Chattanooga FC returns home to face Carolina Core FC on Sunday, May 24 with kickoff set for 3:00 p.m. at Finley Stadium, presented by the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation.
Chattanooga FC looks to continue its winning ways when it hosts Carolina Core in the latest edition of the independent derby this weekend.
CFC returns to Finley after back-to-back away wins, with the most recent being a 3-1 victory over FC Cincinnati 2 last Sunday. Alex Krehl, Damien Barker John and Tate Robertson all scored their fourth goals of the season to equal Alex McGrath for the joint team lead.
With the win, Chattanooga improved to 5W-4L-1D (16 pts.), brought home three more crucial points and currently sits fourth in the Southeast Division standings. Forward Yuval Cohen made his first start since returning from injury and Francis Amoateng made his debut for the Blues.
Sunday will be Carolina Core's fifth overall visit to the Scenic City and the first matchup between the two independent clubs in 2026. Chattanooga will take a trip to Truist Point on July 12 before the regular season series concludes at Finley on August 29.
Coach's corner
Interim Head Coach Richard Dixon previewed his expectations for Sunday's match and how Chattanooga has been preparing for it.
"It's easy to look at the standings and say this is going to be an easy game," said Dixon. "It's important that we respect all opponents, and I think that's just respecting the game to make sure we're bringing our best every single match. We've watched some tape, and I think we just have to make sure we are performing at a high level every game.
"We're consistently refining and building on our processes and our approach. We do need to be consistent in our productivity in front of goal, so that's something we'll continue to work on, and we need to do a better job dealing with transition moments, whether it's transitioning to defend or attack."
Know the opponent
Carolina Core FC currently sits 15th in Eastern Conference standings and is seventh in the Southeast Division behind a 1W-5L-4D (1SOW) record. The Foxes have tallied eight points through 10 matches so far this season.
Last time out, Carolina Core earned a 2-1 home victory over Chicago Fire FC II for its first regulation win of the year. Midfielder Tim Zeegers and defender Mohamed Diakite scored their first goals of the season, while Arnaud Tattevin leads the pack with three on the year.
Match info
Venue: Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tenn.
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, May 24
Broadcast: MLSNEXTPro.com / OneFootball TV | Talent: Josh Lill
Team uniforms for Sunday's match
Referees
Head Referee: Kaitlyn Trowbridge
Assistant Referee 1: Rebecca Luther
Assistant Referee 2: Jonathan Smith
4th Official: Daniel Emeri
