Chattanooga FC came from behind to draw 3-3 with Inter Miami CF II and win the shootout for the extra point 5-4 to jump back to the top of the Eastern Conference and secure two crucial points in the MLS NEXT Pro standings on Saturday evening.
Miami jumped to an early 2-0 lead before Tate Robertson converted a penalty in the 27th minute. Miami regained its two-goal cushion before the break, however, and went in 3-1 ahead.
In the second half, Chattanooga showed the resilience that has been on display throughout the season. Daniel Mangarov scored a brilliant flicked goal in the 54th minute as he latched onto the end of a pass from Tate Robertson, who leads the league with six assists.
Jalen James came off the bench to score the equalizer, linking with Peter Plougmand before slotting past Miami keeper Marias Marin.
After the draw, the match went to a shootout for the extra point. Eldin Jakupovic saved the first penalty attempted by Ricardo Montenegro and his teammates did the rest and were flawless from the spot to help seal two hard-earned points.
Head Coach Chris Nugent's side regains its lead at the summit of the Eastern Conference and remains top of the overall league standings.
"There were a lot of positives," said Nugent in his post-match press conference. "It was disappointing what we showed in the first half. It's always positive to see the resiliency. It's easy after a loss to fall into a slump, especially after a difficult and emotional loss last week. To be down and up against it with a difficult team that found ways to create chances and be dominant and really nullify them. Our challenge moving forward is, if that's who we are in the second half, we have to show that all the time."
The team's next league match will be away to New York Red Bulls II in a top-of-the-table clash on Sunday, June 15th before a return to Finley Stadium on Saturday, June 21st against FC Cincinnati 2.
CFC Women wrap up its regular season home schedule at Finley Stadium on Saturday, June 14th with a match against Atlanta Fire United in WPSL action.
Man of the Match: Tate Robertson
Box Score
Chattanooga FC (8W-2L-3D, 29 pts.) - Inter Miami CF II (4W-7L-2D, 14 pts.)
Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tenn.
Final score:
CFC: 3
MIA: 3
CFC wins 5-4 in the shootout for the extra point
Scoring summary:
7': Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida - MIA
20': Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida - MIA
27': Tate Robertson (PK) - CFC
33': Mateo Saja - MIA
54': Daniel Mangarov - CFC
80': Jalen James - CFC