Chattanooga Football Club’s second MLS Next Pro season came to an end on 19 October when they were beaten 2-0 at home by Huntsville City. The loss marked the end of a topsy-turvy season that felt like it happened in three separate parts - a rip-roaring spring, a difficult summer, and a fall renaissance. It was a season marked by bumper crowds, a cross-town grudge match, and impactful new signings.
A season of tw…three halves!
Looking back, it really feels like three different seasons were played by CFC in 2025. After a strong pre-season they would go undefeated in all competitions until they were soundly beaten away at Columbus on 27 April. That was a stretch of eight games won or drawn in league and Cup play. They won the award for MLS Next Pro Team of the Month for April. Early pacesetters were new signings Keegan Ancelin and Daniel Mangarov, left-back Milo Garvanian, and returnee Tate Robertson. Not that the result against Columbus changed much, as CFC would go on a four-game unbeaten run into May.
June would introduce a spell of inertia to the season. The club would go on a 10-game winless streak that lasted until mid-August. At times it seemed that nothing Head Coach Chris Nugent did could inject a winning mentality into the side. Goals dried up, injuries took their toll, and fans at Finley Stadium were witness to three home losses during that run. The few bright sparks were found in the performances of Robertson who continued to be CFC’s primary offensive creator, and goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović, without whom many of the draws during this spell could have been losses.
That first win-in-ten, in mid-August was away at Carolina Core. A late Robertson penalty was the difference and this set the side on a seven-game unbeaten run, including away victories at Crown Legacy, New York City, and Atlanta. And while Robertson and Jakupović were heroic during this run, it was characterized most by the impact of youthful newer signings in Luke Husakiwsky and Gavin Turner.
If Spring was a season of guile and Summer one of despair, Autumn was a season of fight, grit and sacrifice. Which will you remember most?
A crowd behind you
I’ve said many times that Chattanooga’s fanbase is its most valuable asset. Players, coaches, and front-office staff come-and-go, so do sponsors. But a club’s heart, tradition, and legacy are built on community and fanbase. There’s likely fewer clubs in America for whom home support and bums-on-seats is more intrinsic to its operating model than Chattanooga Football Club. In 2025, over 70,000 people attended a home match at Finley Stadium. This included 4,732 at their final game with Huntsville. Impressively, soccer fans in Chattanooga continued to show up during the tough summer months, for example, when 3,337 of them were there when Toronto beat CFC 3-1 on August 2nd. (As an aside, a notable 1,231 fans showed up for CFC Women’s Southeast Conference Championship match against Nashville Rhythm in early July).
I’ve heard it often said, especially when some doubted the wisdom of moving to a league with reserve teams, that CFC fans will turn up regardless of who they play. That crowds have remained strong in MLS Next Pro, and even during scorching, winless summer months proves it.
The highlight in the stands though was undoubtedly in early April when CFC hosted those Red Wolves in the US Open Cup. Despite the disappointing penalty shootout result, over 12,000 were in the stands that evening. My estimation is that 10,000 or so of them were wearing blue. Not only was it terrific home support but it demonstrated most profoundly who Chattanooga’s team is.
The value of leadership
Back in early April, CFC announced that club captain Alex McGrath would miss the rest of the season. It was a bitter blow for the club, the fans, and the player. With promising early form under their belt, the injury created a gaping hole in the middle of the squad.
That hole in midfield took a while to plug, but while McGrath’s leadership role cannot be underestimated, what we witnessed was the evidence of a strong leadership group ensconced within the squad. Farid Sar-Sar took the armband for the entirety of the season. I’ve heard Nugent speak often of how much he values and trusts the Argentine center-back. While Sar-Sar wasn’t completely faultless all season at the back (name a defender who is), he clocked 2,760 minutes in league play. Essentially, he played every minute of the club’s league season. That kind of reliability, added to the command he regularly demonstrated on the field, was essential to the side dealing with the loss of McGrath. Behind Sar-Sar, Jakupović equally played every minute. His energy and intensity were on display and audible even from all the way up in the press ox at times. Robertson and Markus Naglestad were also on-hand to provide steel and draw from experience that many in this youthful squad may not have had (although Husakiwsky has captained Des Moines Menace in USL League 2).
I don’t claim to know the inner workings of this squad nor its dynamics but having such a deep pool of leaders is essential to ensure continuity of competitiveness. I think this was most on display during those gritty and battling Autumn games.
