CFC has a club legend to thank for helping bring a goal machine to Fort Finley.
Alex Krehl was driving a box truck delivering packages around Naperville, Illinois at the beginning of the year.
"I thought I could be done playing. I thought that was going to be my job for the foreseeable future, but then I got a trial with Chattanooga FC."
Six months later, he holds Chattanooga FC's club record for goals scored in a single MLS NEXT Pro season.
Krehl's rise in the Scenic City has been rapid, and his journey to CFC has been circuitous yet familiar, thanks to the connection from a club legend.
"The director for the international program for Getafe is a very good friend of mine. His name is Alvaro Fernandez. Him and Juan are good friends."
That is 2026 Hall of Legends inductee Juan Hernandez, of course.
"When I made it clear to Alvaro that I was kind of done with my time in Spain, he immediately was on the phone with Juan sending everything about me, my CV and highlights. Juan got it through to the club and really helped me out getting here."
"I saw he had a lot of potential," said Hernandez. "I knew what he could offer, so I decided to share the information with [CFC Sporting Director] Sebastian Giraldo. He has a physical presence, he's resilient and works hard and has an eye for goal, and it's rare to have that combination in a No9."
Giraldo trusted Hernandez's eye, Head Coach Richard Dixon and staff evaluated him, and Krehl proved the rest.
Krehl's journey here has been anything but straightforward and is certainly a unique one in the American soccer landscape.
From playing in high school in the suburbs of Illinois to the Santos Academy in Brazil for six months followed by over four years adapting and plugging away through the fifth and fourth tiers of Spanish football, Krehl was ready to come home.
"After half the season in Lealtad (in the Asturias region), I didn't want to stay in Spain anymore. I had kind of had enough of being overseas away from family and all my friends, so I moved back and here we are!"
Those years in Brazil and Spain shaped Krehl into the man he has become today, leading the line for the Boys in Blue.
"Being young and playing against grown men is huge for player development," said Krehl. "I was 17 years old ... I looked like a stick that you pick up out of the woods. I was skinny, under-fed and all that fun stuff and getting thrown in against guys who are 28 to 35 years old, and I have to win an aerial battle or physical battle on the ground, I just get knocked over. So I had to learn how to use my body and how to move, where to position yourself where you're either getting fouled or you're able to hold the ball up. Being able to be in the deep end playing against guys who are a lot stronger and better than you are at that, you learn quick. Because if you don't learn quick, you're drowning and you're not playing."
According to Dixon, Krehl's mentality is what separates him from the rest.Â
"What stood out about Alex Krehl was his mentality and the way he carries himself around the locker room," said Dixon. "You don't see a lot of No9s that want to work for the team and are willing to make the runs and press without getting the ball. That mentality from him has opened a lot of different avenues for us to score goals and create chances. Yes, he's a good footballer, he can score and he's very mobile for being a big guy. His numbers are through the roof every single game. He accelerates well, he changes direction well and he's able to score a variety of goals, with his feet or headers. He can hold the ball up, combine... I can go on and on! But what sets him apart is his mentality, ruthlessness and relentlessness to do the ugly work."
Krehl's mentality and work ethic was honed and instilled in him well before his professional soccer career began to take shape.
"My parents instilled a good work ethic in my sister and I from a young age," said Krehl. "The way I've always seen the game is you've got to go out and run and press and try to fight for every ball. It's a contact game, and you've got to be ready to do the physical side. Once you get the ball you can do whatever you want. There's only one ball, and if you have it, you're the king. You have to go make it happen. That's always been my mentality to try and be ready to win the ball back for the team and when I have it to try and help us get forward and get some goals."
There are so many factors that blend together for a player to successfully adapt to a new community and culture, let alone a new league.
"The community around the club and in the locker room has been awesome," continued Krehl. "I've felt more at home not being overseas and being able to speak English and have some good friends on the team and the faith of the whole coaching staff to go out and play the way I want to play. On the field, I have to give credit to all the guys trying to get me the ball in the box, so I can put it in the back of the net."
Krehl is firmly in the hunt for the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot and, more importantly, leading the line as Chattanooga FC aims to make more history in only its third season in the league.
"I've got full confidence in us with the dynamic in the team and the coaches. We all get along great, and from my experience, when you have a good group and everyone gets along, it's the most important thing before the tactics or quality of players. If everyone loves playing with each other, that can really spur us on to do something special."
