# 2019–20 Chattanooga FC season

The 2019–20 Chattanooga FC season was the club's first season playing in the National Independent Soccer Association, a newly established third division soccer league in the United States, and first professional season since being established in 2009.

## Overview

Chattanooga FC was admitted into the National Independent Soccer Association on August 15, 2019 and latter fully accepted by the U.S. Soccer Federation on December 11, 2019, and will start competing in the 2020 Spring season. The team had spent its entire eleven-year history in the National Premier Soccer League, a semi-pro league generally considered the fourth tier of U.S. Soccer, and reached its National Final on four separate occasions (2010, 2012, 2014, & 2015) which is a shared record for the most finals appearance with Sonoma County Sol.
Prior to joining NISA, Chattanooga hosted two international friendlies. On May 25, the team hosted La Liga side Real Betis in the latter's first game ever in the United States. The home side scored twice in the final ten minutes in the 4–3 loss in front of 6,115 fans at Finley Stadium. The next month, the team took part in 30-time Guatemalan league champion C.S.D. Municipal during its pre-season tour of the U.S., drawing 1–1 at Ridgeland High School in Rossville, Georgia.
On April 27, 2020, following a stoppage of play and subsequent extension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NISA announced the cancellation of the 2020 Spring season.

## Players and staff
### Roster

    As of March 16, 2020
| No. | Position | Player | Nation |
| 1 | GK | Phil D'Amico | United States |
| 2 | DF | Raymond Lee | United States |
| 3 | DF | Jerry Saint-Vil | Haiti |
| 4 | DF | Juan Sanchez | Spain |
| 5 | DF | Richard Dixon | Jamaica |
| 6 | MF | Nick Spielman | United States |
| 7 | FW | Clayton Adams | United States |
| 8 | FW | Joao Costa | Brazil |
| 9 | FW | Santiago Agudelo | United States |
| 10 | MF | Juan Hernandez | Spain |
| 11 | FW | Kaleb Jackson | United States |
| 12 | MF | Kyle Carr | United States |
| 14 | FW | Brian Bement | United States |
| 15 | DF | Sean Reynolds | United States |
| 17 | FW | Jowayne Laidley | Jamaica |
| 18 | FW | Sean Hoffstatter | United States |
| 19 | FW | Ryan Marcano | United States |
| 20 | MF | Christopher Marshall | United States |
| 21 | DF | Jordan Dunstan | Canada |
| 22 | MF | Cameron Woodfin | United States |
| 23 | MF | Ian McGrath | United States |
| 24 | DF | Soren Yuhaschek | Netherlands |
| 28 | GK | Alec Redington | United States |
| 64 | DF | Erik Panzer | New Zealand |
| — | DF | Alec McKinley | United States |

### Technical staff

Technical staff :
| Technical Director | Bill Elliott |
| Head Coach | Peter Fuller |
| Director of Soccer Operations | Jordan Mattheiss |

