"The Scenic Soccer City" and "The Land of Sky" are making the final preparations for the inaugural BLUE RIDGE DERBY: an annual matchup between Chattanooga FC and Asheville City SC. The first match will take place THIS Wednesday, 7:30pm, at Finley Stadium. It's a bittersweet matchup for both clubs, who saw early postseason exits in the NPSL playoffs. Wednesday's match will give fans one last chance to see their teams in action before players head back to school and summer comes to a close.
"We're really fortunate to have one more match to send the 2017 team off and thank them for their hard work this season." said Sean McDaniel, GM for Chattanooga FC.
"We're really looking forward to building up this rivalry into something that fans will enjoy for years to come."
Derbies are traditional matchups in European soccer, where teams from neighboring regions compete on an annual basis. To give the fans even more to sing about, CFC sponsor Chattanooga Brewing Company and ACSC sponsor Hi-Wire Brewing are adding to the fun. Chattanooga Brewing Company will sell some of Hi-Wire's fares this week on tap, and both teams will play for The Blue Ridge Derby KEG, a hand painted quarter keg sporting both teams logos (pictured below.) The keg will be displayed in the winner's home bar until the next derby.
"There's definitely some pride on the line for the players. They want to raise the keg in celebration and give the fans a great performance." said Bill Elliott, head coach, Chattanooga FC. "They'll be ready to play, that's for certain."
Tickets are on sale now for $7.25 at ChattanoogaFC.com until match day, when they increase to $9.