Chattanooga FC has already made history as an independent club. Now, the Boys in Blue have another opportunity to add a major chapter to that story.
After completing their seventh regular season as a professional club, Chattanooga FC enters the MLS NEXT Pro postseason following the most successful regular season in club history.
CFC finished with 56 points, 15 wins and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, establishing new club records across the board.
The next challenge is even bigger.
Chattanooga FC will host NYCFC II at Finley Stadium on Sunday, October 18, at 5 p.m. ET, with the club chasing a piece of MLS NEXT Pro history: becoming the first independent club to host and win a playoff match.
And after everything Chattanooga accomplished during the regular season, there is plenty of reason to believe this playoff run will be about more than simply making up the numbers.
Richard Dixon Has Changed the Trajectory
When Richard Dixon stepped into the interim head coach role just one month before the regular season began, Chattanooga FC needed stability.
It got that — and much more.
Dixon eventually earned the permanent position as the sixth head coach in club history after guiding CFC to a 10-5-6 record during the regular season.
The results continued after his appointment became permanent, with Chattanooga finishing second in the Eastern Conference.
That makes 2026 the most successful regular season by an independent club in MLS NEXT Pro history.
For a club that has spent years building its identity outside the traditional MLS structure, Dixon’s first season at the helm represents another important step forward.
A Record Night at Erlanger Park
July 4 provided one of the biggest moments of Chattanooga’s regular season.
CFC took its MLS NEXT Pro show to Erlanger Park, home of the Chattanooga Lookouts, for a special Independence Day matchup.
The result was a club-record regular-season crowd of 6,107 fans.
It wasn’t just a Chattanooga FC record, either.
The attendance figure stood as the highest in MLS NEXT Pro during the entire 2026 regular season.
For an independent club, that kind of turnout matters. It reflects the connection Chattanooga FC has continued to build with its city and surrounding soccer community.
And with a playoff match now returning to Finley Stadium, CFC will be hoping that energy carries into October.
Alex McGrath Came Back With a Statement
After missing most of the 2025 campaign through injury, club captain Alex McGrath returned in 2026 and immediately looked like a player who had never left.
McGrath finished the regular season with seven goals and one assist, matching the seven goals he scored during the 2024 campaign.
His return became particularly meaningful early in the season when he scored in Chattanooga’s 4-2 victory over expansion side CT United.
But his impact went beyond the scoresheet.
McGrath also reached a significant milestone alongside Tate Robertson, with both players joining CFC’s exclusive 100-appearance club.
Robertson finished the season with 129 appearances, while McGrath reached 121.
They joined Markus Naglestad, Juan Hernandez and Zeca Ferraz as the only other players in club history to reach the century mark.
Alex Krehl Became a Goal-Scoring Sensation
Perhaps no player benefited more from Chattanooga’s 2026 season than Alex Krehl.
Signed during the offseason after coming in on trial, Krehl initially arrived at a crucial moment following Yuval Cohen’s preseason injury.
What followed was one of the most productive attacking seasons in club history.
Krehl scored 18 regular-season goals, finishing second in the MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot race behind Atlanta United 2’s Arif Kovac, who finished with 20.
Krehl also broke Chattanooga FC’s club record for goals in a single MLS NEXT Pro season and recorded CFC’s first league hat trick since Jalen James did so on April 13, 2024.
One of his biggest moments came at Erlanger Park, where he scored the winning goal in front of more than 6,000 supporters.
The striker quickly went from offseason addition to one of the defining faces of Chattanooga’s 2026 campaign.
The Open Cup Delivered Another Historic Moment
Chattanooga FC’s growth wasn’t limited to MLS NEXT Pro.
The club also competed in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for the 11th time, continuing its long history in the country’s oldest ongoing national soccer competition.
After victories over Kalonji Pro-Profile and Tennessee Tempo, Chattanooga earned a historic Round of 32 matchup against Atlanta United.
It was the first competitive meeting between CFC and an MLS club at Finley Stadium.
More than 5,000 fans watched as Yves Tcheuyap gave Chattanooga an early lead, creating another unforgettable moment for the club and the city.
Atlanta ultimately advanced, but the match reinforced just how far Chattanooga FC has come.
