Match Preview: Georgia Impact vs. Chattanooga FC

CFC still in the hunt for glory

Photo credit: Chattanooga FC communications

Match: Georgia Impact v Chattanooga FC

Date: Wednesday, June 18th, 2025. 19:00 (Eastern)

Venue: Tommy Baker Field, Canton, GA. Capacity: 4,000

How to watch: National Soccer Network

Tickets: Georgia Impact Website

Second-place Chattanooga FC (4-0-1) head south on I-75 this Wednesday night for a midweek match-up with third-place Georgia Impact (2-0-3) in the WPSL Southeast Conference - Peachtree Division.

The Impact sits in third place and without much to play for beyond pride as we head into the last games of the regular season. Stuck on six points, they’re six behind Chattanooga and 12 behind leaders, Decatur FC. While their season did improve after a slow start, last Sunday’s 4-0 beating at home by Decatur showed how far they are behind the divisional best and confirmed their status as a mid-table side for this season. Of their last three games, which includes Wednesday’s tie with CFC, two are against the top two sides in the division, and two are away from home.

Chattanooga is the only side that can still catch runaway leaders Decatur. They visit Decatur on the last day of the regular season (Friday 27th) and currently trail them by six points but have a game in-hand. Realistically, they need to win in Canton, and score goals, to keep themselves in the hunt, as Decatur doesn’t look like dropping many points. On Saturday, CFC were 2-0 winners over a stubborn Atlanta Fire United after second half goals from Reese McDermott and Kaylie Smith.

Georgia and Chattanooga most recently met on 30 May at Finley Stadium where CFC came from behind to win 2-1. Lydia Robertson opened the scoring for the Impact on 7 minutes before player-of-the-match Hannah Tillett and McDermott gave Chattanooga the lead before half-time.

Report cards and lineups

Georgia Impact

A rather indifferent season so far for Georgia. They started slow but then managed to pick up two wins on the bounce against fourth-place Atlanta Fire. Last weekend saw their heaviest defeat of the season when Decatur came to Tommy Baker Field and swept four unanswered goals passed them. The Impact’s home record for the season stands at 1 win, 2 losses, 3 goals scored and 6 conceded (-3).

Head Coach Rob Roddie appears to favor some variant of a 3-4-3, with slight variations. Generally, he seems to play three center backs and looks to play with width in the middle and final third.

Madison Hook and Anna Weir are the team’s joint-top scorers this season, with two goals each. The Impact’s roster is entirely made up of college-age athletes recruited largely from local communities.

One player to watch is Grace Eatz. As a junior, the Roswell, GA-native played in all 16 matches for East Tennessee State last year, making 15 starts. She led her team with four goals scored to go with an assist for a team-best nine points. She also led ETSU in shot attempts (31) and shots on goal (16) and finished the season with 1,050 minutes played on the pitch. Eatz already has one goal this season for Georgia Impact.

Chattanooga

This is only CFC’s second away fixture of the season. Their only prior road trip resulted in a 1-0 win at UFA Gunners. However, Wednesday evening’s match-up marks the start of a three game away stand to close out the regular season for Chattanooga. While as yet largely untested on the road, they’re nonetheless strong enough to be confident of a win at Georgia Impact, especially with an expected horde of travelling fans behind them.

Given that WPSL games see a plethora of substitutions and players coming in-and-out of the game, a distinct starting XI may not be too important. The above is what I feel might be CFC’s strongest XI, currently.

While goals have come from across the team, including one each from Annalisa Vincent, Kaylie Smith, Mae Hunt, and Hannah Tillett, and two from Kennedy Ball; CFC’s primary threat is Reese McDermott. The 22-year-old is my player to watch again this week. Having arrived at the club from Colorado Storm, with whom she reached the final of the USL W League last season, scoring ten goals in 15 matches; she has netted five in five so far in 2025 and is the division’s leading goalscorer. Expect her to be on the scoresheet on Wednesday also, should CFC win.

Analysis and Predictions

For Georgia there really isn’t much to say. They’re playing for pride and, while that can be an important factor in any performance, it’s not something predictable nor tangible enough to hang your hopes on. CFC have everything to play, and win, for and that, plus their visible strengths over the Impact, make them favorites.

What this will mean for the divisional crown though, has yet to be seen.

• If CFC loses at Georgia, then Decatur only needs a point from its last two games (both at home) to win the division.

• If CFC ties at Georgia, then Decatur only needs two points from its last two games to win the division. Although, a point would likely still do, as CFC’s goal difference is inferior.

• If CFC wins at Georgia, and maintains pressure on Decatur, then all bets are off. They’ll be only three points behind, albeit with an inferior goal difference, with two games to play.

It will be tricky as Decatur looks unstoppable right now, and unless CFC can start putting more balls in the net and narrowing that goal difference, then it might not matter if they’re only three behind come final day, as they’d have too much of a difference to make up. Ideally, CFC needs Decatur to slip up somewhere between now and then.

First though, they need to handle their own business and win in Canton on Wednesday. I think they can, and should, do so. 2-1.