HUNTSVILLE — All systems are go for Huntsville City FC.
The three-year-old club learned today they will make their MLS NEXT Pro playoff debut against Tennessee River rival Chattanooga FC.
For the first time in the three years of the Pick-Your-Opponent process, representatives from the top three clubs called their opponent directly to make their selection while the fourth-place club, in this case Chattanooga, was to take whichever club wasn’t selected.
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The Eastern Conference teams made their picks according to traditional bracket seeding: No. 1 NY Red Bulls 2 vs. No. 8 Carolina Core, No. 2 Philadelphia Union II vs. No. 7 FC Cincinnati 2 and No. 3 New England Revolution 2 vs. No. 6 Chicago Fire 11.
With Huntsville the fifth seed and not selected, the Boys in Blue were relegated to face Chattanooga for the fourth time this season; CFC has won all three matches.
“I have to ask you, if you could’ve selected us, would you have selected us?” Liam Doyle, director of soccer operations, asked on his phone call with Rachel Hanson, Chattanooga’s interim general manager.
“I’m not going to answer that,” she said. “I’ll have to let Chris (Nugent) answer that.”
However, Nugent, the CFC head coach, couldn’t talk: “I have no voice.”
Hanson said, though, “I don’t know if we would’ve selected you; but we’re excited.”
The match is Oct. 19 in Chattanooga’s Finley Stadium; kickoff is 6 p.m. CT.
Hanson told Doyle that she is expecting a lot of CFC fans to show up.
Without missing stride, Doyle answered, “I’m sure we’ll bring some over, too.”
Huntsville City fans are encouraged to make the short trip to Chattanooga to back the boys on their historic run. Tickets for the match can be purchased here.
For those who cannot make the trip, the official watch party will be at Yellowhammer Brewing at 6 p.m.
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