The Chattanooga Red Wolves have fallen to Charlotte Independence with a final score of 2-3.
Twenty-six seconds. Twenty-six seconds, and the men from Charlotte made their presence known. It was clear this match would be nothing like the Richmond game.
Following in the 12th was a second goal, earning Charlotte an early 2-0 lead over the Wolves. All they would have to do was hold that advantage.
That’s not what happened, of course. Not in Chattanooga. Josh Ramos sent a meteor by Charlotte’s Matt Levy, severing their lead in two. Pedro Hernandez sealed the gap in the 39th with a snaking series of dribbles that took him past a helpless Levy and into the goal.
In between and all throughout, Jason Smith executed several brilliant saves: Catching a missile from Charlotte in the 12th, and in the 35th popping a shot away from the goal like it was a volleyball. As the second half drew to a close, Chattanooga neared their opponent’s goal with a remarkable set piece.
Eric Kinzner received well, but was foiled at the last moment by one of Charlotte’s players. The second half set into motion smoothly, Chattanooga taking initial control. Scores upended in the 57th, when Charlotte nailed the back of the net for a third time.
The Wolves rallied back with set pieces and strikes, and multiple substitutions. Bentley entered alongside Mercer and Donoho, but despite keeping the ball in Charlotte’s third for an electrifying time, they found themselves unable to equalize again.
The final whistle hailed Charlotte the victor, but the season is hardly a third of the way through! There’ll be plenty more Red Wolves action, with the next home match on Saturday, June 20th. They’ll be squaring off against FC Naples then, so make sure to grab your seats while you can.