Chattanooga FC defeated Atlanta United 2 in a dominant 4-1 victory at Finley Stadium on a scorching Sunday afternoon to book a home playoff spot.
Alex Krehl scored in the 10th minute for his 18th goal of the MLS NEXT Pro season to remain within reach of Arif Kovac (19) at the top of the Golden Boot race.
Captain Alex McGrath added another in the 62nd minute for his sixth on the season before substitute Luke Husakiwsky gave the Boys in Blue a three-goal cushion just two minutes after entering the match.
Substitute Damien Barker John made it four to put the result beyond any doubt. Atlanta added a late goal through Kovac before the striker skied a penalty kick over the bar in stoppage time.
With three more precious points in the bag, the Boys in Blue ensured the team will finish no lower than second place in the Eastern Conference and therefore secured a home playoff match.
"To bring a playoff game at home is always big," said Chattanooga FC Head Coach Richard Dixon in his post-match press conference. "Obviously we wanted to make sure we made the playoffs and had our foot in the door, but to do it at home is huge and the more football we can bring to our fans the better it is for us. We're definitely excited we've secured that for our fans. They can plan for what's ahead!"
Other news and notes
- Chattanooga FC broke a new club record for most wins in a single MLS NEXT Pro season (14)
- Tate Robertson surpassed Juan Hernandez and became the club's outright second most appearance maker (128)
Next up
Chattanooga FC will travel to face Chicago Fire FC II on Decision Day, the final matchweek of the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro regular season, next Sunday, September 20 at 2:00 p.m. ET. All Decision Day matches will air on both OneFootball.com and MLSNEXTPro.com.
Playoffs on the horizon
CFC will host a conference quarterfinal on Sunday, October 18 with the kick-off time to be announced in the near future. Chattanooga FC will participate in MLS NEXT Pro's Pick-Your-Opponent, where No. 1-3 seeds in each conference host and select their opponent from the No. 5-8 seeds (with No. 8 being the winner of the Play-in Round). The No. 4 seed will host the remaining club.