Chattanooga FC returns home on Saturday for a night filled with playoff-implication soccer, as Flower City Union (Rochester, NY) comes for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Finley Stadium. Gates open at 6:30 p.m.
MATCH INFORMATION
Saturday, September 24 | Finley Stadium, Chattanooga, Tennessee | 7:30 p.m. ET
Chattanooga FC (11-7-3, 40 points) vs. Flower City Union (2-3-16, 9 points)
Tickets: CFCTIX.com
Chattanooga Football Club is returning from a weekend trip to Michigan where it drew 0-0 for the third straight time with Michigan Stars on Sunday night.
The Rochester, NY based club is coming off of 3 weeks rest from game action. Even though Flower City is out of playoff contention, the expansion club will certainly want a strong finish to its first season. CFC has played FCU twice in Rochester and won both contests by scores of 5-0 and 5-1. However, the only other meeting at Finley resulted in a rare 0-1 home loss for CFC back on April 30.
Chattanooga FC has already clinched its playoff berth. A win on Saturday will go a long way in securing a quarterfinal bye and could give Chattanooga a chance to host a league semifinal at home on Sunday, October 30.
Previous Meetings
Saturday will be the third meeting between CFC and Flower City Union in the 2022 season. After losing the FCU on April 30 in Chattanooga, CFC went to Rochester on May 21 and won 5-1, led by 4 goals from Markus Naglestad and one from Ian Cerro. CFC would score 5 more goals in the July 16th meeting and this time it secured the shutout in a 5-0 road victory. Naglestad had two goals. Alex Jaimes, Taylor Gray, and Roddy Green had the others. Goalkeeper Alec Redington earned the shutout.
Playoff Structure
Top two teams receive a quarterfinal bye. Seeds 3-6 play in the quarterfinals on October 22 or 23. Semifinals take place the following weekend at the two highest remaining seeds on October 29 or 30. The league championship would take place November 5 or 6. Any games hosted by CFC would take place Sundays at 6:00 p.m. at Finley Stadium.
League Leaders
Chattanooga FC leads the league in goals scored (38) as well as a goal difference (+20). It also has the current Golden Boot leader with Markus Naglestad. Finley Stadium leads the league with average attendance in 2022 and is fourth in the country for overall attendance in Division 3 professional soccer (which includes NISA, USL1, and MLS NEXT Pro). CFC trails only Madison, Omaha, and Richmond in attendance.
Juan Hernandez Bobblehead Night
The first 1,000 fans through the gates on Saturday receive a limited edition bobblehead of CFC legend Juan Hernandez. Must be present to receive the bobblehead. The bobblehead is per person, not per ticket. These bobbleheads will not be for sale.
Cause of the Night
Chattanooga Football Club supports a local non-profit organization during each home game of the season. Saturday's match will benefit La Paz, which is the leading organization promoting inclusion of the Hispanic and Latino community in Southeast Tennessee.
Hero Night
Chattanooga Football Club will be donating free tickets all local first responders, teachers, and healthcare workers for Saturday's game. Text HERO to 423-445-1002 to claim your free ticket.
CFC Foundation
Chattanooga Football Club will recognize programs and players from its CFC Foundation members at halftime.
About Chattanooga Football Club
Chattanooga Football Club was founded in 2009. The men's team competes in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), which is in the third division of professional soccer. Chattanooga Football Club became the first soccer club to offer true ownership to the fans in 2019 with 3,200+ investors from Chattanooga, all 50 states, and 31 countries. CFC plays all home games in Finley Stadium in Chattanooga.
Chattanooga FC at Flower City Union (7.16.22)