Red Wolves draw; set for showdown

This time, a one-point road trip doesn’t seem so bad.

The Chattanooga Red Wolves played reigning USL League One champion North Texas Soccer Club to a 2-all draw Saturday night at Globe Life Park in Arlington.

The visitors led for almost half the match and briefly trailed late, but the end result was a tie and one more point in the league standings. Chattanooga (1-0-2) is third in the 11-team league, two points behind Union Omaha (2-0-1), which has seven points after a 2-1 win at FC Tucson and is three points behind the Greenville Triumph SC (3-0-1).

Saturday’s results set up an early season showdown: The Red Wolves’ next match is against Omaha at 5 p.m. Wednesday at CHI Memorial Stadium in East Ridge. Chattanooga is expected to have Major League Soccer rookie Tanner Dieterich, on loan from expansion club Nashville SC,

available for the second match at its new facility, having beaten Tucson 1-0 there on Aug. 1.

Chattanooga had its share of road struggles last year during its debut season, and the Red Wolves also came away from their season opener on July 25 at South Georgia Tormenta FC with just one point. That match also finished 2-2, but the Red Wolves led for most of the second half in Statesboro.

Saturday night in Arlington, Chattanooga’s Greg Hurst scored his fourth goal of the season in the third minute and also assisted on a goal by Mark Hernandez in the 88th, moments after the second of Benjamin Redzic’s goals had given North Texas the lead. Redzic tied the match in the 47th minute.

Josue Soto assisted on Hurst’s goal, and Alex Mangels had four saves for the Red Wolves.

Each team was credited with 10 shots, and the Red Wolves had seven on target, one more than their hosts.

North Texas (1-1-1) is fifth in the league standings with four points, one behind South Georgia (1-2-2).