MLS NEXT Pro GOTW - Matchweek 6
The Details
Who: Chattanooga FC vs Crown Legacy FC
Where: Finley Stadium (Chattanooga, TN)
When: Saturday, April 19th - 7:00pm ET
How (to watch): MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
The Rundown
Saturday’s matchup is one between two teams heading in opposite directions. On one side you have Chattanooga FC who is unbeaten through five games, and on the other you have Crown Legacy who has yet to win a game in regulation and has just 1 shootout victory. One is thriving, and the other is stuck in neutral.
Given how much they invested in their roster this offseason, Crown Legacy should be the team off to a hot start. They spent over $5 million on transfer fees for just 3 players: Baye Coulilbaly ($2.5m), Andrej Subotic ($1.7m), and Emmanuel Uchegbu ($1.1m). They are, without a doubt, the most ambitious team in the league when it comes to signing foreign talent. Even so, they haven’t been able to get these pieces to mesh together and play up to their talent level yet. To be fair they also haven’t been able to get all of these players on the field together either, so this squad may look much different at full strength.
This matchup is my GOTW because it highlights how an independent vs affiliate matchup can be intriguing. Independent teams don’t have the financial backing of a billionaire willing to spend millions on just a few players, but on the field that doesn’t always matter if they scout well, sign the right players, and are coached up. Crown Legacy is a team with serious foreign signings who will be contributing in MLS in the next two seasons, if not sooner. They have most likely spent more on 3 or 4 players than Chattanooga has on their entire roster, and yet it’s Chattanooga sitting at the top of the table.
The Context
Chattanooga FC is unbeaten through five games, which is the best start in the club’s professional history. They’re coming off a dominant road win against fellow independent club Carolina Core FC 4-1, and will look to keep the good times rolling as they return to Finley sitting 1st in the Eastern Conference. The loss of Alex McGrath is still a significant one, but if players like Keegan Ancelin and Daniel Mangarov continue to produce at the rate they are it shouldn’t derail their season.
Crown Legacy is off to a poor start this season and have yet to win a game in regulation. While that sounds bad, 3 of those 4 games have gone to shootouts so they have been a competitive side to start the season. Regardless, they sit 3rd from the bottom in the Eastern Conference and will want to come away with at least a point to get their season back on track. Getting those points on the road against one of the hottest teams in the league won’t be easy though.
The Prediction
Chattanooga FC continues their winning ways and puts Crown Legacy away with relative ease.
Result: 3-1 Chattanooga FC