Submitted by Chattanooga FC
CHATTANOOGA —
With a 4-0 win against Rocket City United last Saturday, Chattanooga Football Club earned a spot in the National Premier Soccer League’s Final Four.
The Southeast Region champion, Chattanooga FC (6-0-2) is the No. 2 seed for the event, which also includes FC Sonic of Lehigh Valley, Madison 56ers and Sacramento Gold.
Former Dalton High standouts Irvin Espinal and Luis Salazar are both members of Chattanooga FC.
The action will kick off July 29 in Madison, Ala., with a semifinal match between FC Sonic and Sacramento Gold at 5:30 p.m. local (Central Standard) time in Madison City School Stadium. The winner of the opening game will then await the result of the other semifinal match between Chattanooga FC and Madison 56ers, set for 8 p.m. at the same location.
The 56ers enter the semifinal against Chattanooga FC as Midwest Region champs with an 8-2-0 record. Not to be confused with the host city in Alabama, the 56ers hail from Madison, Wis., and were able to prevail from a Midwest Region that included such teams as the Chicago Fire NPSL.
The 56ers will provide a stern test for a Chattanooga team that enters the Final Four for the first time in its brief two-year history. Chattanooga FC will also be without captain Russell Courtney, who tore his ACL and MCL in an exhibition match with DC United’s reserve squad this past Saturday. Another notable player missing from the Chattanooga roster on Thursday night will be Chris Ochieng, the club’s leading scorer.
If Chattanooga FC defeats the 56ers, it will then play in the NPSL championship match at 7:30 p.m. on July 31. The NPSL consolation match, which will involve the losers from both semifinal matches, will take place at 5:30 p.m. on July 30.
Big River Grille will be hosting a Final Four send-off gathering at 8:30 tonight. Supporters are encouraged to come by and meet the team, coaches and staff. For more information, visit www.chattanoogafc.com
About Chattanooga Football Club: Chattanooga FC is a member team of the National Premier Soccer League, Southeast Region. Chattanooga FC brings top quality soccer, premier player development and community involvement to the Chattanooga region. In only its first season in 2009, Chattanooga FC had the highest average attendance in the nation for the NPSL. The NPSL is sanctioned by the USASA as an affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), and FIFA, the world’s governing body for soccer.
