Chattanooga's slide continues
Toronto FC II leave Finley Stadium with 2-1 comeback win
If you had told me at half-time that Chattanooga FC would eventually lose last night’s game against Toronto FC II, I’d have doubted you. At that point, CFC had been dominating their visitors in possession (54%-46%), shots (9-2), shots on target (5-1), big chances (4-0), corners (4-0), and pass completion (224/88%-192/85%). The only suprise was that they were only a single goal ahead thanks to a Markus Naglestad strike right on the cusp of half-time.
But the Toronto side that emerged in the second half was not the same group that had ended the first and neither were Chattanooga. Suddenly, it was the visitors who laid on the pressure, besting CFC in possession (52%-48%), shots (10-6), shots on target (5-3), big chances (2-0), corners (4-1), and pass completion (184/81%-164/85%) in the half. But those stas reveal that CFC were better in the second half than Toronto had been in the first. So what was the difference between the two sides? Well, finishing. Again, I think CFC were undone by a lack of clinical finishing, although their defense did not cover themselves in glory in the second half. The lack of goal threat up-front didn’t bother Toronto as Markus Cimermancic and Hassan Ayari gave them a come-back win on the road.
3,377 of Chattanoga’s loyal fans streamed into Finley Stadium, despite the scare of rain. It turned out to be a perfect evening, weather wise, after a hot week in the Scenic City, as co-founder and inaugural squad member Sheldon Grizzle became the latest inductee to the club's Hall of Legends. Vibes and atmosphere in the ground were positive, despite last weekend’s horrible 3-1 loss to Crown Legacy and the club’s miserable summer form, coming into the game without a win since 24 May.
And the first half was so promising. Yes, they failed to score again and again from multiple chances off Naglestad, Milo Garvanian, and Daniel Mangarov. But the dominance was there and you had the feeling that it would eventually pay off. And it did, right at the end of the half through Naglestad's perfectly-hit strike from Tate Robertson's league-leading eighth assist of the season. It felt as though the Norwegian had turned back the clock with the goal, and it sent Section 109 into raptures.
Scoring right at the half, can be perfect as it sends your side into the clubhouse on a high, and gives your opponents a sucker punch. But had the goal come too late? Had CFC simply squandered too many chances?
The answer came less than five minutes into the second half when Nathaniel Edwards, fresh from his MLS NEXT Pro Goal of Matchweek 20 shook off Colin Thomas and Mangarov, feeding the call to Jahmarie Nolan on the edge of the box. Cimermancic made a run into the box. His likely marker, Nathan Koehler had advanced out to help deal with Edwards, leaving the 20-year-old from Kitchener, Ontario unmarked and free to meet Nolan’s delightful little chip. He took it on the chest, controlled it well, and volleyed past Chattanooga goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović. A few CFC arms went up briefly in a vain plea for offside, but Cimermancic looked to be kept onside by at least three Chattanooga players. The defending wasn’t great, but take nothing away from the teamwork and technique of all three Toronto players involved in the goal.
It was largely Toronto in the second half, but as I said above, Chattanooga weren’t completely out of it and had their moments. They played better in the second half than their visitors had in the first, but the momentum in the game had definitely swung and you sensed that the Canadians would be the more likely to win in regulation time.
And so they did, on 73 minutes, after CFC midfielder Callum Watson wrong-footed himself to hand possession to them. Edwards was there to capitalize, taking the ball on and driving a pass to Tunisian youth international Hassan Ayari. The 22-year-old left CFC captain Farid Sar-Sar for dead, rounding the central defender and hammering a shot home. Its a moment that Sar-Sar will want to forget.
A bitterly disappointing day for a side that just can’t seem to win at the moment. CFC were better today than the horror show last week against Crown Legacy but they’ve still squandered a lead, at home, against a team below them in the table. They’re now down to 6th after a wretced run of form of 4 draws and 5 losses since their last win in late May. They’re now staring at a two-game away trip at Orlando City B (August 9) and Carolina Core FC (August 16) before their next home game, against Huntsville City FC on Saturday, August 23. For Toronto, they’re now just five points behind CFC (in seventh place) and can enjoy a pair of home games against Atlanta United 2 (August 8) and Cincinnati 2 (August 15) in which to try and overhaul the men from Tennessee.
