After 27 games, the Chattanooga Red Wolves’ playoff hopes rest upon the penultimate match of the season and some assistance from Lansing’s finest team. One point out of the final playoff spot, Chattanooga needs two things to happen in order to clinch a spot in the playoffs. They need Forward Madison to either tie or lose to second-play Lansing at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
And then Chattanooga needs to defeat Toronto in front of what is hoped to be a raucous Scenic City crowd. With team captain Steven Beattie out for the rest of the year with a meniscus injury, the Red Wolves will depend on the talented-yet-inconsistent Ami Pineda, who will be leaned upon to fill Beattie’s role as a playmaker in midfield.
“I know Beattie plays a big role on the team, so I know that coming in for him I have to do the same work, or do even better, to help the team win,” said Pineda, “Especially now that we’re trying to get into the playoffs. That might mean more goals, more assists, and just working harder than the next guy.”
After featuring a mostly-unavailing attack for the majority of the season, the Red Wolves seem to have found a rhythm over their last few games. In order to make the playoffs, the squad will have to continue to stay aggressive and proactive in front of the net, according to injured player and pseudo-coach Colin Falvey.
“We’ve scored seven goals in the last three games. And to be honest, the amount of chances created has gone up for us, and I feel like we could have gotten a lot more than that,” said Falvey, “One of our talking points for the week was be ruthless in front of the goal and take our chances, so (we practiced) lots of repetition in front of the goal, crossing and finishing. Just so maybe we don’t get that amount this weekend, if we only get a couple, then we still have to take them.”
Of course, the world’s greatest offense is pointless if a team is unable to prevent the opposing team from tallying up scores. And with talented 18-year-old striker Jordan Perruza in-tow, Toronto has the ability to get on the scoreboard in a few seconds. However, Chattanooga has been able to keep the second-leading scorer in the USL (who has 14 goals so far) in check this year. In three games, Perruza’s only goal against the Wolves came on a penalty kick.
“I think we have an idea of how we want to set up defensively, and what the triggers are and where we are going to react,” said coach David Barrueta, “And I think we also, in terms of starting position on the field, will be less deep and a bit higher. And the closer you are to goal, the easier it is the score.”
Goalkeeper Alex Mangels, the USL’s leader in saves, will require assistance from his teammates in order to keep a much-needed clean sheet. As he pointed out, defense is a team effort.
“I think the biggest thing is just to work together. We’ve all got to be on the same page, and work as a unit,” said Mangels, “We need to stay disciplined, which is something we have been working on. So if the guys come out and we do things as one, then we’ll be solid.”
While the match will define the season, Chattanooga’s players and coaches repeatedly said their effort would remain the same, regardless of whether or not Forward Madison locked up the playoff spot earlier in the day. If the playoffs are still a viable goal, Mangels downplayed the pressure the team would be under, saying “At the end of the day, it’s just another game. You have to treat it as any other game we’ve played all year and not outweigh this game compared to all of the others.”
Coach Barruetta seemed to relish the prospects of a high-stakes matchup, one where his team may be in control of its playoff destiny.
“I think these are the weekends that you like. Everything is on the line, so that’s why you play,” said the coach, “Everyone has been in a positive mood, and we want to get after it soon.”