Chattanooga FC locked up thier highest regular-season finish in their MLS NEXT Pro era. A well-balanced squad with a premium goalscorer enters the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Head coach Richard Dixon led CFC to a 15W-6L-7T record to finish second in the Eastern Conference. CFC will face New York City FC II in front of the Finley Stadium crown in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals (5 PM ET Sunday, Oct. 18 | MLSNEXTPro.com, OneFootball)
Season series
CFC faces a fairly unfamiliar opponent in NYCFC II. The teams faced each other only one in the 2026 season, with CFC claiming a shootout win (5-4) after a 1-1 draw on June 21.
Player spotlight
Chattanooga FC striker Alex Krehl was locked into the Golden Boot race for the most of the 2026 season. He fell one goal short of the regular-season honor, but still brings hot scoring into the playoffs. In 27 matches this season, Krehl has scored in 13 of them. His ability to leave his mark on a game consistently shows an ability to make the difference in high-stakes moments.
