MLS NEXT Pro: Match Preview - Chattanooga FC v Tennessee Tempo FC
- Philip Farrell
- 4 hours ago
- 5 min read
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Match: Chattanooga FC vs. Tennessee Tempo FC
Date: Wednesday, April 1st, 2026. 18:00 (Eastern)
Venue: Finley Stadium, Chattanooga, TN. Capacity: 20,412
How to watch: Paramount+
CHATTANOOGA, Tn --- Cup action returns to the Scenic City this Wednesday evening as Chattanooga Football Club of the MLS Next Pro hosts Tennessee Tempo Football Club of UPSL in the Second Round. CFC comes to this stage of the competition courtesy of a 2-1 win over Kalonji Pro-Profile two weeks ago. Tempo are here thanks to their defeat of Chattanooga’s neighbors the Red Wolves of USL League One. They’ll be aiming to take down another professional side from Hamilton County with potential MLS opposition awaiting in Round Three. This promises to be an exciting battle between the jewel of lower-league American pro soccer and one of the best semi-pro outfits in the country.
Chattanooga (W:3 D:1 L:2 GF:12 GA:11 GD:+1 all competitions) are coming off a hard-fought 2-0 win in the league over Columbus Crew 2 last Saturday. They sit in 8th place in the MLS Next Pro Eastern Conference. On March 18 they beat UPSL side Kalonji Pro-Profile 2-1 to book their place in Round Two of the Cup. Goals from Darwin Ortiz and Ameziane Sid Mohand completed the comeback win. Captain and midfielder Alex McGrath is the club’s leading scorer on the season, alongside striker Alex Krehl, both with three goals. Should they win on Wednesday, they’ll reach the Third Round equalling their best cup-run to-date.
Tennessee Tempo (W:2 D:1 L:0 GF:8 GA:3 GD:+5 all competitions) have enjoyed a strong start to 2026, earning a win and a draw in UPSL league action as well as that purge of the Red Wolves. They sit in 2nd place in the KY-TN conference of UPSL. Not a team to be taken lightly, despite their modest semi-pro status, Tempo qualified outright for the Open Cup this year after being crowned UPSL Spring National champions in 2025. Based close to Nashville, they enjoy a history of admirable cup runs to their name. They reached the first round proper of the US Open Cup in the 2023 edition (as Beaman United) and the final round of qualifiers in the 2024 edition. Geofrey Oyirwoth scored the winner against the Red Wolves, while Harrison Watts and Chijoke Otuonye are the club’s leading scorers in league play so far with two goals each.
A glamour tie against an MLS team is at stake. The match starts at 6pm Eastern and will be officiated by Kyle Johnston of Georgia. Fans attending can expect a warm evening of about 75 degrees at kick-off but with the potential for storms.
The history
This will be the second-ever meeting between Chattanooga FC and Tennessee Tempo FC, but the first competitive game. Their only previous clash was in February 2025 as part of CFC’s pre-season that year. Goals from Keegan Ancelin, Jesus Ibarra (now with Carolina Core), and Peter Plougmand (free agent) and a brace from Callum Watson (free agent) gave Chattanooga a comfortable 5-1 win.
Report cards and lineups
Chattanooga
Chattanooga defeated Columbus Crew 2 on Saturday 2-0. The Crew were playing with ten men for most of the game and put up a stern defense. It took the introduction of substitute Ashton Gordon to help unlock that defense as he assisted both goals from Keegan Ancelin and Alex McGrath. CFC are led by interim Head Coach Richard Dixon who took over the role after Chris Nugent’s shock departure weeks before the season start. Wednesday’s game offers Dixon the chance to rotate his side and give opportunities to players on the fringe of the preferred XI.
Predicted Starting XI: Griffin Huff; Tate Robertson, Farid Sar-Sar, Nathan Koehler, Anthony Sorenson; Isaiah Jones, Darwin Ortiz, Alex McGrath (C); Ameziane Sid Mohand, Ashton Gordon, Alex Krehl
In the First Round against Kalonji Pro-Profile, Dixon elected to rest some of his usual starters but not all. The club wants a solid Cup-run this year and the chance of drawing an MLS side in Round Three will be too important an opportunity to risk by making too many changes, so I anticipate a similar approach from Dixon this time round.
Regular goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović will probably be rested and Dixon may rotate his wide players, but I think the side will look similar enough to that which played Columbus. I am not sure if Yves Tcheuyap is suspended for Cup action.
My CFC player to watch is Ashton Gordon, who I hope starts. The young Jamaican is on loan from Atlanta United and has showed flashes of brilliance in his time at Finley so far. Last weekend against Columbus he changed the game after coming on. He first fed a sumptuous pass to Keegan Ancelin to make it 1-0 and then late in the game, he unselfishly played a ball to his captain, McGrath, to score CFC’s second when he could have gone for glory himself. I’m excited to see him play a full 90 minutes again.
Tempo
Tempo are coached by Gift Ndam and have a number of talented players, some with former pro experience, on their roster. On Sunday they earned a 1-1 draw away at Morazan ZLA in league play. The previous weekend they hammered Tennessee United 6-2. Coming out of a KY-TN conference in UPSL that features strong programs such as Southern Indiana and Chattanooga-based Kaistorms, they’re a serious outfit that any pro side cannot afford to underestimate.
Predicted Starting XI: François Djiba; Nathaniel Bedai (C), Moussa Gueye, Alidou Mwamay; Dominic Oduro, Kwadwo Poku, Chijioke Otuonye, Mario Rodriguez; Geofrey Oyirwoth, Stanley Grand-Pierre, Harrison Watts
The above is the XI that Ndam started at home against the Red Wolves that won that 1-0 victory and earned their spot in Round Two. I don’t expect him to change it by much.
Geofrey Oyirwoth scored the winner against the Red Wolves, while Harrison Watts and Chijoke Otuonye are the club’s leading scorers in league play so far with two goals each. Ghanaian midfielder Dominic Oduro is vastly experienced with close to 150 professional appearances in Denmark, Belgium, Sweden and the USL Championship to his name. He is a product of the Right to Dream Academy (from which CFC recently signed two players) and Manchester City.
Chattanooga fans should be quite acquainted with Kwadwo Poku. The former NYCFC and Ghana international midfielder has experience playing against CFC from back in the club’s NPSL days. He was with Georgia Revolution in 2013-14 and was with the Atlanta Silverbacks when they met CFC in the Open Cup in 2014 and 2015. Now 34 but the beating heart of Tennessee Tempo, he got the assist against the Red Wolves and is my Tempo player to watch.
Analysis and predictions
While Tempo are a good side and CFC will respect them, I nonetheless can see no other outcome than a home win. Chattanooga can’t be complacent (as the First Round defeat by Miami United of the UPSL in 2024 showed) but they should certainly have the personnel, experience, skill, and firepower to overcome Tennessee Tempo. The promise of an MLS opponent in Round Three should be enough to motivate the players and the raucous fans in Section 109. CFC to win, 3-1.
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