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I thought I would try to get a thread going down here in the basement. /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" /> Here's an article from Sat. game. If you you went let us know what kind of experience it was......and did they serve beer. /roflol.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":roflol:" border="0" alt="roflol.gif" />

 

 

Chattanooga Football Club Draws 1650 Fans for Opening Match Versus Atlanta Football Club

posted May 18, 2009

 

Despite an hour lightning delay, 1650 Chattanooga Football Club supporters showed up to root on the home side on Saturday evening at Finley Stadium. The Atlanta teams scored three first half goals to claim the 3-1 win.

 

The energy in the stadium was palpable with drums, noise, makers and the usual bantering of opposing players from fans. Chattanooga FC got off to an energetic start and played extremely high pressure the first 10 minutes.

 

Atlanta FC, the reigning Southeast Conference Champions, settled in soon thereafter and began to move the ball with precise, one-touch passes. Dangerous scoring opportunities were exchanged by both sides until Leo Sanchez of Atlanta FC converted on a counter-attack off of a Chattanooga FC corner kick in the 24th minute.

 

Ten minutes later, Leo Sanchez found himself in front of the goal after a miscommunication in the Chattanooga defensive third and put away the second goal of the match. Chattanooga FC tried to bring up the pace and intensity of play by bringing in Omar Cooke (forward), John Simmons (right mid), and Joshua Earl (left mid). Chattanooga grabbed some momentum for a few minutes and things were looking brighter, but in the 3rd minute of stoppage time, Junior Sandoval of Atlanta found the back of the net again to make the score 3-0 heading into half time.

 

Although it continued to rain throughout the game, Chattanooga FC supporters remained energetic and cheered the players on. Chattanooga players fed off the energy of the crowd even when down 3-0 and never let down.

 

The home side played much better in the second half and was finally rewarded for the effort when Omar Cooke made it 3-1 in the 65th minute. The goal re-energized the players and the crowd and things got more exciting with Chattanooga FC getting some really good scoring chances down the stretch, including a goal that was called back for offsides.

 

“Atlanta FC was a very good team. They were organized on defense and offense, they played very quickly and they were physical,” commented Jimmy Weekley, Chattanooga FC’s assistant coach. “This was a great first match for us because now we see what our weaknesses are. We know exactly what we need to do to become a top-notch team in this league.”

 

Hamilton Brock, one of Chattanooga FC’s organizers, said he was “very pleased with the turnout. I can’t believe how many fans showed up, especially with all the horrible weather. We knew we’d get a lot of youth soccer players at the match, but we were especially excited to see how many adults were at the match. We were a little concerned about how soccer would be accepted in the community, but now we’re confident that we’re really on to something special here. We want the local soccer community to know that are very grateful for their support of the team and hope they will continue to do so.”

 

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

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Chattanooga FC In Action Sunday Night At Finley Stadium

posted June 3, 2009

 

Saturn FC (2-2), currently the second-place team in the Southeastern Conference in the NPSL, makes a visit to Chattanooga on Sunday evening.

 

The soccer match, which begins at 7 p.m., will feature three new players to the Chattanooga roster. Aldo and Ivan Heredia, brothers from Mexico City, recently graduated from Lee University. The Heredia brothers are dynamic players in the midfield and should add some excitement to the game, club officials said. Sasha Viatrov, from Belarus, was also just cleared by the USSF to play for Chattanooga FC. Sasha played collegiately the last two years for Covenant College, and will play this fall for John Brown University in Arkansas.

 

Chattanooga FC is looking for its first win after losing its first two games of the year to Atlanta FC and Rocket City United.

 

For more information about Chattanooga FC, visit

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Chattanooga Football Club Gets First Win In Club History, 2-0

 

posted June 8, 2009

 

 

Almost 1,500 soccer fans poured into Finley Stadium Sunday night to watch Chattanooga FC take home their first victory in the club??™s history. Coming into the match, Saturn FC (2-3), from Atlanta, was in second place in the Southeastern Conference of the NPSL. It was evident from the beginning that the visitors would have their hands full when Chattanooga sent wave after wave of pressure.

 

???I was proud of our guys tonight,??? said Assistant Coach Jimmy Weekley. ???We played great team defense all night and we attacked well, too. We missed some key opportunities to put the game away early, but didn??™t convert our chances.??? Two chances were all they needed as Chattanooga won by a score of 2-0.

