The Chattanooga Red Wolves are back in action at CHI Memorial Stadium this weekend in a match up against the Richmond Kickers to close out a busy week. The Red Wolves are fresh off a 2-1 win on the road against New England Revolution II on Wednesday, and they picked up a 1-1 draw against Fort Lauderdale last weekend. The recent results have helped Chattanooga climb to #4 in the League One standings with 12 points, trailing the #3 Richmond Kickers by two points. Richmonds extended their unbeaten streak to 6 games on Wednesday with a 2-2 draw against FC Tucson, and have not lost a game since the season opener against Greenville. The Richmond Kickers (4-1-2), have proven to be a very strong side with a dangerous offense and they will surely be an excellent test for the Chattanooga Red Wolves (3-2-3), who will be looking to make a statement. This game will give Chattanooga the opportunity to break into the top 3 with a win, but it will not come easy. Here are this week’s three points to beating the Kickers in front of a home crowd on Saturday.
First and foremost, the Red Wolves will have to overcome fatigue and be ready to utilize their depth. As earlier mentioned, Saturday’s match will be the third game in 7 days for the Red Wolves. Chattanooga’s key players have all put in many minutes on the pitch, and they will have heavy legs going into the biggest test of the season on Saturday. Richmond has had the week off, and they will be well rested, focused, and ready to throw everything they have at the Red Wolves. Luckily, Chattanooga has a strong bench and a lot of depth in the squad. As goalscorers Greg Hurst and Marky Hernandez have been out with injury this week, many others have stepped up and gotten the job done, and the Red Wolves will need everyone to be ready this Saturday to take on Richmond.
Second, the Red Wolves will have to lock down Emiliano Terzaghi of the Kickers. The Argentinian forward is currently the league leading scorer with 6 goals, just one more than Greg Hurst. Not only does Terzaghi know how to tuck away chances, but he is excellent at creating them. He is ranked third in the league in shots taken with 17 shots, and he knows how to break down a defense and create opportunities. Chattanooga will need to account for him throughout the game and try to limit his chances, because he has proven that he is dangerous and that he can take advantage of them. Midfielder Ryley Kraft also can be dangerous, as he has 2 goals on the season as well. The Red Wolves will need to defend as a unit and keep the ball away from #32 Emiliano Terzaghi and #98 Ryley Kraft.
Lastly, Chattanooga will need to protect the ball and try to limit turnovers. Richmond is a very dangerous counter attacking team, and turning over the ball and allowing them to counter at the back line with players like Terazaghi will be very dangerous. Chattanooga has a very talented midfield, who do a great job of moving the ball, but they will have to be sharp this weekend. The Red Wolves have to take care of the ball and try to keep possession. Chattanooga is strong when they move the ball and utilize their speed on the wings, and limiting turnovers on their own half will be key to limiting Richmond’s chances.
Kickoff is set for 1:00 PM EST on Saturday, September 12th. Make sure to keep up with all of the action and tune into ESPN+ or follow along on twitter @chattredwolves for updates on the game, as Chattanooga tries to end the week with another win.
