Chattanooga Red Wolves, who open their 2023 USL League One schedule Saturday night.
Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Defender Aaron Lombardi, right, is among the returning players this year for the Chattanooga Red Wolves, who open their 2023 USL League One schedule Saturday night.

The Chattanooga Red Wolves, fresh off last year's USL League One runner-up finish in their fourth season, are set to kick off the 2023 schedule

Their opener against the Northern Colorado Hailstorm is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at CHI Memorial Stadium in East Ridge. Once again, there will be a lot of new for an organization that — from team to stadium and everything in between — has built everything from the bottom since the summer 2018 announcement that a new soccer team was coming to the area.

This past December, Ziggy Korytoski became the third head coach in the team's brief history. He replaced Jimmy Obleda, who didn't coach another game for the Red Wolves after being suspended by the league in July but didn't officially separate from the team until after the season in early November.

In Obleda's absence, assistant Jimmy Weekley, a former Baylor School and Chattanooga Christian coach, took over on an interim basis and helped lead the club to the national final, where the Red Wolves lost 2-1 to South Georgia Tormenta FC.

The Red Wolves are one of five teams remaining from USL League One's inaugural 2019 season, and the 12-team league's membership for 2023 includes new additions in Lexington (Kentucky) SC and One Knoxville SC, which moved up after competing last year in USL League Two.

Here are a few things to look for as the Red Wolves begin their fifth season:


New roster

Gone from last season's squad are seven players who started the final, with the losses highlighted by Juan Galindrez, who is the club's all-time leading scorer, and midfielder Jose Carrera. Offense will likely be manufactured from a number of new faces up front, led by forwards Mayele Malongo and Walter Varela. The midfield has been restructured as well, with former Dalton High School standout Yahir Paez one of the bodies expected to fill in for the loss of Carrera, while Aaron Lombardi is the sole returning starter on the back line, although goalkeeper Carlos Avilez — who started 28 matches a year ago — is back. Manuel Madrid, who has experience playing in Mexico's Liga MX, and Mekeil Williams, who has experience in MLS and international team competition for Trinidad and Tobago, should fill those defensive holes.


New environment

Going to a game will add its own excitement this season as well, with CHI Memorial Stadium continuing to evolve as a soccer venue. There is a new bar that overlooks the field of play that is expected to be open soon, possibly as early as Saturday. After what seemed like inactivity regarding stadium construction for the longest time, a new set of bleachers directly across from the home bench will add to the maximum capacity, which now reaches around 3,000 fans, up from 2,500 in the past couple of years.


New team, same mindset

Between the investment of a stadium as well as having one of the highest, if not the highest, payrolls in the league, the Red Wolves aren't in a spot where they can afford to not be competitive. They can't afford to not be profitable, especially with team owner Bob Martino's inclusion of townhomes in the development forming around the stadium. There's a town within a town that's still being built out, with the centerpiece being the Red Wolves, so the team must be a playoff contender year in and year out. So even though most of last year's personnel has been replaced, the new pieces will be expected to be just as successful. There's no other choice.

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com.

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