Asheville City SC hosted the Chattanooga Red Wolves on Sunday afternoon at Greenwood Field in their first meeting this season. The Blues left it late yet again on a hot sunny day in Asheville, but ultimately emerged victorious to continue their win streak.

Asheville struck first in the match through Kelly Gordon. Gordon received a long diagonal ball from Lucie Bertrand and drove into the box. Her left-footed shot across the keeper toward the far post was deflected by a Chattanooga defender into the back of the net to give ACSC the 1-0 lead in the third minute. 

In the 13th minute, Juliana Viera slipped a ball into Gry Boe Thrysoe on the edge of the penalty area, whose shot went just wide of the right post after a nice turn to beat her defender. 

Lucia Flores was able to double the Blues lead just minutes later after she pounced on an over-the-top ball from Yuliia Khrystiuk. Khrystiuk floated the ball over the top of the Red Wolves defense to the on-running Flores, who lifted the ball beautifully over the head of Chattanooga goalkeeper Sara Hill and into the bottom right corner with her first touch, giving the Blues a 2-0 lead in the 16th minute.

The Red Wolves responded with heavy pressure of their own, earning a corner in the 19th minute  and then pulling one back in the 21st minute from a set piece. From the left half of midfield, Lauren Alexander drove a freekick to the back post and found the head of Caroline Richvalsky, whose header trickled into the bottom corner despite a hand from Gabrielle Rourke to make it 2-1. 

A slick one‑two between Bertrand and Flores in the 27th minute nearly restored the two‑goal cushion as Flores rounded the keeper and struck the inside of the post from a tight angle. Despite the golden opportunity, Asheville went into the interval only up 2-1.

Chattanooga came out strong to start the second half, forcing an early corner in the 47th minute after a deflected shot off ACSC goalkeeper Tamsin Bynoe. The Red Wolves continued to apply pressure with multiple set pieces, and their persistence paid off in the 64th minute when Richvalsky grabbed her second of the game with another header at the back post off a right-side corner swung in by Zoey Mize, bringing the score level at 2-2. 

Despite Chattanooga dominating possession and dictating the game for much of the second half, Emma Sheehan provided a late and much-needed spark for the Women in Blue. 

Sarah Gorham received the ball in the attacking third and played a crisp pass to Sheehan, who beat her defender with two touches to the right and slotted one home off the left post to regain Asheville’s lead, making it 3-2 in the 80th minute. 

Just one minute later, Sheehan struck again for the Blues, outrunning Alexander and beating her to the loose ball after a Red Wolves free kick was cleared past midfield. Sheehan coolly placed the ball into the bottom right corner past the outstretched leg of Hill to grab her brace and put Asheville up 4-2. 

The match ended 4-2 in favor of the Blues, extending their win streak to seven games and reinforcing their lead at the top of the table.

After the game, manager Maximiliano Viera praised the team’s camaraderie in this late stage of the season.

“We knew we had to get a victory no matter what on a hot day, players coming from sickness, players with injuries,” said Viera. “So I think the success was the camaraderie, and the team working for each other, fighting together, and thus I think it's been the biggest success for the team in the league.”

The Asheville City SC Women are back in action Tuesday, July 17 when they travel to the Volunteer state to face Tennessee SC. They return home on June 28th for Pride Night against the Greenville Triumph. The Men of Asheville return home on June 21st as they face off against Dothan United. You can buy your tickets here.