ATLANTA — Atlanta United announced today that it will travel to Chattanooga, Tennessee to play Chattanooga FC at Finley Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. ET as part of its 2023 preseason schedule. The match will be the third meeting between the two clubs with the most recent meeting coming in the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup this past April. Atlanta’s full preseason schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
“One of our missions is to continue to grow the game of soccer in and around our state,” Atlanta United President and CEO Garth Lagerwey said. “We can’t think of a better partner for this game than Chattanooga FC. Their organization has done a tremendous job of elevating the game in Southeast Tennessee and we applaud them for what they have been able to accomplish since 2009. We are truly excited to travel back to Chattanooga for this match and look forward to giving both teams’ supporters a memorable experience.”
Chattanooga FC was founded in 2009 and now plays in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA). This past season, Chattanooga finished second in the NISA standings with a record of 14-3-7 (W-L-T) and earned automatic qualification to the semifinals of the playoffs. It lost that semifinal matchup 1-0 to eventual champions Michigan Stars FC.
“We have so much respect for the entire Atlanta United organization,” said Jeremy Alumbaugh, CEO for Chattanooga FC. “We appreciate them making the trip to Finley Stadium. This is yet another opportunity for us to demonstrate why Chattanooga is such a strong hub for soccer. The atmosphere will be absolutely electric. We know Atlanta will travel well so we need Chattanooga to really come out for this one.”
There is some history between the two clubs as this will mark the third-ever meeting. In 2017, in the first-ever friendly match in club history, Atlanta traveled to Finley Stadium and collected a 4-0 victory in front of 12,484 fans. Last April, Atlanta earned a 6-0 victory in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
“This will be an important first test for us as we ramp up ahead of a new season,” Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said. “We want to thank Chattanooga FC for their cooperation in scheduling this match and are looking forward to returning to Finley Stadium, where we played our first-ever match. Rod Underwood and his staff do a great job and we’re confident this will be a good test for us prior to MLS play.”
Tickets go on sale Monday, December 19 at 10:00 a.m. ET at ChattanoogaFC.com. Reserved seats begin at $10 for youth and $20 for adults. Information on group pricing and premium seating is available by emailing tickets@chattanoogafc.com or you can call/text 423-708-GOAL.
Fans are encouraged to reserve their seats early, as prices will increase as we get closer to matchday. Broadcast information for the match will be provided at a later date.
