In a matchup of two of the most highly touted offseason roster rebuilds, Chattanooga will open the 2024 season on the road against Lexington Sporting Club on Friday, March 15th at Toyota Stadium. The two clubs met three times in 2023, with Chattanooga taking the series 2-0-1, with wins at home on April 29th (2-1) and on the road on September 23rd (5-3). Following this opening match, the clubs will meet again on Saturday, May 25th and August 31st, both for League One Cup matches, and a final time at CHI Memorial Stadium to close the season on October 26th.
Lexington opened their second USL League One campaign with a nil-nil draw against Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC at home on Saturday, March 9th. Under the new leadership of head coach Darren Powell, the home side registered eight shots to Hailstorm’s nine while maintaining 61.4% possession. Amahl Knight made three saves on the night including a stoppage time save to keep the match deadlocked. Last season’s club leader in goals, Ates Diouf, was quieted to one shot off target through the duration of the match.
This match will kick off the first full season under Chattanooga Red Wolves head coach and technical director Scott Mackenzie after his midseason entrance in 2023. After taking the reins of the Chattanooga Red Wolves in August, Mackenzie’s squad averaged 2.09 goals per game, higher than the season-long goals per game of any other USL League One club.
MARQUEE SIGNINGS AND MAJOR OFFSEASON MOVES
Chattanooga will begin the 2024 season with plenty of new faces after a busy offseason that included several marquee signings and the return of several key contributors from the 2023 season.
Chevone Marsh and Ropapa Mensah, the only 10-plus goal scoring tandem in club history, will return in addition to Jonny Filipe, who joined the squad on loan from USL Championship Hartford Athletic before signing a contract with the Red Wolves following the conclusion of last season. Filipe ended the 2023 season with 6 assists in just 13 matches, bringing his assists per game to . 46 which led all of USL League One. Omar Gomez, Mayele Malango, Yahir Paez, Richard Renteria, Pedro Hernandez, and All-Time club appearance leader Ualefi Dos Reis will also return in 2024.
Three former Chattanooga stars will return to the Scenic City this season as well: Leo Folla, Ricky Ruiz, and Tim Trilk rejoined the organization in the off season with Folla coming from fellow League One club Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC and Ruiz and Trilk bringing two seasons each of Championship experience from Rio Grande Valley FC Toros and Indy Eleven, respectively. Ruiz is the only player in club history to appear on back to back USL League One All League Rosters and in 2021 became the USL League One assist leader, the first and only player to do so in club history.
This year’s squad will also feature players with championship experience in goalkeeper TJ Bush, Gustavo Fernandes and Jamil Robert. Bush & Roberts both played on the 2022 USL League One championship squad of South Georgia Tormenta FC, with Roberts scoring the game winner of the match to secure the title. Fernandes played a key role in North Carolina FC’s 2023 USL League One Championship winning squad serving as their staple starting center back.
Chattanooga has also added two more USL Veterans in Northern Colorado’s midfield maestro & Serbian international, Stefan Lukic, and 5 year USL veteran & Brazilian international, Lucas Coutinho.
The Chattanooga Red Wolves have also looked to local, homegrown talent in the 2019 Gatorade National Player of the Year in Dalton native, Omar Hernandez. The organization celebrated his signing in January 2024 with a special community event in Dalton with many coming out to support the newest signing.
The Chattanooga Red Wolves Home Opener is Saturday, March 30th at 7:30pm. Tickets can be purchased at https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/chattanoogaredwolves-sc/tickets/
