CFC

On February 18, 2012, Chattanooga FC held invitational try-outs at Finley Stadium. Several Chattanooga FC favorites and new hopefuls were on hand, representing at least twelve different nationalities. Peru, Kenya, England, and Italy were among the nations represented. Of course, some of the best collegiate talent in the United States made an appearance, as well.

Pleased with the effort put forth by the players, Coach Bill Elliott remarked, “This is a stronger group over all. Mostly, we have seen what we expected to see, but there have been some surprises.”

No-one was surprised to find Andy Stewart, Chris Ochieng, and Luke Winter were among the group. Luke, who assisted the final goal of the 2011 season, reported that he was glad to be back at Finley: “This is much more intense than college soccer. I am glad to be playing at this level again.”

There were also plenty of new faces in the fray. Matt Williams and Greg Hartley were not only new to Finley, but to Chattanooga, as well. And they found that the city itself helped them to feel at ease on the field. Greg, a goalie from Manchester, England, said he was nervous about try-outs until he joined the other players at The Terminal Brewhouse and met many smiling Chattanoogans. Matt, a University of West Florida assistant coach, says he prepared himself with an enjoyable walking tour of beautiful downtown Chattanooga.

Many of the newer players were encouraged to try out by previous Chattanooga FC members, such as Jose Robles and James Moore, which is hardly shocking. With the highest attendance numbers and the most outrageous fans in the league, Chattanooga FC serves as a beacon for futbol fanatics.

There were certainly a few Chattahooligans keeping a keen eye on the final scrimmage of tryouts. And they have already taken their final line-up predictions to social media outlets. But the Club has yet to make an announcement.