Huntsville City FC seeks first win of season on anniversary of first home match

HUNTSVILLE – One. Got to get to one before you can get to two. One is always preeminent.

One will also be the theme this weekend when the Huntsville City Football Club completes a two-game homestand against Atlanta United 2. The match is set to kickoff Saturday at  7 p.m. at Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium.

For the Boys in Blue, one has to come before two. For the moment, one is enough.

Huntsville FC has yet to post its first victory of 2024, and to get one against the team that has become its appointed rival in the club’s brief history would certainly be welcome.

And Saturday just so happens to mark the one-year anniversary of HCFC’s first home opener in its history.

“Obviously there’s that added expectation and the crowd, you know, so you get a bit anxious, but it’s good energy, good nerves,” said HCFC interim head coach Christophe Berra, a native of Scotland. “I think if you go into any game without any nerves or butterflies in your belly, there’s something wrong. So let’s say you use that, it’s positive energy.

“Go to the game, come composed and go play your game, but obviously there’s added that edge, which usually nine times outta 10 you bring that extra little better with you.”

Here’s five things to know for the match, airing live on MLS Season Pass on AppleTV.

1. Saturday’s match will mark the one-year anniversary of Huntsville City Football Clubs’ historic home opener at Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium. On May 19, 2023, fans were welcomed into The Joe for the first professional soccer match in stadium history, seeing the Boys in Blue earn the first win in club history, a 2-1 victory over Crown Legacy FC. To celebrate the anniversary, a party on the pitch will take place after the final whistle, where fans can come onto the field and enjoy music, a lights show, glow sticks, and more.
2. Soccer fans will have the rare opportunity to see Huntsville City FC and its parent club, Nashville SC, play on the same day against the same club. NSC will play Atlanta United at 12:30 p.m. at GEODIS Park before HCFC plays Atlanta United 2 at 7 p.m. at Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium. This weekend marks the second time this season both Nashville and Huntsville share an opponent during the same matchweek. The two both played Columbus on March 30, and will face Orlando City the weekend of Aug. 31, Atlanta United the weekend of Sept. 14, FC Cincinnati the weekend of Sept. 21, and New York City FC the weekend of Oct. 5.
3. Huntsville earned a dramatic 4-2 victory the first time the two sides met on July 23, 2023 at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Grounds. After trailing 2-1 at halftime, the Boys in Blue rallied for three goals in the final 20 minutes to secure three points on the road.
4. For the second time this season, Huntsville will face a former player. Goalkeeper John Berner served as a player/coach in 2023 for the club, amassing eight starts between the posts and recording 28 saves. He also started in net in Huntsville’s 4-2 win against Atlanta United 2 on July 23, 2023 at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Grounds.
5. Eight matches into the 2024 season, four players have seen action in every game: defender Fernando Ciceron and midfielders Jony Bolaños, Izzy Johnston, and Ollie Wright. Bolaños and Ciceron have started every match this season.