The Chattanooga Red Wolves have defeated defending USL League One champions One Knox, with a final score of 1-0.
The Smoky Mountain Smackdown surged into motion for the second time this year, the first in regular season play on account of an earlier USL Cup match. Chattanooga started out with a strong push on pressure, though Knoxville was not slow to respond. Each team had a solid shot in the first ten minutes.
As play progressed, One Knox found themselves in more consistent possession, though none of the chances they had materialized into anything meaningful. One clear shot a Knox man had against Jason Smith went way over the crossbar, and another pinged off the goalpost. But while One Knox held the Wolves off throughout the first half, they too were unable to find the back of their opponents’ net. Smith made multiple crucial saves, including a fabulous punch-away defense against a spot-on corner kick.
Entering the second half, Chattanooga took the larger slice of possession. It was attack after attack with the Wolves, the team earning five massive corner kicks throughout compared to Knox’s two. As the clock drew nearer to the end of the match, the tension in the stadium was palpable. This was the 12th matchup between the teams, each side earning four wins and facing three draws. The in-state rivalry brought a unique suspense to the pitch that only grew as the game continued.
The teams remained deadlocked until the 74th minute, when a strike from Omar Hernandez in the Red Wolves’ final corner kick of the night was sent thundering into Knoxville’s net by a Josh Ramos header. As CHI Memorial Stadium exploded in jubilation and more time passed, it became clear that that was the only goal that would be scored tonight.
The Wolves pressed on, imbued with a newfound confidence that led Greyson Mercer and Omar Hernandez to nearly turn the score 2-0, but a single point was all that was needed. At the final whistle, One Knox crumpled, the Red Wolves rejoiced, and the night transformed into a jovial victory.
In his fury at their loss, One Knox head coach Ian Fuller received a red card immediately after the conclusion of the match for his extremely aggressive outbursts. Both teams had sustained two cautions each, and had remained even in the card regard until then.