Match Preview: Chattanooga FC vs Inter Miami CF II
MLS NEXT Pro Chattanooga FC

Match Preview: Chattanooga FC vs Inter Miami CF II

July 18, 2025 - MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro)
Chattanooga FC News Release


Chattanooga FC forward Jalen James
Chattanooga FC forward Jalen James
(Chattanooga FC)

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Chattanooga FC aims to kick-off a three-match home slate and return to form against Inter Miami CF II at Fort Finley on Saturday night.

CFC is coming into Saturday following a hard-earned point in last Sunday's 3-3 draw at Philadelphia Union II. Head Coach Chris Nugent's side battled from behind to tie things up, but Philadelphia ultimately came out on top 6-5 in a shootout for the extra point.

Saturday will be the third meeting between Chattanooga and Miami this season. CFC opened its 2025 campaign at Miami with a 2-1 win back on March 7, followed by a 3-3 draw on June 7 that saw Chattanooga come out on top 5-4 in the shootout for an extra point.

What they said

Head Coach Chris Nugent previewed the third and final meeting of the regular season with Miami.

"We can't discredit what other teams do; we go in with a plan and so do other teams," said Nugent. "At times we will stifle their plans and changes and the same can happen vice versa. The guys always go in with an intensity to win. We will stick to our principles because that will allow us to regain control of the game. We need to start strong, be what we're good at, be direct and go at players and teams and not give them time on the ball. We need to be tighter and more aggressive when defending.

"We also need to be effective around goal. Not only do we need to get into good areas, but we need to get high quality shots off as well as the volume of those. I want to see an agressive implementation of our style in every area of the field-the more we can take them out of their comfort zone, the better. We need to assert our dominance and be clinical in front of goal. We're creating the chances, now we just need to put more in."

Did you know?

Chattanooga FC defender Tate Robertson leads the league in assists (7)

Goalkeeper Eldin Jakupović is joint top of the league alongside Toronto FC II's Adisa De Rosario in clean sheets (5)

News around CFC

Jakupović is one of four goalkeepers selected to compete in the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Goalie Wars competition during the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T next week on Tuesday, July 22 in Austin, Texas (Read more here and here)

CFC midfielder Gavin Turner made his first start for the club last Sunday and scored a goal late in the first half to tie things up 1-1, earning MLS NEXT Pro Goal of Matchweek 18 honors.

Know the opponent

Inter Miami CF II (5W-10L-2D, 17 pts) is led by Head Coach Cristian Ledesma.

Sitting seventh in the MLS NEXT Pro Southeast Division, Miami enters Saturday's match following a 4-3 loss to Crown Legacy FC at home last Sunday.

Mateo Saja leads the club with seven goals, while Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida and Santiago Morales both lead with five assists each.

Around the World and $5 ticket night

Join Chattanooga FC for a celebration of the world's game that brings us all together! Wear your favorite national team jersey to Finley! General admission tickets for Saturday's game will be available for $5 and can be purchased at CFCTIX.com.

Match info

Venue: Finley Stadium | Chattanooga, Tenn.

Kick-off: 7:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, July 19

Broadcast: MLSNEXTPro.com | Talent: Jake Griffith

Internet Radio: CFC on Mixlr | Talent: Gabriel Schray

Referees:

Arman Becan

Head Referee

John Krill

Assistant Referee 1

Jonathan Smith

Assistant Referee 2

Amin Hadzic

4th Official

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Images from this story

Chattanooga FC forward Jalen James
Chattanooga FC forward Jalen James
   



MLS NEXT Pro Stories from July 18, 2025


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