The Red Wolves faced off against USL Championship side Birmingham Legion FC in the second round of the Lamar Hunt Open Cup on Wednesday night. The Legion entered the contest in the top spot of the USL Championship Eastern Conference. While Chattanooga got on the board late in the second half, Birmingham took the win by a score of 4-1.
Chattanooga’s first half was full of offensive frustration as various attempts to score were thwarted by the Birmingham defense and goalkeeping; Mayele Malango had a chance in the 37th minute, but the shot went wide of the net and several corner kick attempts were also snuffed out over the course of the first 45 minutes. With the entry of Manuel Madrid off of a calf injury, the Red Wolves defense kept Birmingham off the board until extra time when a late goal from Juan Agudelo gave the Legion the lead going into half time.
The second half action got underway quickly in favor of Birmingham with an early goal by Collin Smith in the 47th minute to extend the lead to 2-0. The physicality of the match also increased, culminating in a match ejection of Birmingham’s Grayson Dupont in the 55th minute. The Legion continued to put pressure on the Red Wolves despite the disadvantage and added to their lead in the 62nd minute with Agudelo’s second goal of the match.
The bright spot of the night for Chattanooga came in the 79th minute from Aarón Lombardi, his first goal of the season. Birmingham responded shortly after to seal the Legion victory with their fourth and final goal of the night from Diba Nwegbo for a final score of 4-1.
Chattanooga returns to USL League One action at CHI Memorial Stadium on Saturday, April 8th against One Knoxville SC for the Smoky Mountain Smackdown. Fans can also enjoy a pregame Easter egg hunt beginning at 6:00 p.m.
