Chattanooga Football Club continued its strong start in MLS NEXT Pro league play and remained unbeaten after four matches as substitutes Daniel Mangarov and Keegan Ancelin both scored in the second half in a 2-0 victory over Southeast Division rivals Orlando City B.
Mangarov opened the scoring in the 77th minute with a fine finish from Ancelin's cross into the bottom corner and the pair switched roles and made sure of the three points in the 84th minute when Ancelin finished from a similar spot in the penalty area.
CFC has now won and kept clean sheets in its first two home league matches to start the season and will finish the weekend at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović has been a key contributor to strong defensive performances this season and Saturday night was no different. Jakupović made two key saves in the first half and an impressive seven on the evening.
Midfielder Nick Mendonca hit the post with a fierce shot from outside the penalty area in the 22nd minute.
Left wingback Milo Garvanian and winger Minjae Kwak had a pair of chances early in the second half, but it was ultimately two substitutes that made the difference for the Boys in Blue.
Ancelin now leads the team with three goals in MLS NEXT Pro play, while he and Mangarov are the team's joint-assists leaders as well.
"We're all training really hard and working well together as a team," said Ancelin. "We encourage each other to play forward and direct and as a team. Once we get in the attacking third, we're creating some dangerous chances. There's always room for improvement, of course, but we are working well as a cohesive unit so far."
Head Coach Chris Nugent spoke on the team's impressive response on a quick turnaround from midweek U.S. Open Cup action.
"I'm very pleased," said Nugent. "It's been a long week with all the games. The guys that came in played really well tonight, both the ones that started and finished the game. It was closer to our attacking identity, especially in the second half, of what I want from us. We did a good job adjusting our build-up a little bit and press and I felt that happened. We got caught on the transition a bit, which was a slight concern, but I do think the back three and Eldin did a great job. There were a lot of positives all throughout the match, especially on the back of two tough games."
CFC will visit fellow independent club Carolina Core FC next Sunday April 13th and will be back at Finley Stadium on Saturday, April 19th against Crown Legacy FC.
Noteworthy
- Robert Screen made his first start for CFC in an MLS NEXT Pro regular season match
- Peter Plougmand made his first MLS NEXT Pro appearance
- Ancelin leads the club in goals in MLS NEXT Pro (3)
- Ancelin and Mangarov lead the club in assists in MLS NEXT Pro (2)
- Ancelin and Mangarov both lead the club with three goals each in all competitions