## Transfers
### In

| # | Pos. | Player | Signed from | Details | Date |
| 5 | DF | Richard Dixon | Chattanooga Red Wolves SC | Free transfer | January 6, 2020 |
| 1 | GK | Phillip D'Amico | Chattanooga FC (NPSL) | Free transfer | January 24, 2020 |
| 22 | MF | Cameron Woodfin | Chattanooga FC (NPSL) | Free transfer | January 28, 2020 |
| 10 | MF | Juan Hernandez | Chattanooga FC (NPSL) | Free transfer | January 28, 2020 |
| 8 | FW | Joao Costa | Chattanooga FC (NPSL) | Free transfer | January 29, 2020 |
| 21 | DF | Jordan Dunstan | Chattanooga FC (NPSL) | Free transfer | January 29, 2020 |
| 28 | GK | Alec Redington | St. Louis Community College | Free transfer | January 30, 2020 |
| 17 | FW | Jowayne Laidley | Chattanooga FC (NPSL) | Free transfer | January 30, 2020 |
| 18 | FW | Sean Hoffstatter | University of West Florida | Free transfer | January 31, 2020 |
| 14 | FW | Brian Bement | Forward Madison FC | Free transfer | February 3, 2020 |
| 20 | MF | Christopher Marshall | Oglethorpe University | Free transfer | February 3, 2020 |
| 4 | DF | Juan Sanchez | Chattanooga FC (NPSL) | Free transfer | February 5, 2020 |
| 11 | FW | Kaleb Jackson | South Georgia Tormenta FC | Free transfer | February 6, 2020 |
| 24 | DF | Soren Yuhaschek | Chattanooga FC (NPSL) | Free transfer | February 7, 2020 |
| 7 | FW | Clayton Adams | Austin Bold FC | Free transfer | February 10, 2020 |
| 9 | FW | Santiago Agudelo | Fort Hays State University | Free transfer | February 11, 2020 |
| 23 | MF | Ian McGrath | OKC Energy FC | Free transfer | February 21, 2020 |
| 3 | DF | Jerry Saint-Vil | South Georgia Tormenta | Free transfer | February 25, 2020 |
| 2 | DF | Raymond Lee | Hartford Athletic | Free transfer | February 26, 2020 |
| 15 | DF | Sean Reynolds | Saint Louis FC | Free transfer | February 27, 2020 |
| 12 | MF | Kyle Carr | Lansing Ignite FC | Free transfer | February 27, 2020 |
| | MF | Alec McKinley | Mobile Rams | Free transfer | February 28, 2020 |
| 19 | FW | Ryan Marcano | Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels | Free transfer | February 28, 2020 |
| 6 | MF | Nick Spielman | East Tennessee State Buccaneers | Free transfer | February 28, 2020 |
| 64 | DF | Erik Panzer | Southern United FC | Free transfer | March 16, 2020 |

## Competitions
### NISA Fall season

Chattanooga did not take part in the 2019 NISA Fall season in an official capacity. On August 15, the NISA Board of Governors announced the team, along with Detroit City FC and Oakland Roots SC, had been accepted into the league but would not begin full league play until Spring 2020. During the fall, Chattanooga did play a friendly home-and-away series against NISA side Stumptown Athletic with both games ending in a draw.

### NISA Spring season

Details for the 2020 NISA Spring season were announced January 27, 2020.

#### Standings

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Oakland Roots SC | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | Playoffs |
| 2 | California United Strikers FC (Q) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | Playoffs |
| 3 | Detroit City FC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 3 | Playoffs |
| 4 | Stumptown Athletic | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | Playoffs |
| 5 | San Diego 1904 FC | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 6 | Chattanooga FC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 7 | Los Angeles Force | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 1 | |
| 8 | Michigan Stars FC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 0 | |

#### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Last updated: 29 February 2020. Source: Match reports

#### Matches
### U.S. Open Cup

For the first time in its history, Chattanooga will automatically qualify for the U.S. Open Cup tournament. The team will enter the 2020 tournament with the rest of the National Independent Soccer Association teams in the Second Round. It was announced on January 29 that their first opponent would be USL Championship side Memphis 901 FC.

## Squad statistics

    As of Match played 29 February 2020

### Appearances and goals

| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Total | Spring Season | Spring Season | U.S. Open Cup | U.S. Open Cup |
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||
| 1 | GK | USA | Phil D'Amico | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| Defenders ||||||||||
| 2 | DF | USA | Raymond Lee | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 3 | DF | HAI | Jerry Saint-Vil | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 15 | DF | USA | Sean Reynolds | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 24 | DF | NED | Soren Yuhaschek | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| Midfielders ||||||||||
| 6 | MF | USA | Nick Spielman | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 12 | MF | USA | Kyle Carr | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 19 | MF | USA | Ryan Marcano | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 20 | MF | USA | Christopher Marshall | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 23 | MF | USA | Ian McGrath | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Forwards ||||||||||
| 9 | FW | USA | Santiago Agudelo | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 11 | FW | USA | Kaleb Jackson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 14 | FW | USA | Brian Bement | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 18 | FW | USA | Sean Hoffstatter | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - |

### Goal scorers

| Place | Position | Nation | Number | Name | Spring Season | U.S. Open Cup | Total |
| 1 | FW | | 23 | Ian McGrath | 1 | - | 1 |

### Disciplinary record

| Number | Nation | Position | Name | Spring Season | Spring Season | U.S. Open Cup | U.S. Open Cup | Total | Total |
| 2 | | DF | Raymond Lee | 1 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | | MF | Ian McGrath | 1 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 |