 

Chattanooga FC got off to a solid start by putting some early pressure on Saturn FC defense. Josh Carter, a co-owner of St John??™s Restaurant remarked, ???I was impressed by how much our home side kept the ball in Saturn??™s half. We really took it to them.??? Despite the early pressure, Chattanooga could not find the back of the net.

 

At the 15 minute mark, forward Omar Cooke received the ball at the half line, beat one defender, split two more and touched it on to a streaking Elliot Anderson who put the first goal of the match away in the net. ???It was a great goal,??? said Weekley. ???We really needed that one to break the ice for us. We had been playing so well up to that point with nothing to show for it. It really helped us to settle in and play well.???

 

After a couple more squandered opportunities from Chattanooga, including a near miss on a beautiful header by Cooke, Saturn found a little breathing room of their own and almost put a couple in the net. ???We got lucky a couple times and Richard [Masters] saved a couple of good opportunities to keep the score at 1-0,??? said Chattanooga midfielder Fynn Glover.

 

Omar re-emerged in the 83rd minute for another superb goal, to make it 2-0. Amidst chants for ???Omar, Omar??? from youth players, Cooke ran onto a ball played over the top, ran through a defender and then flicked the ball perfectly over Saturn FC??™s keeper??™s head. After his goal, Cooke ran toward the fans kissing the Chattanooga FC crest on his jersey.

 

???What a night for soccer in Chattanooga!??? said Chris Cooper, Chattanooga FC Twitter reporter. ???The crowd was amazing??¦they announced 1300 in attendance, but there were certainly many more people than that here tonight.??? Glover agreed, ???The fans were the 12th man out there for us tonight. It??™s so encouraging as a team to see so many people out here rooting us on. I heard many guys tonight say that this was the most fans they??™ve ever played in front of, and some of these guys have played all over the US and world.???

 

Chattanooga Football Club??™s next home match is at Finley Stadium on Saturday, June 20, at 7 p.m.

 

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

 

I finally made my first game and I must admit IT WAS GREAT....For Chattanooga it was a vitual who's who in Chattanooga soccer in attendance. A so called family reunion . Everyone from coaches, players, refs, and parents that have been involved with soccer in the Chatt. area over the past 15 years. It was good seeing a lot of old freinds and making some new ones.

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2100 Fans Watch Chattanooga FC, Rocket City Tie 1-1

posted June 21, 2009

 

 

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.???

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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©3.

 

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Chattanooga FC Players Unite From All Over The World

by Sheldon Grizzle

posted June 29, 2009

 

It only takes a moment??™s glance at the game-day program of a Chattanooga Football Club match to notice at least a third of their players are from other nations around the world. These international players combined with the best local talent, have come together to create a new and exciting sports destination for Chattanoogans.

 

Local soccer fans have responded surprisingly well to the Chattanooga Football Club??™s inaugural season. Thousands have attended the club??™s matches at Finley Stadium, rain or shine, donning blue CFC T-shirts, rooting for the city??™s new semi-pro sensation. Several supporters, including CFC players, believe that the club is filling a long-existing void in Chattanooga??™s soccer community.

 

The excitement the team has generated is apparent. Chattanooga FC??™s fan page on Facebook already has more fans than the Major League Soccer page. CFC founders and sponsors employed a strong promotional strategy to kick off the season but, truly, it is the players??™ high caliber performance that is proving to be irresistible to local soccer buffs ??????" adults and children alike.

 

Chattanooga FC players, having only played together for a couple of months, have been motivated by the initial response. Hearing over a thousand cheering fans at their home matches has ???elevated their play,??? as some of them said, and has helped them come together as a team.

 

???Chattanooga seems to be embracing the team,??? said Moises Drumond, a Canadian forward who played at Bryan College and is currently coaching at Soddy Daisy High School. ???The turnout to our first three games alone proves that we are making an impact on the community.???

 

There are not many who could disagree with that statement with over total attendance nearing 6,000 for the season. According to the National Premier Soccer League website, Chattanooga has, by far and away, the best attendance of all 26 NPSL teams.

 

The Chattanooga FC is becoming a regional hub for quality soccer and many of the players already feel like an important part of the city??™s legacy. Along with fan support, the variety of the players??™ backgrounds is creating a unique dynamic in the way the team operates on and off the field.

 

A few players are native Chattanoogans, like Elliot Anderson, a midfielder who attended CSAS and then played for Emory and Henry College. He believes that CFC has ???sparked a lot of interest in the soccer community, particularly in youth soccer.??? Indeed, if you have attended a game, you would agree with that statement because young soccer enthusiasts are showing up in droves.