Match takeaways
Credit to Toronto coach Gianni Cimini and his charges for their resilience and teamwork yesterday. They looked worthless in the first half, barely troubling Eldin Jakupović and must have been shattered after conceding a goal right at half-time. But they lifted themselves up, played their game effectively and capitalized on Chattanooga’s mistakes. This is a great come-back win for them and they’ll be confident of leap-frogging CFC by the end of the month.
As for Chattanooga, I think a dedicated article on their recent form is overdue and is something I’ll look to write up this coming week. Apart from saying “They need to score goals”, an obvious observation in this sport, it’s hard to know what else exactly they need to do. There was some sloppy defending and mistakes yesterday, but they should have been well clear of Toronto by the time of Cimermancic’s goal. Peter Plougmand was absent again and I think its clear that (and with all due respect to Markus Naglestad, his legacy, his record, and his fine goal last night) the young Dane is the player this team needs right now.
As well as Plougmand, I can’t help but wonder what impact Alex McGrath would have at this time. He’s still around to lift spirits and confidence off the field, but on the pitch, I imagine his leadership is missing. That’s not a slight on Farid Sar-Sar who has been a great stand-in captain, or other leaders in the team like Jakupović, Robertson, or Naglestad, but there does sometimes seem to be a McGrath-shaped hole in the middle of the park that no other player can fill.
Finally, I have seen and heard some quarters questioning the position of Head Coach Chris Nugent. While I can respect and understand such opinions, I don’t agree with them. This is still Nugent’s first full season in charge. He’s identified and signed some good players and has found ways of getting this team to unearth victories in adversity. Yes, this is a bad run of form, but all teams have them. Nugent thinks about soccer and knows the game well. With patience, and some luck with injuries, I think he is absolutely the man to turn things around.
Box Score
Chattanooga FC - Toronto FC II
MLS Next Pro
Venue: Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, TN
Attendance: 3,377
Final Score: Chattanooga 1-2 Toronto
Referee: Taylor Bowen
Scoring summary:
45’: Markus Naglestad (CHA)
49’: Markus Cimermancic (TOR)
73’: Hassan Ayari (TOR)
Discipline:
39’: Nick Mendonca (CHA) - yellow card
47: Eldin Jakupović (CHA) - yellow card
76’: Nathan Koehler (CHA) - yellow card
87’: Reid Fisher (TOR) - yellow card
89’: Ameziane Sid Mohand (CHA) - yellow card
Man of the Match: Nathaniel Edwards (TOR) - influential in both goals, was in the right place to punish CFC for sloppy play and capitalize for his team.
Line-ups:
Chattanooga FC (4-3-3): Eldin Jakupović; Milo Garvanian, Nathan Koehler, Farid Sar-Sar (C), Tate Robertson; Nick Mendonca (Steeve Louis Jean 76'), Callum Watson, Daniel Mangarov (Darwin Ortiz 58'); Colin Thomas (Xavier Rimpel 65'), Jalen James (Ameziane Sid Mohand 76') Markus Naglestad (Keegan Ancelin 65')
Substitutes not used: Michael Barrueta, Ethan Dudley, Mike Bleeker, Robert Screen
Head Coach: Chris Nugent
Toronto FC II (3-5-2): Adisa De Rosario; Reid Fisher, Lazar Stefanovic, Stefan Kapor (Patrick McDonald 65'); Hassan Ayari (Antone Bossenberry 81'), Lucas Olguin (Timothy Fortier 84'), Marko Stojadinovic, Markus Cimermancic (Constantinos Iliadis 79'), Nathaniel Edwards (Ythallo 90+5'); Jahmarie Nolan (Josh Nugent 84'), Michael Sullivan (C)
Substitutes not used: Shafique Wilson, Richard Chukwu
Head Coach: Gianni Cimini
Next Games
• August 9th, 19:00 (ET): Orando City B v Chattanooga FC, Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, FL (MLS Next Pro)
• August 8th, 19:00 (ET): Toronto FC II v Atlanta United 2, York Lions Stadium, North York, Ontario, Canada (MLS Next Pro)