CFC Boys of Summer break records
- Philip Farrell
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
CHATTANOOGA, Tn --- It came in the seventh minute of Chattanooga Football Club’s home tie against Atlanta United 2 last Saturday. The crafty Tate Robertson, out on the right-wing, sent a low, long pass that found striker Alex Krehl running toward the Atlanta box. The 23-year-old advanced, took on the ball well and sent a shot into goal that gave his side a 1-0 victory.
There’s a lot to be said about the goal and the win. The former, was Krehl’s 13th of the year, breaking the club record for goals in a single MLS NEXT Pro season (2024-) and surpassing Mehdi Ouamri (12). Krehl also jumped to second outright in the leaguewide Golden Boot race as he closed the gap on Atlanta's Arif Kovac (15). Because of the goal and the holdout win, Chattanooga is now unbeaten in its last 10 games. This equals the club’s longest unbeaten run in its MLS NEXT Pro era.
As one can imagine, there’s a feel-good atmosphere around Southside Chattanooga these days, as fans come away from Finley home games and road-game watch parties, getting used to collecting points and climbing rankings. The club was most recently ranked 5th in league power rankings, and with the form they’re on, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them claim Team of the Month for August. At the time of writing they sit second in the Eastern Conference, just three points shy of oft-fancied Crown Legacy.
But it's not just the recent form itself that has lifted spirits, it's the context in which it is being achieved. One only has to look back at CFC’s two previous campaigns in MLS Next Pro to see that this was a club (and a fanbase) that had become used to suffering in the hot summer months of May to August.
In 2024, Chattanooga won just three of their 16 games in the summer months under Rod Underwood. Saved, somewhat, by their proficiency in penalties, they still managed 21 points after winning five shootouts from their six ties. But the seven losses they endured really damaged their season. This included a six-game winless run and a four-game losing streak. August of that year concluded with a dim 5-1 loss at Inter Miami II and while their form did pick up in the Fall, they would finish in 9th place in the Eastern Conference, level on 45 points with sixth-placed NYCFC II, seventh-placed Columbus Crew 2, and Crown Legacy, which occupied the eighth and final playoff spot. However, due to the first tiebreaker being wins, CFC fell just outside of the playoff places. By then, Underwood had left the club. It was a bitter finish for a side who had sat atop the Conference after their final game in April.
The May-June-July-August curse swept through Finley Stadium again in 2025. By now managed by Chris Nugent, the side did fare better; winning three of their four games in May and their final two games in August. However, there was a 10-game winless run in June and July that brought on pressure. As with 2024, Nugent managed to rally the troops in the season’s Autumn, going unbeaten in the regular season in September and October as Chattanooga made it into the playoffs and even scored a home berth. But again, they’d ended May in first place and never looked the same again after that June/July stutter.
It's a more packed Summer this year as CFC is set to play a whopping 18 games from May to August. Of the 15 they’ve played thus far; they’ve already outscored, outwon, and outpointed their form from 2024 and 2025. They’re looking at a reversal of their -10 goal difference from two seasons ago and are looking at coming off a positive summer for the first time since they departed NISA. The run also saw the club host a record regular season crowd of 6,107 when they played Inter Miami II at Erlanger Park on July 4.
Chattanooga FC Summer Form 2024-26
2024: P:16 W:3 SOW:5 SOL:1 L:7 GF:18 GA:28 GD:-10 PTS:20
2025: P:16 W:5 SOW:3 SOL:3 L:5 GF:22 GA:25 GD:-3 PTS:24
2026: P:15 W:8 SOW:4 SOL:1 L:2 GF:28 GA:18 GD:+10 PTS:33
But the wins aren’t flukes, and Alex Krehl’s goalscoring heroics aren’t the only factors. Robertson is equally deserving of mention. His assist for Krehl’s goal against Atlanta was his seventh in league play in 2026 which puts him joint-second in the league and he also leads in key passes (53). Of the 28 goals CFC has scored this summer alone, the 29-year-old has scored five and created three. The setup against Atlanta was Robertson’s 26th in a Chattanooga jersey, pushing him further ahead of club legend Juan Hernandez’s previous club record of 24.
The game against Atlanta also saw goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović keep a clean sheet for the third consecutive match, which is the second time the club has achieved that since joining MLS NEXT Pro.
The feelgood factor at Finley was further boosted by the pre-game ceremony that saw Juan Hernandez inducted into the club’s Hall of Legends. Hernandez, who hails from Madrid in Spain, is (as I’ve mentioned) the club's second all-time assists leader (24) and second all-time appearance maker (127 matches). Retiring from playing 2023, Hernandez remains with the club today. Last season he coached CFC to the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) national semifinal and this year led the CFC Youth 09/10G Elite team to the club's first-ever national championship in girls' soccer. An undoubted legend in the eyes of CFC fans, he now takes his place alongside co-founders and ex-players Sheldon Grizzle and Thomas Clark, former head coach Bill Elliott, and all-time appearance maker Zeca Ferraz.
Finally, the game against Atlanta was another important milestone, as it represented the first home game in charge as official Head Coach for the man who has spearheaded this Summer ascendancy. Richard Dixon signed a multiyear contract on August 3 to step into the managerial role full-time after having operated in an interim capacity since the preseason. Something of a club legend himself, the Jamaican seems to have fostered a level of consistency at Finley Stadium perhaps lacking under previous regimes in the professional era. This is well reflected in the outline above comparing CFC’s current Summer form to that of 2024-25.
Dixon also represents continuity, an important factor for a club that is still growing. His time with CFC stretches back to January of 2020 when he became the first player in club history to sign a professional contract. He had spent his college career with the aforementioned Bill Elliott at the University of West Florida, where he played all four seasons with the Argonauts. In 2015, he signed with Saint Louis FC, playing under Jeremy Alumbaugh, who later served as Managing Director for Chattanooga FC and brought Dixon to the club. After two seasons in St. Louis, Dixon spent two years with Oklahoma City Energy in the USL Championship and a year with the Red Wolves of USL League One.
Dixon made 92 appearances for CFC before retiring from professional football in 2023 and joining the coaching staff ahead of the 2024 campaign. He was placed in interim charge after Chris Nugent’s shock exit prior to this season. With his side’s clear belief in his methods, strong results under his belt, and a home crowd who will back him to the hilt; is Dixon the man to finally bring (men’s) silverware back to Finley Stadium?
So, from perhaps feeling angsty about the mid-season back in late April, Chattanooga Football Club fans are sitting pretty right now. Maybe it was the residency of the Spanish national tram, rubbing its success off on the city; but with their team sitting second in the table, fans can now enjoy the exploits of their Boys of Summer because, regardless of what happens in the final three games of August, there’s a sense that a monkey is off their back as they break record after record. To remind ourselves, in this summer alone:
New Head Coach (Dixon)
Beloved former player added to Hall of Legends (Hernandez)
Club record for goals in a single MLS NEXT Pro season (Krehl)
Longest unbeaten run in its MLS NEXT Pro era
Second in the Eastern Conference
Third consecutive clean-sheet, the second time the club has achieved that since joining MLS NEXT Pro (Jakupović)
Club record assists, league leader in key passes (Robertson)
Record regular season crowd (6,107)
The Boys of Summer are here to stay.
Chattanooga FC returns to Finley Stadium in what they’ve dubbed their ‘Push to the Playoffs’ on Saturday, August 29 in the final Battle of the Independents of the year against Carolina Core FC.
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