Chattanooga Red Wolves Fall in First Round of Open Cup
USL1 Chattanooga Red Wolves SC

Chattanooga Red Wolves Fall in First Round of Open Cup

Published on March 20, 2026 under United Soccer League One (USL1)
Chattanooga Red Wolves SC News Release


MURFREESBORO, T.N. - March 19, 2026 - The Chattanooga Red Wolves have been bested 1-0 by Tennessee Tempo, the 2025 UPSL champions.

Play was deceptively level at first. The game had started a full 75 minutes late on account of a flat tire on the Red Wolves' bus, which meant pressure had built up for much longer than it was supposed to. Stress high, the Red Wolves launched the first shot on target of the game in the 13th minute, where their close range strike was just barely defended by a full-body defense from Tennessee Tempo's goalie, François Djiba. An aggressive Tempo finally turned the score 1-0 in their favor at the start of the 34th minute, and standings remained that way into halftime.

Exiting halftime, a low energy continued to pervade the pitch. The more minutes ticked away, however, the more that dark cloud dissipated. Around the 70th minute, Chattanooga began to pick up speed. Taking more shots, holding more possession, and breaking down Tempo's formation, the Red Wolves started to weaken their opponent's hold on victory. Handfuls of corner kicks and free kicks combined to send Tempo into a panic. As the Red Wolves moved in to change the tide, Tempo began to lose control of their emotions, gathering a whopping six yellow cards by the end of the game.

Despite Chattanooga's massive boost in the second half, they just weren't able to score on their foes. A savage launch from Eric Kinzner in the 97th minute sucked the air out of the field- only to send hopes crashing down as it pinged off the crossbar. A moment later, the final whistle signaled the end of stoppage time. And just like that, the Red Wolves were eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup.

The Chattanooga Red Wolves head back into the regular USL season next Saturday with an away match against AV Alta, before they are back in the Den for the home opener on April 11th. Don't miss a chance to be in the Den this season, get your tickets now!

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United Soccer League One Stories from March 20, 2026


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