Match Preview: Chattanooga Red Wolves SC v AV Alta FC
- Philip Farrell
- Jul 13
- 5 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
Match: Chattanooga Red Wolves SC v AV AltA FC
USL League One
Date: Wednesday, July 15th, 2026. 19:00 (Eastern)
Venue: CHI Memorial Stadium Stadium, East Ridge, TN. Capacity: 2,500
How to watch: ESPN+
EAST RIDGE, TN --- Its fourth visiting 10th this Wednesday as AV Alta FC visits the Chattanooga Red Wolves SC for a mid-week match-up. This is the first of a Tennessee double-header for the visitors, who also play in Knoxville on Saturday. While Alta are ahead in the standings, they’ve stuttered in their form of late and the Red Wolves will be confident of hunting and feasting on Antelope come 90s minutes.
The Red Wolves (P:12 W:6 D:1 L:5 GF:22 GA:15 GD:+7 PTS:19 in the league) could well be much better than their tenth place might show. They’ve easily played less games than every other side in the league and could easily find themselves in the mix, and certainly in the playoff sports, with some positive results in their games-in-hand. They come into Wednesday’s game on the back of two losses, however one of those was against USL Championship opposition in the Cup. They recently went on a four game unbeaten run in June and have won four of their six league games at CHI Memorial Stadium this year. Local winger Omar Hernández is their top scorer in the year with six goals, while namesake but no relation Pedro Hernández has the most assists with four.
AV Alta, meanwhile, (P:16 W:6 D:7 L:3 GF:23 GA:18 GD:+5 PTS:25) have stuttered recently in the league. While they went on a six game unbeaten streak in May and June, they’re now winless in their last three league games. They are, however, coming off the back of an excellent win at home against Phoenix Rising in the USL Cup. Their top scorer is Adam Aoumaich on six goals, while Jerry Desdunes has five assists and five goals.
The match kicks off at 7pm Eastern and fans can expect wet and stormy conditions which could affect the game. The temperature will be roughly 83 degrees at kickoff. Streaming will be available on ESPN+ and Amin Hadzic of Atlanta will officiate. Hadzic is no stranger to Red Wolves fans having refereed seven of their games in the past, but this is the first time he will officiate an AV Alta game.
The history
The Red Wolves and Alta have met three times since the latter’s entry into USL League One last year. In April 2025, AV won 3-2 at Lancaster Municipal Stadium thanks to a brace from former Red Wolves’ attacker Jimmie Villalobos and a late strike from Joaquín Acuña. The visitors’ two goals came courtesy of Matt Bentley. The return fixture in Tennessee four months later ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
Earlier this season, the sides again tied. The 3-3 draw played out on March 28 saw AV Alta score early through Adam Aoumaich before the Red Wolves got two back thanks to Tobi Adewole (his first for the club) and Omar Hernández. In the second half, Jamaican international Collin Anderson also netted his first goal for his club, equalizing for Alta on 67 minutes.
The record therefore stands at one win for Alta and a pair of ties.
Report cards and lineups
Red Wolves
Predicted lineup: Jason Smith; Yanis Lelein, Jordan Ayimbila, Eric Kinzner, Joshua Ramos; Pedro Hernández (C), Angelo Kelly-Rosales, Matthew Acosta, Omar Hernández; Matt Bentley, Ropapa Mensah
After starting Ricardo Jérez away to San Antonio in the USL Cup, Head Coach Scott Mackenzie is expected to restore Jason Smith to the starting lineup in goal.
Omar Hernández has delivered a league-leading 111 crosses this season. That aligns with Chattanooga's status as the league leader in accurate crosses per match (6.3). Hernández is also tied for fourth in the League One Golden Boot race.
Looking ahead to Wednesday's match, Mackenzie said:
"Alta is a team with a clear identity. They want the ball and are comfortable keeping possession for long periods. They're effective with rotations, midfield overloads and creating numerical advantages. We have a great deal of respect for what they do and for their recent form.
It always comes down to us maintaining our own identity, being resilient, difficult to break down out of possession, and energetic going forward when we have the ball. Both teams will be well prepared, but they approach the game in different ways."
AV Alta
Antelope Valley were recently ranked sixth in the USL League One Power Rankings for Week 19.
Predicted lineup: Denzil Smith; Alfredo Ortiz, Erick Ceja, Kaloyan Pehlivanov, Christian Ortiz; Adam Aoumaich, Osvaldo Lay, Jimmie Villalobos (C), Ilias Aoumaich; Jerry Desdunes, Cesar Bahena Jr.
AV Alta lead the league in both average possession (58.8%) and accurate passes per match (461.7), underlining their commitment to a possession-based style of play.
They have also accumulated a league-high three red cards this season, with Miguel Pajaro responsible for two of them. Adam Aoumaich enters the match carrying four yellow cards.
Alta earned a fully deserved 2-1 victory over Phoenix Rising in USL Cup action on Saturday, a result that should provide confidence heading into a week-long trip to Tennessee.
Jerry Desdunes remains one of the league's most dangerous attacking players. He has recorded five goals and five assists in league play this season while ranking fourth in the league for shots (33) and first for chances created (35).
Defensively, Alta have been equally impressive. The club and goalkeeper Denzil Smith are tied for the league lead with six clean sheets.
There have been several key contributors to AV Alta's climb up the League One standings in recent weeks, and Cesar Bahena Jr. has been among the most influential. The 22-year-old scored the decisive goal in Alta's 2-1 USL Cup victory over Phoenix Rising FC on Saturday night at Lancaster Municipal Stadium.
Bahena completed 11 of 13 passes, created one chance, and registered two shots during his 75-minute outing. He now has three goals and two assists in his first professional season while maintaining an 86.3% passing accuracy rate across 365 completed passes. As part of AV Alta's exciting young core, the former University of San Diego standout has adapted seamlessly to the professional game.
In addition to his winning goal against Phoenix Rising, Bahena created two chances, recorded two shots, and contributed defensively with three interceptions and three recoveries while completing 10 of 12 passes.
Earlier this week, AV Alta signed Renden Thomas to a first-team contract. At 17 years old, Thomas becomes the youngest player ever signed by the club.
Analysis and predictions
I can see a draw coming on Wednesday night. The Red Wolves are strong at home and have games in-hand that betray their league position. Alta look stronger overall and are off a high in the USL Cup, but visit a fairly robust Red Wolves who know how to beat them. I reckon these influences will cancel one another out and lead to a 1-1 draw.
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