Attracting their largest supporter turnout in the inaugural team’s history, over 2100 fans filed into Finley Stadium Saturday night to watch Chattanooga FC challenge Rocket City United. Coming into the match, Rocket City (3-2-1), from Huntsville, was in first place in the Southeastern Conference of the NPSL, while Chattanooga FC (2-2-1) was sitting in a three-way tie for second.

“What an exciting night for soccer in Chattanooga,” said Chattanooga FC’s Twitter reporter, Chris Cooper, after the match. “It was a very exciting game in 100 degree heat and we had well over 2000 fans at the match. There were also long lines for food, beer, and CFC gear. Seems like everyone really had a good time tonight.”

Chattanooga FC got off to slow start with Rocket City United controlling the ball the first few minutes of the match. Once Chattanooga got into the rhythm of the game, they put some heavy pressure on the Rocket City defense, but failed to capitalize on those chances. Thomas Clark, a 6’4” central defender for Chattanooga was very pleased with their overall effort. “I felt like we played really well as a unit and are coming together as a team,” said Clark. “Our midfield controlled the pace and flow of the game while our defenders minimized Rocket City’s opportunities.”

Twenty minutes into the match, Rocket City found their stride and began to create some dangerous situations, mostly coming off free kicks near the penalty box. In the 22nd minute, Rocket City put together a very nice string of passes, concluding with a back heel pass to Freddy Okello who placed the ball just out of the reach of a diving Richard Masters.

“That goal they scored kicked us into high gear,” said Clark. “I think we woke up and really started to play some good soccer the rest of the night. We were really clicking on offense, but just couldn’t finish when we needed to.” Irvin Espinal, a Honduran standout playing in his first Chattanooga FC game, responded quickly at the 25 minute mark when he broke free, beat the keeper and launched a shot off the crossbar. That was the story of the rest of the night- Chattanooga FC forwards and midfielders moving the ball well and creating many opportunities to score, but not enough to pull out a victory.

The lone goal for Chattanooga came in the 44th minute when Daniel Tackling, a 2008 Ooltewah High School graduate, beat a defender down the left sideline and then found Mark Beattie, the other outside midfielder on the back post. Beattie, originally from Coatbridge, Scotland, collected the ball and laid the ball off for Espinal who pounded the ball into the net. The goal got the large crowd back into the game, as they continued to root on their home side the rest of the night.

Chattanooga continued to bring wave after wave of attacks upon the Rocket City defense. Both teams were noticeably frustrated as Chattanooga could not score, and Rocket City could not get into any kind of rhythm. Hard fouls were exchanged by both sides and it wasn’t until the 67th minute when the referee decided to reign in the physical play. Omar Cooke, a Chattanooga FC fan favorite, beat the last defender and was on his way to the goal when Rocket City defender Joseph Omondi kicked Cooke in the face in his effort to clear the ball. As Cooke fell to the ground holding his face, the referee dramatically ran over to Omondi and showed him a second yellow card of the evening, which gave him a red card and sent him to the locker room. Still, the one-man advantage was not enough for Chattanooga to get the go-ahead goal.

The night almost ended on a sour note for Chattanooga players and fans, as a penalty kick was awarded to Rocket City United with less than five seconds remaining in the game. As a long free kick floated into the box, several players from each team attacked the ball. Chattanooga defenders were successful in clearing the ball, but the referee blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot. Chattanooga and Rocket City players alike seemed confused for a moment as there was no discernible foul that had been made. The home fans were outraged by the call and started chanting loudly, hoping to somehow distract the Rocket City player taking the penalty shot. Richard Masters, Chattanooga’s British goalkeeper, had been solid all year and did not disappoint in this moment of incredible pressure. Confidently Masters read where the shot was going and pushed the ball out of danger. “I can’t even begin to describe how excited I was when he made that save,” commented Clark.

Take a brief scan of Chattanooga FC’s Facebook and Twitter pages and one will find that Masters did indeed save the game. It seems for now he’s been elevated to local hero status. Bill Jones, a Chattanooga fan on Facebook, may have summed it up best, “Great game...what a save!”

Chattanooga Football Club’s next home match is at Finley Stadium on Saturday, July 4th, at 7PM. Adult tickets are $5 and $3 for kids.

For more information about Chattanooga FC, visit www.chattanoogafc.com.

About Chattanooga Football Club

Chattanooga FC provides quality soccer matches and a family friendly environment at the region’s largest sports venue, with the goal of attracting spectators from the area’s widely diverse cultural community to enjoy the world’s favorite sport. The team is comprised of high-level players holding amateur status to maintain collegiate eligibility, and will serve as an engine to develop great players and as a showcase for professional coaches. The club is currently operating as a 501(c)3.