Chattanooga FC hosts Atlanta United 2 at Finley Stadium on Sunday, September 13 at 3:00 p.m. for the latest chapter in the I-75 rivalry.
Chattanooga FC is on pace for its best season since joining MLS NEXT Pro.
The Boys in Blue clinched a 2026 playoff berth on Wednesday night with a 2-1 comeback victory at Huntsville City.Â
On Sunday, CFC hosts Atlanta United 2 with only victory in mind, therefore securing a home playoff match in the Scenic City.
This will be the last of three regular season meetings between the two sides. Last time out at the beginning of August, CFC beat Atlanta 1-0 in front of 3,500 fans at Finley thanks to an early goal from Alex Krehl.
The teams have met eight previous times in MLS NEXT Pro with a fairly even head-to-head record sitting at 2W-2L-4D. CFC has won all four shootouts for the extra point against Atlanta.
Postseason implications and Golden Boot race
The match has major postseason implications with Chattanooga FC in second place and looking to secure a home playoff match, while Atlanta sits in third place looking to secure its first-ever postseason berth since joining MLS NEXT Pro in an extremely competitive and tight Eastern Conference.
It will also feature an intriguing subplot as Chattanooga FC's Krehl (17 goals) is just one goal behind Atlanta United 2's Arif Kovac (18 goals) in the league's Golden Boot race.
The match will also feature two of the league's standout creators in Chattanooga FC's Tate Robertson (9 assists and 65 key passes) and Atlanta United 2's Cameron Dunbar (11 assists and 69 key passes).
Coach's corner
Head Coach Richard Dixon spoke with media this week to preview the match.
"The way we approach games, we want to make sure we focus on what we can control, which is our preparation, mindset and attitude," said Dixon. "Those are the things that are really going to win us the games. That approach has served us well here. For us, we value every game. The objective is always to win every game. We want to protect Finley and make it a fortress. The full intention is to get three points by any means necessary. It will be a very competitive game."
Know the opponent
Atlanta United 2 sits in third place in the East with a 13W-8L-5D, 1SOW (45 pts) record. Atlanta's coming off a 4-1 win over CT United FC this past Tuesday.
Kovac leads the team, and league, with 18 goals, while Cameron Dunbar leads the way for Atlanta in assists with a league joint-top record of 11.
Atlanta United 2 is led by Head Coach Jose Silva, who joined the club's Academy as a coach in 2021.
Match info
Venue: Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tenn.
Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 13
Broadcast: MLSNEXTPro.com / OneFootball TV | Talent: Josh Appel
Kits for Sunday's match:
Referees
Jose Lara
Head Referee
Adam Saleh
Assistant Referee 1
Aaron Riley
Assistant Referee 2
Gustavo Turmero
4th Official
