Chattanooga Derby Highlights Emotion of US Open Cup
Image courtesy of US Soccer.
By Griffin Cappiello
The Second Round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup was full of drama, but one match in particular encapsulated not only the spirit of the Cup but was also a microcosm of the world of US Soccer.
Only five US cities are home to two or more professional soccer teams. Four of these five cities sound like they should be on this list; Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, and Charlotte are all top-50 cities in population, so it makes sense that they can host multiple clubs. Chattanooga, TN, on the other hand, would not be most people’s first guess for the fifth city on the list.
Home to Chattanooga Football Club (CFC) of MLS Next PRO and the Chattanooga Red Wolves of USL League One, Chattanooga is a miniature soccer hotbed.
Since the team was founded in 2009, CFC provided a glimpse at what soccer could be outside of Major League Soccer (MLS). Playing in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), CFC broke attendance records and provided the city of Chattanooga with a professional soccer experience which (at the time) was largely unavailable outside MLS.
In 2018, however, the Red Wolves came to town. The USL announced that Chattanooga would be home to a new Division III side, much to the chagrin of CFC supporters. Following rumors that the Red Wolves would attempt to play at Finley Stadium, CFC’s home ground, the original Chattanooga soccer club made a move to join the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA). After three successful seasons, CFC joined MLS Next PRO, a much more stable league due to its ties to MLS.
Because of the territory rights that USL franchises claim, CFC would be barred from joining any league within the USL structure, simply because the Red Wolves technically held the claim to the Chattanooga market in the eyes of the USL. As a result, in seven years of sharing the same city, the two Chattanooga clubs had never faced each other on the pitch.
When this year’s Lamar Hunt US Open Cup announced that the clubs would face off in the Second Round, tensions were high. Red Wolves supporters saw the match as an opportunity to solidify their claim to the city, while CFC fans wanted to fight to defend what was originally theirs.
12,131 fans packed into Finley Stadium on April 2 to watch the first-ever edition of the Chattanooga Derby, the fourth-largest attendance for a match in CFC history. Even the Mayor of Chattanooga got into the action, lighting up City Hall with CFC’s team colors and calling the Red Wolves as “the team from East Ridge,” a reference to the technical location of the team’s home stadium.
Fans also took the opportunity to take a shot at MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who had previously made comments about the lack of soccer culture in Chattanooga. Pictures spread online of a tifo made by fans featuring an image of Garber and his quote criticizing the city of Chattanooga’s soccer offerings.
The match itself was rather chippy, with several players picking up yellow cards. The two sides exchanged free kick goals in the first half, and with no other scoring in the second half, regulation time ended 1-1. In extra time, neither team managed to break the deadlock, sending the first-ever Chattanooga Derby to a penalty shootout to decide the result.
Unfortunately for the loyal CFC supporters, the Red Wolves held out for a 5-4 victory on penalties, sending them through to the next round of the Open Cup. However, the match itself was a testament to the growth of the sport of soccer throughout the United States. Even a mere five years ago, the idea of 12,000 people coming to watch a soccer match in Chattanooga on a Wednesday night would have been unfathomable.
“This game fulfills the mission and values of our club,” said CFC head coach Chris Nugent in a post-game press conference. “It’s a tough result to take, but there are bigger things that are bigger than 90 minutes on the field.”
Following the USL’s announcements of a new Division I league and the implementation of promotion and relegation throughout the USL league system, the possibility of CFC being allowed to join the USL does seem slightly more likely. If it means more of the Chattanooga Derby, based on my impression of this game, I say bring it on!