Fort Finley Is Still a Real Advantage
If Chattanooga is going to make history in the playoffs, Finley Stadium will likely play a major role.
CFC finished the regular season 10-2-2 at home, making Chattanooga the only Eastern Conference team to reach double-digit home victories.
Only Austin FC II matched that mark anywhere else in MLS NEXT Pro.
That home record is especially important now.
The club isn’t traveling for its first playoff match. It’s bringing the postseason back to a stadium where Chattanooga has consistently found ways to get results.
For NYCFC II, that means walking into one of the toughest home environments in the league.
Recruitment Is Building a Bigger Pathway
Another important part of Chattanooga’s progress has happened away from the spotlight.
Sporting Director Sebastian Giraldo and the CFC front office took a deliberate approach to roster construction during the offseason, adding players who could fit the demands of MLS NEXT Pro.
Yves Tcheuyap, Damien Barker John, Anton Sorenson, Alex Krehl, Mattias Hanchard and Isaiah Jones all played meaningful roles in the club-record campaign.
At the same time, Chattanooga continued expanding its player-development network.
Keegan Ancelin was loaned to Drogheda United in Ireland, while Kenneth Tsokli and Francis Amoateng arrived from Ghana’s Right to Dream Academy.
Junior Flores and Alexis Arrúa joined from clubs in Argentina, while Edoh Koffi arrived on loan from Trivela FC in Togo.
For an independent club, creating those kinds of pathways can be just as important as what happens on the field.
The Backline Still Has Its Anchors
While Krehl’s goals and McGrath’s return grabbed plenty of attention, Chattanooga’s foundation has remained in the back.
Goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović and center-back Farid Sar-Sar once again led the club in minutes played.
It is the second consecutive season both players have topped Chattanooga’s minutes charts.
Their experience will become even more valuable now.
Playoff soccer tends to magnify small moments, and CFC will need its veteran defensive leaders to help keep the team organized when the pressure rises.
What This Means
Chattanooga FC’s 2026 season is the clearest indication yet of how far the club has progressed since entering MLS NEXT Pro.
The points record, 15 victories, No. 2 seed, record home attendance and historic individual campaigns all tell part of the story.
But the postseason provides a chance to turn regular-season progress into something even more significant.
CFC has already become the second independent club to qualify for the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs and the first to host a playoff match.
Now it can become the first independent club to win a playoff match at home.
That opportunity comes at Finley Stadium.
ASN Take
The most interesting part of Chattanooga’s season may be that the club isn’t relying on one storyline.
There is Krehl’s breakout scoring campaign. McGrath’s return. Dixon’s emergence as the permanent head coach. The continued development of the roster. The record-setting crowds. The Open Cup memories.
Put together, those pieces paint a much bigger picture.
Chattanooga FC isn’t simply trying to survive in MLS NEXT Pro. The club is establishing what an independent team can look like when competitive ambition, player development and community support continue moving in the same direction.
The playoff match against NYCFC II is therefore about more than advancing.
It’s another test of how far this version of Chattanooga FC has come.
Up Next: NYCFC II Comes to Finley
Chattanooga FC vs. NYCFC II
MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs
Sunday, October 18
5 p.m. ET
Finley Stadium — Chattanooga, Tennessee
The Boys in Blue now have a chance to turn a record-setting regular season into the next piece of club history.
And they get to do it at home.
Related Atlanta Soccer News Stories
- Chattanooga FC’s 1-0 victory over Chicago Fire II on Decision Day
- Arif Kovac wins the MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot after a 20-goal season
- Atlanta United and Chattanooga FC meet in historic U.S. Open Cup clash
Join the Conversation
What stood out most about Chattanooga FC’s record-breaking 2026 regular season? Can the Boys in Blue make more history when NYCFC II comes to Finley Stadium?
Share your thoughts in the comments and share this story with another Chattanooga FC supporter.
Author: Quique Lopez
Quique Lopez doesn’t just cover soccer—he deconstructs it with the precision of a veteran and the wit of a storyteller. A former player who sees the pitch as both a tactical chessboard and a cultural stage, Quique balances sharp critiques with a genuine love for the game’s soul. He’s as quick to call out the ego of a superstar as he is to find the hidden beauty in a local derby.