In the seventh round of the USL Jägermeister Cup, the Chattanooga Red Wolves took on Forward Madison. After a 1-1 tie following the first half, Forward Madison notched a second go ahead goal on a free kick to take a close 2-1 win in the intraleague competition. The clubs will meet on September 7th at CHI Memorial Stadium for the first of two League One matchups that will close on October 16th.
Chattanooga got on the board early in the contest as a shot from Lucas Coutinho slipped by the Madison keeper for the first goal conceded by Madison at home in the intraleague cup competition. Four minutes later, however, Madison grabbed a goal of their own after a flurry of shots were blocked by Ricardo Jérez, in his first appearance for the team this season.
The contest slowed down following a busy first 20 minutes as the Red Wolves looked to capitalize on their momentum and keep the Flamingos at bay. As the sides jockeyed for the go-ahead goal, a number of yellow cards were dished out for both clubs through first half stoppage time, and the half would end with a 1-1 score.
As the second half kicked off, additional collisions involving Michael Knapp called for an early substitution to bring on Leo Folla. The contest continued its comparatively slower pace as only one shot from the home side was recorded through the first 20 minutes of the second half. Chevone Marsh was substituted for Ropapa Mensah in addition to Leopoldo Hernandez coming on for Ualefi for renewed offense, but it would be the Flamingos to take the lead in the 69th minute on a free kick resulting from a handball outside the box.
With the lead and growing confidence on their home turf, Forward Madison looked to maintain their lead and limit the Red Wolves’ chances. The match headed into 11 minutes of stoppage time, and Chattanooga hurried to find their equalizer but were blocked on corner kicks and were restricted through the midfield. The match would end with Madison holding the one goal lead by the final whistle.
The Red Wolves will face One Knoxville on Friday, August 16th in League One play and will take on Lexington SC for the final group match of the USL Jägermeister Cup. Their next match at home will be September 7th against Forward Madison for Rusty’s Birthday Bash, Tickets are on sale now.