The Chattanooga Red Wolves will be back in action at CHI Memorial Stadium on Wednesday for a crucial midweek matchup against the reigning League One champions, North Texas SC. As the season is beginning to draw to a close with only 4 games left to play, the #4 ranked Red Wolves will be defending their home turf this week, against #9 North Texas SC. The Red Wolves (5-4-3) have dropped their last two matches, knocking them out of the top two spots with only a couple weeks left in the season, and they will have to take care of business from here on out in for a chance at competing in the postseason, while the North Texas Soccer Club (3-3-5), have nothing to lose and will travel to Chattanooga in an attempt to ruin the day for the Red Wolves. The two sides fought to a 2-2 draw in their sole meeting of the 2020 season in Texas, and both sides will want to pick up a win in what will be their last matchup against each other of the year. Chattanooga enters the match well rested from an 11-day break in between games. The Red Wolves have lost in their previous two matches, and will need to flip the script on Wednesday in order to compete for 2nd place. North Texas on the other hand will only have a 4 day break since their last time out, where they picked up a 3-0 win against Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday. With only four matches remaining, it is crunch time for the Red Wolves. Chattanooga needs results, and walking away with all three points on Wednesday will be imperative to closing the gap at the top of the table. Here are this weeks 3 points for Wednesday’s match:
First, Chattanooga needs to continue to create chances. The Red Wolves will have to combat a North Texas side that is very possession-oriented, and it is likely that North Texas will control the ball for the majority of the game as they have against nearly every opponent they have faced. However, although North Texas is very good at controlling the ball, they have conceded 15 goals this season, and have allowed opponents to create many chances. In their first meeting, North Texas held possession of the ball for 63% of the match against Chattanooga, but they allowed the Red Wolves to score two goals with multiple solid chances. This is a team that has only lost 3 out of 11 games and has proven to be dangerous, but 5 of those are draws, which leaves them in 9th place. If Chattanooga can create chances as they have proven their ability to do and take advantage of them, then they should be able to walk away Wednesday 3 points closer to a postseason berth.
Secondly, Chattanooga will have to be wary of the dangerous North Texas attacking duo. Ronaldo Damus and Benjamin Redzic account for a combined 8 goals and 3 assists of the North Texas offense thus far, and they both pose a significant threat to the Red Wolves backline. Benjamin Redzic, who currently has 3 goals, wreaked havoc on the Red Wolves defense in Texas earlier this season. The 17-year-old collected both goals, securing a brace after coming on as a sub in the 2-2 draw. On the other hand, Ronaldo Damus is currently heating up, having scored twice in a 3-0 win against Ft, Lauderdale on Saturday. Damus is the defending USL League One golden boot winner, and he has now increased his tally to 5 goals, which ties him with Greg Hurst for third place on the league’s top scorer sheet.
The third and final point for the midweek match is to Defend the Den. With the 2020 season winding down and with only 4 matches remaining, it is now do or die for the Red Wolves. As Greenville continues to find a way to get results and solidify their deserved #1 spot at the top of the table, the battle for second place is raging, with multiple teams in a position to compete for the final postseason spot. The Red Wolves are in a good position to contend for 2nd place as well, but they cannot afford a loss. Chattanooga cannot allow a North Texas side with nothing to lose, to take away their chance at a championship. While it is true that the Red Wolves have lost their last two matches, they can’t enter the match discouraged. The last time that the Red Wolves lost multiple matches in a row, they were able to respond with a 5 game undefeated streak, picking up 13 out of 15 potential points, all while missing key offensive goalscorer Greg Hurst due to injury. Hurst is now back in the squad and close to if not 100% match fit, just in time for the end of the season. The Red Wolves have proven they are capable, but with only a handful of matches left, a similar run is crucial to securing the #2 spot. Of the other four contenders for 2nd place, Chattanooga will have the opportunity to face two of them, Richmond Kickers and Forward Madison, in their last few games. With a win on Wednesday, the Red Wolves will keep their championship hopes alive, and will position themselves within striking distance for the #2 spot.
Keep up with the clash between the Chattanooga Red Wolves and North Texas SC by tuning in to ESPN+ at 12:00 PM EST, or follow along with live updates on twitter @chattredwolves.