Individual Highlights
Best Goalkeeper
Eldin Jakupović
Yes, he was the only goalkeeper to play competitively for CFC in 2025, but his performances were at times epic. He nabbed 10 clean sheets, led the league with 124 saves averaging 4.42 saves per match, and finished the season with a league-best save percentage of 77.1%. It resulted in his being named MLS NEXT Pro’s Goalkeeper of the Year and selected for the Best XI.
Best Central Defender
Nathan Koehler
Signed late, Koehler came into the team as Nugent looked to reshape his side after McGrath’s injury. After that, he never looked back and started all 28 games in the league afterward. He forged a strong defensive partnership with Farid Sar-Sar, remaining in Nugent’s favor when a back four is used, as well as a back three. He offered an impressive 12 scoring attempts, mostly with his head and scored three goals. Defensively reliable, he led CFC with an average of 5.6 clearances per 90, fifth most in the league.
Best Wide Defender
Tate Robertson
The most consistent performer in this squad, and its most potent goal creator. Robertson broke the club’s single-season club record with 10 assists, finishing joint-third in the league and completed 59 key passes, the fourth most in the league. His nine goals were the joint-most in the side, his 19 goal contributions the most. A finalist for best defender of the year and named to the Best XI in the league.
Best Central Midfielder
Gavin Turner
This was a competitive one. Callum Watson, Nick Mendonca, and Husakiwsky all had good seasons, but Gavin Turner, on-loan from DC United, was the most impressive for me. I think CFC’s season started to look like it might turn around when Turner started away at Philadelphia Union and nabbed a stunning goal. For someone so young, I was so impressed to see, not just guile and skill, but a lot of determination and sacrifice in his play. He fought for CFC, which isn’t something you always expect of a kid on loan in a lower league. I’d love to see him back but hope he gets his chance in the big leagues.
Best Winger
Daniel Mangarov
The 23-year-old started the season blisteringly and was something of a surprise package. Deployed mainly on the wing in an advanced attacking flank, he contributed five assists and nine goals for CFC in his first season. One of several players to have a quieter summer, he came back strong in the fall and was instrumental in CFC’s run to the playoffs. He’s also drew a club leading 46 fouls, contributing importantly to CFC’s set piece play.
Best Striker
Peter Plougmand
Oh, what could have been! The Dane came to CFC with an intriguing record at Mars Hill in NCAA Division II. His monstrous goalscoring at that level (59 goals in 69 games) certainly raised eyebrows. Sadly absent for much of the season, mainly due to injury, he nonetheless got to play 13 games. He scored four goals and gave two assists. During April and May he was really cooking, and was developing a nice partnership with Robertson. His final appearance was on July 5th and we sadly saw nothing more of him. He has been retained for 2026 and fans will be excited to see what he can offer, given a full, injury-free season.
Best Goal
Gavin Turner’s absolute thunderbastard at Philadelphia Union was as sweet as it gets.
Best Moment
It came at the end of a penalty shootout Cup loss, but Logan Brown defending CFC’s center circle as the Red Wolves’ Eric Kinzner attempted to plant the enemy’s flag there really sticks out. It added to an already epic occasion, one which the entire soccer-loving community of the country was watching. Brown sadly won’t be returning in 2026, but I don’t think CFC’s fans will ever forget that moment. Defended their honor, as well as their goal.
Final thoughts
A whirlwind season with layers of stories and intrigue. No weekend was ever boring at Finley Stadium in 2025. The club should be happy with its year. In Nugent’s first full season in charge, they made history by becoming only the second independent team to qualify for a playoff and the first to host one. Nugent brought the club its first-ever MLS NEXT Pro playoff spot and a top four finish and also the Southeast Division Championship to boot. While the Cup-run didn’t last long, the club undoubtedly made an absolute killing on the ticket sales. I want to credit Chris Nugent if I may. Even during the tough summer months, when a lot of scrutiny was being placed on this team, he never once failed to turn up for a post-game press conference, never once shied from answering tough questions, and never once placed blame on his players. His professionalism kept this team going.
I’m excited to see if Chattanooga Football Club can build on 2025’s successes and deliver more in 2026. Perhaps a more sustained push for the MLS Eastern Conference title, a longer playoff run, and also a longer Cup-run. New signings will be needed, and recruitment is already underway. Fans will be there, core squad leadership will be there, and we will be there to cover it.
Any comments on the finances of CFC? And how related economic considerations may impede its ability to ever win any hardware? Is CFC profitable or is run at a loss?
Furthermore, CFC's MLS-NP competition enjoy substantial financial, logistical, and free player loans from their respective MLS first teams, meaning the few nonaffiliated MLS-NP clubs such as CFC are at a substantial disadvantage. Some comment or insight related on leadership view these factors would be welcome....