Photo credit: Atlanta United Communications

CHATTANOOGA, Tn. — Chattanooga Football Club on Sunday were crowned MLS Next Pro Eastern Conference Southeast Division Champions after a come-from-behind tie with and penalty shootout win over Atlanta United 2. By doing so they successfully completed their mission of obtaining fourth place and a home playoff spot in the league. Atlanta, meanwhile, were condemned to 10th place and their season is now over.

After first half goals from Santiago Pita for Atlanta and Yuval Cohen for Chattanooga, the game was decided by Eldin Jakupović who made two saves in the resulting penalty shootout. CFC pulled a crowd of 4,532 their highest of the season in league play on a perfect October afternoon.

Atlanta started the game the better of both sides. They applied immediate pressure that saw Patrick Weah wielding the ball in CFC’s box despite pressure from Nathan Koehler. Weah managed to feed it back to an unmarked Santiago Pita in the box who was given time to control the ball and shoot with a second touch. It was a second goal of the season for the 18-year-old Floridian, but questions will need to be asked about how he was unmarked in a dangerous position and allowed multiple unchallenged touches of the ball in the box.

Some early sloppy passing from CFC saw Atlanta make a number of interceptions as pressure continued. Chattanooga seemed initially dumbstruck by Atlanta’s pressure but gradually began getting into the game. When they eventually settled, Luke Husakiwsky was key to their more composed form, acting as a competent play maker.

On 26 minutes, CFC’s attempts at forward play were rewarded when Yuval Cohen grabbed his first goal for the club. The move began with a cracking long, low pass from Daniel Mangarov that sliced through Atlanta’s defense and into the path of Yuval Cohen, who timed a perfect run to meet it. The 19-year-old then held off the challenge from Ronan Wynne to slot tidily passed Jonathan Ransom.

The pace of the game wasn’t helped by the performance of referee Izlen Peksenar who appears to breath using his whistle. I counted 31 times that he called a halt to proceedings for perceived fouling. While the game wasn’t without foul play, it wasn’t a drastically dirty affair but the referee from South Carolina seemed poised to blow his whistle at the slightest touch. There was no bias in favor or against any side, just a persistent level of strict officiating that spoiled the ability for the game to flow.

Peksenar did have to card Toto Majub twice in the second 45 minutes, both times for cynical fouls. The second, when he brought down an attacking Keegan Ancelin late in the game and as last-man-back, saw him given a straight red. Gavin Turner was having a good game for CFC. On loan from DC United and demonstrating again the skillset and talent he has, he constantly weaved his way through Atlanta’s defense, spinning webs of attacking moves. He almost won it for Chattanooga in regulation time, hitting the post on 65 minutes.

In the end, and after nine minutes of added time, matters were settled by Eldin Jakupović who got a hand to the final three penalties he faced in the shootout. First, he saved from Sal Mazzaferro, then touched the kick by Moises Tablante, only for it to cruelly go under him and into the net. It mattered little though. After Gavin Turner put CFC ahead again with a cheeky little spot-kick, Jakupović saved from Gabriel Wesseh to claim the bonus point. It was cruel for Wesseh, who was lively in the first half and often much of what Atlanta did well came through him.

Atlanta’s season is now concluded. Chattanooga marches on to the playoffs. They’ll learn their opponents this week and host on Sunday October 19th.

Photo Credit: Chattanooga FC Communications

Box Score

Chattanooga FC v Atlanta United 2

MLS Next Pro

Venue: Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, TN

Attendance: 4,532

Final Score: Chattanooga 1-1 Atlanta (Chattanooga wins 5-4 on penalties)

Referee: Izlen Peksenar

Scoring summary:

2’: S. Pita (ATL)
26’: Y. Cohen (CFC)

Shootout summary:

T. Robertson (CFC) X 0-0
P. Weah (ATL) ✓ 0-1
D. Mangarov (CFC) ✓ 1-1
J. Armas (ATL) ✓ 1-2
X. Rimpel (CFC) ✓ 2-2
A. Kovač (ATL) ✓ 2-3
C. Watson (CFC) ✓ 3-3
S. Mazzaferro (ATL) X 3-3
F. Sar-Sar (CFC) ✓ 4-3
M. Tablante (ATL) ✓ 4-4
G. Turner (CFC) ✓ 5-4
G. Wesseh (ATL) X 5-4

Discipline:

14’: D. Mangarov (CFC) - foul, yellow card
45+4’: A. García (CFC) - foul, yellow card
49’: R. Wynne (ATL) - foul, yellow card
74’: T. Majub (ATL) - foul, yellow card
90+4’: F. Sar-Sar (CFC) - foul, yellow card
90+8’: T. Majub (ATL) - foul, red card

Man of the Match: Eldin Jakupović (CFC) - made two saves and six recoveries during regulation time. Was the difference during a penalty shootout that swung both ways, gettting a hand to three last spot kicks, saving two. As well as his talent, his leadership is invaluable.

Line-ups:

Chattanooga FC (4-3-3): Eldin Jakupović; Milo Garvanian (Tate Robertson 69’), Farid Sar-Sar (C), Nathan Koehler, Steeve Louis Jean; Luke Husakiwsky (Nick Mendonca 79’), Gavin Turner, Callum Watson; Daniel Mangarov, Anthony García (Keegan Ancelin 60’), Yuval Cohen (Xavier Rimpel 79’)

Substitutes not used: Michael Barrueta, Ethan Dudley, Logan Brown, Darwin Ortiz, Markus Naglestad

Atlanta United 2 (3-4-3): Jonathan Ransom; Salvatore Mazzaferro, Toto Majub, Ronan Wynne; Moises Tablante, David Sibrian (Adyn Torres 69’), Javier Armas, Ryan Carmichael; Santiago Pita (Arif Kovač 77’), Gabriel Wesseh, Patrick Weah

Substitutes not used: James Donaldson, Rodrigo Neri, Ignacio Suarez, Ilan Ettinger

Head Coach: Jose Silva Caparros

Next Game

• October 19th: Chattanooga FC v TBD, Finley Stadium, Chattanooga, TN (MLS Next Pro)

Southeast Soccer Report

Chattanooga wins home playoff, Atlanta 2…