Chattanooga, Tennessee (October 25, 2026) — CT United FC’s historic inaugural season came to an end Sunday evening following a 3-1 defeat to Chattanooga FC in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference Semifinals at Finley Stadium.
After a scoreless opening half, Chattanooga broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute when Tate Robertson converted a free kick from outside the box to give the hosts a 1-0 advantage.
The Coywolves responded just three minutes later. In the 65th minute, Barnabás Tanyi found the back of the net with a right-footed finish from the center of the box, assisted by Steven Sserwadda, leveling the match at 1-1.
Chattanooga regained the lead in the 70th minute when Alexander Krehl converted a penalty kick to make it 2-1.
Looking to turn the match around, Head Coach Shavar Thomas made a triple substitution in the 71st minute, bringing on Daniel D'Ippolito, Robbie Mora, and Jahvar Stephenson. The changes also saw Lukas Kamrath shift into a wingback role for the first time, as CT United adjusted its formation in search of an equalizer.
Despite CT United pushing forward and dominating play in search of an equalizer, the home team capitalized on a couterattack in the 83rd minute and Steeve Louis Jean extended Chattanooga’s lead, assisted by Krehl, with a secondary assist credited to Robertson.
CT United continued to battle throughout the closing stages, creating opportunities in the attacking third. The Coywolves finished with 10 shots, six corner kicks, and 413 total passes, completing 79.7% of their passes. Goalkeeper Gunther Rankenburg delivered seven saves to help keep Connecticut within reach.
Despite the result, the match marked the conclusion of a historic first season for CT United FC. In its inaugural MLS NEXT Pro campaign, the club secured a postseason berth and earned its first-ever playoff victory on the road against Atlanta United 2, advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Coywolves close their inaugural campaign having established a foundation for the future of professional soccer in Connecticut.
CONNECTICUT UNITED FC GAME REPORT
Chattanooga FC vs. CT United FC
Date: October 25, 2026
Competition: MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference Semifinal
Venue: Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tennessee
Kickoff: 5:00 p.m. ET
Weather: Sunny
SCORING SUMMARY: CFC 3 – 1 CTU (FT)
CFC: 0 – 3 – 3
CTU: 0 – 1 – 1
Goals:
62' – CFC: Tate Robertson (Free Kick)
65' – CTU: Barnabás Tanyi (Steven Sserwadda)
70' – CFC: Alexander Krehl (Penalty Kick)
83' – CFC: Steeve Louis Jean (Alexander Krehl; second assist Tate Robertson)
LINEUPS
CTU (4-3-3): Gunther Rankenburg; Rickson van Hees, Justin Malou, Lukas Kamrath, Neo Che (Jahvar Stephenson 71'); Bryan Destin, Steven Sserwadda (Darris Hyte 84'), Barnabás Tanyi; Alex Monis (Robbie Mora 71'), Ernesto Gómez (Daniel D'Ippolito 71'), Dylan Lacy.
Substitutes Not Used: Anthony Ramos, Spencer Petrie, Andre Applewhaite, Jamison Ping, Warren Agostoni.
Head Coach: Shavar Thomas
CFC (4-3-3): Eldin Jakupović; Yves Tcheuyap, Farid Sar-Sar, Nathan Koehler, Anton Sorenson; Isaiah Jones (Anthony García 59'), Alexander Krehl (Yuval Cohen 85'), Tate Robertson (Alex McGrath 86'); Luke Husakiwsky, Daniel Mangarov (Steeve Louis Jean 80'), Damien Barker John.
Substitutes Not Used: Matthew Barrueta, Frank Amoateng, D. Ortiz, A. Sid Mohand, M. Hanchard.
Head Coach: R. Dixon
STATS SUMMARY: CTU/CFC
Shots: 10 / 15
Shots on Goal: 1 / 10
Saves: 7 / 0
Corner Kicks: 6 / 2
Fouls: 17 / 9
Offside: 1 / 1
Blocked Shots: 6 / 1
Total Passes: 413 / 393
Passing Accuracy: 79.7% / 76.1%
Total Crosses: 14 / 4
Clearances: 10 / 12
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
CFC: 45+1' – Isaiah Jones (Yellow Card)
CTU: 60' – Steven Sserwadda (Yellow Card)
OFFICIALS
Referee: Gerald Flores
Assistant Referee 1: Ben Rigel
Assistant Referee 2: Sarah Gaddes
Fourth Official: Amin Hadzic
