Chattanooga FC extended its unbeaten streak to ten matches after a 1-0 win over Atlanta United 2 at Finley Stadium on Saturday evening.
Alex Krehl scored his 13th goal of the season to break the club record for goals in a single MLS NEXT Pro season, surpassing Mehdi Ouamri from the 2024 campaign (12).
The decisive moment came just seven minutes into the match when Tate Robertson found Krehl with a carefully-weighted through ball and the red-hot striker did the rest.
Krehl jumped to second outright in the MLS NEXT Pro Golden Boot race as he closed the gap on Atlanta's Arif Kovac (15).
"It was never my goal to be a record holder when I came here, but I'm honored to have that record at a great club like this," said Krehl in his post-match press conference.
"I've been playing men's ball since I was 17 years old, so I've just learned where to put myself in the box as a No9; stay inside the posts and run in behind. I've got great guys around me who look to get me the ball like Dame [Damien Barker John], Tate [Robertson], Alex McGrath, Danny [Daniel Mangarov]—they all look to get me the ball in the box and luckily enough I can put them away."
CFC stayed solid defensively throughout the evening and kept a clean sheet for the third consecutive match, which is the second time the club has achieved that since joining MLS NEXT Pro.
Head Coach Richard Dixon, who was taking charge of his first match since having the 'interim' tag removed, spoke to the team's cohesion and resilience in his post-match press conference.
"For us, we know we are not always going to dominate possession of the ball like most of the teams in the league, and we're ok with that," said Dixon. "Most of these teams have players who have been playing in their academy since U13, so they have been playing in the same game model and philosophy for several years. We know they may have better chemistry and clarity than us, and we're ok with that. If we're on the same page defensively and we have some really good ideas going forward, we will win football games as we can see this season."
By going ten matches unbeaten, Chattanooga FC has also equalled its longest unbeaten run in the club's MLS NEXT Pro era.
"It's all about consistency in what we do," continued Dixon. "Coming into the season as a coaching staff we wanted to make sure that we prepped the team in a way to be prepared for the summer heat, so we didn't have any dip in form. We pushed the guys a good bit in pre-season and we kept them in the heat in training this summer and they adapted and continued to get better week after week. We are consistent with our messaging, our playing style and philosophy and I think that helps the group."
With three more precious points in the bag, the Boys in Blue strengthened its position in second place in the Eastern Conference.
Chattanooga FC will now look forward to a two-match road slate, first to Toronto followed by a trip to Charlotte to face Crown Legacy FC.
CFC returns to Fort Finley as the Push to the Playoffs presented by Ruby Falls continues on Saturday, August 29 in the final Battle of the Independents of the year against Carolina Core FC. Tickets are available now at CFCTIX.com.