Chattanooga FC earned a 1-0 win over in-state side Tennessee Tempo FC (UPSL) on Wednesday night at Finley Stadium to advance to the Round of 32 in the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Defender Nathan Koehler scored his first of the season with a header from a perfectly-placed corner kick delivered by Daniel Mangarov to put the Boys in Blue up 1-0 just before the half.
"To help the club get to the next round was a really special feeling," said Koehler in his post-match press conference. "Those are my favorite kind of goals to score. They're not the prettiest. I'm not going to take on 15 people and stick in the top corner. Danny [Mangarov] played a perfect ball in the corridor of uncertainty and I had the run on my man and he made it a really simple header for me."
Chattanooga started off on the front foot, with forward Anthony Garcia making a charge through the edge of Tempo's box and cutting back to find Daniel Mangarov for a pair of chances in the second minute.
Forwards Keegan Ancelin and Alex Krehl both had close-call volleys that were both saved by Tempo's Francois Djiba.
In true Koehler fashion, the defender scored his first of the season in the 44th minute with a header that found the back of the net. Mangarov, who stayed busy in the first half, bagged his first assist of the season off the corner kick that led to Koehler's goal.
Ancelin continued to knock on Tempo's front door into the second half, nearly scoring a goal of his own with two chances that both hit the crossbar.
Making his second start for Chattanooga, goalkeeper Griffin Huff faced one shot of the 11 total that Tempo put on goal.
As the intensity ramped up in the final minutes of regulation, the Scenic City held on through six minutes of stoppage time to advance to the Round of 32 and book a spot against an MLS opponent.
"We move and advance and that was the end goal," said Interim Head Coach Richard Dixon in his post-match press conference. "I'm super excited for the club and the guys to move to the next round to play an opponent in a higher division. That's always the goal for the guys to opportunities to showcase."
Up next
Chattanooga FC will now face one of 16 Major League Soccer competitors in the Round of 32, which will be played April 14 or 15.