Veteran strikers come through on cue for CFC

Chattanooga Football Club's Sias Reyneke, second from right, and Kenneth Kauker, second from left, practice at Finley Stadium on May 8, 2015.
Chattanooga Football Club's Sias Reyneke, second from right, and Kenneth Kauker, second from left, practice at Finley Stadium on May 8, 2015.

Sometimes, familiarity is a good thing.

The Chattanooga Football Club entered Wednesday's soccer contest against Premier Development League opponent Ocala Stampede with a wealth of knowledge about the talents of strikers Chris Ochieng, Luke Winter and Irvin Espinal. Coach Bill Elliott decided to bring that group off the bench, to give the staff an opportunity to see how newcomer Samuel Goni and returner John Davidson -- who had a strong finish to last season -- fared with extended action.

But Chattanooga FC was down 1-0 in the 60th minute, and Elliott turned to his veterans, who did what they normally do: create.

Ochieng and Winter created the match-tying goal in the 87th minute, and Winter added a goal in the shootout that led to the club's win in front of an opening-night record 2,483 fans to advance to the next round of the U.S. Open Cup. CFC will travel to face the Wilmington (N.C.) Hammerheads, which is in the United Soccer League Professional Division.

But first, Elliott's guys have an away match at 1 this afternoon against the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves, which will be CFC's third match in eight days to start the season.

"Being so early in the season, we've started our lesser-experienced players, as well as our lesser-experienced attackers," Elliott said Wednesday. "When we needed a goal, we went to the guys that have produced in the past. Chris and Luke combined for one, and we looked pretty dangerous after we made the change."

Being in the spotlight during the nation's longest-running tournament was nothing new for Winter, who had two goals and was named "player of the round" after last season's 3-1 win over the Hammerheads.

"My job as a striker is to score goals," he said Wednesday. "If you think about the players I'm playing with -- Luis [Trude], Chris, Irvin, Samuel -- they're going to create chances. If I'm in front of the goal and the ball drops at my feet, it's my job to put it in."

Having the luxury of being able to bring the experienced players off the bench while the younger players learn their roles is a luxury most clubs don't have at this level. But most clubs aren't coming off a 15-win season with a number of quality pieces returning, and now two Open Cup wins on their resume.

"There's no substitute for experience," Elliott said after Wednesday's game. "Luckily guys like Chris and Luke still have enough gas in their legs to add something special.

"I'm really proud of the fight they showed tonight."

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.

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