Experienced USL League One player and 2023 champion Gustavo Fernandes will be joining the Chattanooga Red Wolves for the 2024 season, pending league and federation approval.
Fernandes, a season-long starter, previously played for North Carolina FC and recorded 4,901 minutes across two seasons. In 2023, he played 33 games with 31 starts. Fernandes won 26 tackles with a 76.5% tackle rate along with 82 clearances, 19 blocks, and 17 interceptions.
Fernandes was a key factor in helping North Carolina FC lift the USL League One trophy at the end of the 2023 season after beating Charlotte Independence 5-4 in penalties. In 2022, Fernandes started in 24 of 26 games for NCFC and had 1,176 successful passes with an accuracy
of 86.8%.
Fernandes joined Forward Madison for his rookie season in 2020 and continued with the club for two seasons. During his time at Forward Madison, he played 1,704 minutes total during the 2020 and 2021 seasons combined. Fernandes made 26 total appearances, 19 of which were starts. In 2020, he had a 91.7% winning tackle rate and 76.2% rate in 2021. Prior to his time at Forward Madison, Fernandes played for Ocean City Nor’easters of USL League Two in 2019 and
the Tampa Bay Rowdies U23 squad.
“I am extremely excited to join the Chattanooga Red Wolves for the 2024 season! Chattanooga has always been a tough place to play at because of the amazing fans, so I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to finally call this place home,” said Fernandes.
We knew in this offseason we had to improve our backline...just like Jamil, just like TJ, Gustavo is a winner,” said head coach Scott Mackenzie. “He’s had a great career to date: this will be his sixth year within the USL ecosystem and he’s coming into Chattanooga as a League One champion and he knows what it takes to get it done day in and day out.”
The Chattanooga Red Wolves will begin their 2024 season on the road against Lexington SC on Saturday, March 15th before returning to CHI Memorial Stadium for their home opener on Saturday, March 30th. Season tickets are available to purchase online