Chattanooga FC travels to face Orlando City B on Saturday, August 9 with kick-off set for 7:00 p.m. ET at Osceola Heritage Park.
Following a narrow 2-1 loss to Toronto FC II last Saturday, Chattanooga FC aims to bounce back and continue its August slate when it hits the road to face Orlando City B on Saturday evening.
Saturday will be the third and final regular season meeting between Chattanooga and Orlando. The first contest resulted in a 2-0 shutout for the Scenic City at Fort Finley on April 5, while the road matchup on June 1 saw Orlando walk away with a 2-1 win.
Coach’s corner
Head Coach Chris Nugent spoke with media and previewed the expectations for the club going into Saturday's match.
“Our pressing, again, I think it was good," said Nugent. "The away game was good, I know we slipped up late on in the second half, but our pressing shape off the ball has to be good. They’ve got some creative players, they’re good at receiving in tight spaces, we know there’ll be some rotation and switching of positions that they’ll try to exploit us there. So we have to be, one, prepared for what they’re going to do, and then be at the highest level to stop that as it happens. We feel we can counter well against any teams if we can hold teams in for long enough, we can create chances. It’ll be about turning the game into our strengths, being around the box, consistently attacking, being relentless there, and then creating multiple choices to score.”
Nugent also mentioned how Chattanooga can use it's verticality against Orlando.
“Sometimes it’s what the game gives us," Nugent added. "If teams were to sit back and be deep and deny no space behind, we would play a different way. We’re trying to win, we’re trying to not give the ball away. The team’s pressing or defending in a certain way to take advantage of us. We’re going to have Plan A, they’re going to come in with something, and then we’re going to go to the next thing. But it’s what the game gives it. If there’s space behind the outside back and we have a runner there, that’s the right decision to play it. So I think with teams that do press high and they get aggressive with outside backs, that’s just where the space is, that’s just football. We have to take what the game gives us to try and put us in positions to score."
Additionally, Nugent listed his two keys to success for his side on the road this weekend.
"Disrupting their build up is huge, and then us being clinical on both ends of the field," said Nugent. "We have played well in the attack, we’ve played well in the defense, but there’s key moments we’ve missed then. We’ve got to finish our chances, we’ve got to get back to where we were at the start of the year where we were clinical, and then defensively, whether it’s making those big plays or even what feels like simple plays higher up in the field. We’re all involved in creating chances, we’re all involved in denying chances."
Did you know?
- Goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović is one of four goalkeepers at the joint top of the league in clean sheets (5)
- CFC midfielder Daniel Mangarov and defender Tate Robertson share the club lead for league goals scored (6)
- Jakupović and CFC defender Farid Sar-Sar join Carolina Core FC's Alex Sutton at the top of the league in minutes played (1800)
- CFC forward Markus Naglestad scored his first MLS NEXT Pro goal from Robertson’s eighth assist of the 2025 season in last Saturday’s match against Toronto. Robertson is now second in the league with his eight assists
News around CFC
- A new season is underway for Chattanooga FC's inaugural MLS NEXT teams
- Chattanooga FC is hosting Building the Future: CFC Town Hall with Chairman of the Board Davis Grizzard on August 23 from 5-6 p.m. in the Ultra Club at Finley Stadium before CFC’s match against Huntsville City FC
Know the opponent
Manuel Goldberg is in his second season at the helm of Orlando City B (7W-10L-3D, 26 pts.) following two seasons as an assistant coach with the club.
Orlando enters Saturday’s matchup after hosting New York City FC II in a 4-1 loss at home last Sunday, August 3.
Shak Mohammed leads the club with eight goals on the season, followed by Justin Ellis who has scored seven.
Orlando signed 17-year-old Orlando City Academy product Dylan Judelson to his first professional contract on August 5.
Watch party
The club will be hosting an official watch party at Cheers Collective member Buffalo Wild Wings Downtown for the Chattanooga FC match at Orlando City B!
Match information
Venue: Osceola Heritage Park | Kissimmee, Fla.
Kick-off: 7:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, August 9
Broadcast: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV | Talent: Jake Griffith
Team uniforms for Saturday’s match
Referees
Benjamin Meyer
Head Referee
Josh Lampkins
Assistant Referee 1
James Duling
Assistant Referee 2
Wesley Costa
4th Official
