UFA outgunned by rampant Chattanooga
Statement win sees CFC put five past their visitors
Its June 2024, and Chattanooga FC has just been handed a thrashing at home courtesy of the UFA Gunners as the Canton, GA side run out 6-2 winners. Chattanooga’s season would conclude in sixth place in the WPSL Southeast Conference, with a 3-5 record.
Since then, much has happened. Head Coach Tom Halsall departed in November, replaced by his assistant and club legend Juan Hernandez. In the off-season the club signed 24 players, many of them new faces, and many with professional or top semi-pro experience across the US and internationally. Two weeks ago, when I met Hernandez and Associate Head Coach Maryn Beutler, I’d asked them if the quality of signings for 2025 was a statement of intent by the club. “Yes”, answered Hernandez, “you bring in those players to win, but those players are also great leaders who are gonna support everything that goes on underneath. While we’re going for a Championship, we’re focused on our other goal which is building the soccer community.”
Last night’s performance may well be that statement played out. Chattanooga were scintillating in attack and were in command of this game from the very outset, limiting the Gunners to few chances on goal or even forays into their box. And while the night was characterized by a pair of braces from new signings, it was Annalisa Vincent, the Guyanese international and 2024 returnee (who was the club’s leading scorer last season), who rounded out the goals on the 85th minute to give CFC a commanding 5-0 win.
The game started brightly for the home side as early pressure led to a throw-in from a dangerous position. Kaylie Smith fed the ball into the box, it bounced with some help from Vincent and new signing Reese McDermott rather awkwardly bundled the ball into the goal. Gunners’ calamitous goalie Elke Travis was in no-man’s land and will be disappointed to concede such a wonky goal. For McDermott though, they all count. She was signed with the intention to put more scores on the board, after a successful 2024 with Colorado Storm where she scored 10 in 15 games. A first of the season for her now, and CFC’s first of the year.
It took Chattanooga only 15 minutes to grab their second. McDermott did well to earn a free-kick on the edge of the box after being brought to the ground by Brielle LaBerge. The set-piece, taken by new signing Hannah Tillett, was backheeled excellently by Chattanooga-native Kennedy Ball. The 20-year-old would grab her second on 34 minutes. Former Reading FC midfielder Mae Hunt won the ball after a period of UFA possession and Ball took it on herself, drove into the box and whipped a shot past the helpless goalkeeper to make it 3-0.
CFC’s fourth came on the cusp of the hour and in very similar fashion to its third. McDermott won the ball on the halfway line and despite having two teammates to pass to, she advanced herself into the box and scored the side’s second excellent individual effort of the evening. Vincent then came up to settle matters, tapping in an easy finish from an Elisa Dean cross. The move was started by a long pass to Dean from Hunt.
For Chattanooga it’s a dream start to the season. There’s more work to do but they’ve begun their three-game home stand with a convincing win against one of the division’s traditionally stronger clubs. Head Coach Juan Hernandez will be delighted with how well his largely new side gelled so quickly. “The girls are high level. We brought them here for a reason and with the help of all the coaches we got the details down. There’s still room to improve, still lots of things to continue to build from. But it a good day.”
CFC’s fans will have been happy to see a brace from ‘one of their own’ Kennedy Ball, an Academy graduate. When asked about playing and scoring in front of the Chattahooligans she commented on “the energy, the livelihood they bring. It’s always great to look up and see the fans and see some familiar faces”.
For the Gunners, it’s a second straight defeat for a side that only lost once all last year. They’re in the midst of a tough four-game away stretch and will need to start picking up points soon if they’re to be in contention come the end of a short season. Head Coach Iggy Moleka will have to work hard with his defenders and goalkeepers who were utterly dominated by CFC’s attackers today. To have allowed the ball to bounce in the box for McDermott’s first goal and have a goalkeeper stranded is unacceptable. They also failed to close down both Ball and McDermott for their solo goals. UFA travels next to Decatur who kick off their season on Sunday at Atlanta Fire.
Box Score
Chattanooga FC - UFA Gunners
WPSL
Venue: Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, TN
Final Score: Chattanooga 5-0 UFA
Scoring summary:
3': R. McDermott (CFC)
18': K. Ball (CFC)
34': K. Ball (CFC)
59': R. McDermott (CFC)
85': A. Vincent (CFC)
Discipline:
38': M. Nicolas (UFA)
Player of the Match: Reese McDermott (CFC)
Line-ups:
Chattanooga FC: Maddie Smith, Kaylie Smith, Kei Yoneda, Jordan Crockett, Bella Valentine, Mae Hunt, Hannah Tillett, Kennedy Ball, Annalisa Vincent, EG Dillard, Reese McDermott
Subs: Kyleigh Hall, Kasie Vigil, Billie Jean Davies, Rine Yonaha, Brady Livingston, Annick Lolita Manga Zouma, Tori Soutuyo, Ella Attaway, Elisa Dean
Head Coach: Juan Hernandez
UFA Gunners: Elke Travis, Naomi Moleka, Bailey Mullen, Lauren McCloskey, Ashlyn Koutsos, Brielle LaBerge, Kate Markey, Layla Sirdah, Sarah Sirdah, Sydni Whitehead, Madison Nicolas
Subs: Hadley Collier, Grace Stair, Lissette Sanchez
Head Coach: Iggy Moleka
Next Games
• May 30th, 19:00 (ET): Chattanooga FC v Georgia Impact, Finley Stadium, Chattanooga, TN (WPSL)
• May 30th, 19:00 (ET): Decatur FC v UFA Gunners, Decatur High School Stadium, Decatur, GA (WPSL)