 

The majority of the players have come from other regions, states, even other countries, including England, Scotland, Belarus, Mexico, Canada and Kenya. Quite a few of them already see Chattanooga as a home away from home. They are inspired by the diversity of the team and generally head-over-heels about spending their summer in the Scenic City with the Chattanooga FC. John Simmons, a midfielder playing at King College and hailing from Essex, England, called the city lovely in its cleanliness and friendly disposition.

 

???Chattanooga itself is very diverse and exciting,??? said Richard Masters, a goalkeeper from a small town just outside London. ???It??™s really nice and calm as well??¦a lot like my home city.???

 

Overall, the players view the Chattanooga FC as a wonderful opportunity to improve their play and enjoy Chattanooga for its people, scenery and unique lifestyles. Joshua Scott, a defender from London, said ???the 1st class organization of the team and overall hospitality has made us feel welcome.???

 

As members of the team, this eclectic set of young players holds a place in Chattanooga FC history, as many believe the club will continue to inspire the local soccer community and refine the talent of amateur players. With two wins, two losses and one draw, the team has posted solid performances against some well-manned teams from around the Southeast and, as proven thus far, will persist in enriching the Chattanooga sports scene.

 

Chattanooga FC??™s next home game is Saturday, July 4 at 7 p.m. The game will finish around 9 p.m. and will have a shuttle service to the riverfront for fireworks for $1. Tickets to the game cost $5 for adults and $3 for kids.

 

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

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Chattanooga FC looking ...

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Chattanooga FC looking ahead to next season with excitement

 

By: John Frierson

 

Following an inaugural season that could not have gone much better, the Chattanooga Football Club is now pondering what it can do for an encore.

 

 

"It was one of those best-case scenarios that we did not even contemplate at the beginning of the season," co-founder and player Sheldon Grizzle said of the men's soccer team's reception this season. That began with a crowd of more than 1,000 at its debut on May 16 at Finley Stadium and reached a peak with 3,014 fans showing up for the home finale on July 4.

 

Chattanooga FC, which had the highest attendance in the National Premier Soccer League, also did well on the field, going 4-3-1 in its first season, including four wins in its last six games.

 

From a merchandising standpoint, the club also was a hit. Grizzle said the team never intended to sell T-shirts, but fans, reaching out on the club's Web site and Facebook page, requested them and the club wound up selling hundreds.

 

Co-founder Tim Kelly said the team's founders met last Saturday to begin looking ahead to next season, and one of the major questions that must be addressed is where the team will play its home games. Finley Stadium was clearly a popular venue and is the preferred venue, but Kelly said the club will explore all options for next season.

 

The positives for playing at the stadium include its location, ability to handle large crowds and beer can be sold there. The club allowed several local restaurants to set up stands and sell food at each game, but Finley Stadium executive director Merrill Eckstein said last month that if the team returns next season the stadium's concessionaire will handle all food and beverage sales.

 

Eckstein also said that the rental fee, which he described as minimal for the inaugural season, would go up a little next season.

 

Kelly said having the local vendors -- who kept all the revenue from sales -- was a big hit for the fans this season and the club would hate to lose their presence at the stadium. However, if the team opts to play at one of the local schools then it would lose the beer sales, and the beer line was long at every home game.

 

"We want those vendors and contractually it might be an issue," Kelly said. "Not to sound too Kumbaya about it, but the love of the game comes before the love of the revenue.

 

"I think we'll work something out eventually."

 

The club had numerous local businesses as sponsors, including the local Volkswagen dealership -- the VW logo was featured prominently on the front of the players' jerseys -- and Kelly said the club has already had conversations with Volkswagen, which is building a $1 billion plan in Chattanooga, about future sponsorship.

 

Kelly said that if Volkswagen again sponsors the front of the jersey, he has another local business interested in putting its name on the back.

 

"The sponsorship picture for next year is already looking pretty bright," Kelly said. "We've already had a number of really strong inquiries."

 

The strong first season will likely also affect next season's roster, Grizzle said. Even though tryouts won't take place until next spring, the club is already being contacted by prospective players.

 

"We've already had about 25 players e-mail us or contact us," Grizzle said. "We had a coach from Nigeria get in touch with us and say he'd like to bring four or five of his players over. So we're getting a much wider pool of people than we had last year.

 

"Last year we had about 150 players come through and try out, and this year we'll probably be upwards of that, and I think the quality of players that try out will improve as well."

 

I hope the folks at CFC realize that one of main draws for the CFC games was the fact that it had alot of local players.

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