Boise, Idaho: Athletic Club Boise Beat Chattanooga 1-0 in Extra Time to Reach the League One Final in Their First Season
Jesus Barea scored in the 114th minute in Boise as Athletic Club Boise beat Chattanooga Red Wolves 1-0 in the USL League One semifinal, sending the first year club to the final.
Key points
- Athletic Club Boise beat Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 1-0 in extra time on Saturday night in Boise, Idaho, to reach the USL League One Final in the club's first season.
- Jesus Barea scored the only goal in the 114th minute, finishing a pass from Blake Bodily, after Boise had controlled the match for nearly two hours without scoring.
- Boise held 80.3 percent of possession across the 120 minutes, according to the league report, and forced Chattanooga goalkeeper Ricardo Jerez into eight saves.
Athletic Club Boise beat Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 1-0 in extra time on Saturday night in Boise, Idaho, to reach the USL League One Final in the club's first season.
Jesus Barea scored the only goal in the 114th minute, finishing a pass from Blake Bodily, after Boise had controlled the match for nearly two hours without scoring. The semifinal was played at Athletic Club Boise Soccer Stadium in Garden City, in front of a crowd the club's season record lists at 8,003.
Jerez held Boise out for 113 minutes
Boise held 80.3 percent of possession across the 120 minutes, according to the league report, and forced Chattanooga goalkeeper Ricardo Jerez into eight saves. Jerez, who is 40, was named the league's player of the match even in defeat, because his saves kept the semifinal scoreless deep into extra time.
Chattanooga, the No. 7 seed, defended in numbers and looked set to take the match to a penalty shootout. Barea's goal, six minutes from the end of extra time, ended that plan and sent the home crowd into celebration.
A first season that keeps going
Boise is only the second expansion club to reach the League One Final in its first year. Spokane Velocity FC did it in 2024 and lost the final to Union Omaha, according to the league.
The No. 3 seed finished the regular season with 58 points. Boise reached the semifinal by beating defending champion One Knoxville SC 2-0 in the quarterfinal on November 1, when Tumi Moshobane scored in the 37th minute and Barea added the second in stoppage time. That match drew 7,613 fans, which the league said at the time was a playoff attendance record. Saturday's crowd passed that mark.
Chattanooga arrived in Boise after knocking out No. 2 seed Union Omaha in the quarterfinal, drawing 1-1 and winning the shootout 5-4, with Jerez central to the result. Boise had won both regular season meetings with Chattanooga by a combined score of 5-3, including a 2-1 home win in May.
Who Boise plays next
Boise will play the winner of Sunday night's second semifinal between Charlotte Independence and Forward Madison FC. If Madison wins, Boise would become the first expansion club to host the League One Final, according to the league report. If Charlotte wins, the final is in Charlotte.
The league also notes that Boise has a move to the USL Championship on the horizon, which makes this its first and only season in League One. Ninety minutes now stand between the first year club and a trophy.
Timeline
- Nov 1, 2026Athletic Club Boise beat defending champion One Knoxville SC 2-0 in the quarterfinal in Boise, with goals from Tumi Moshobane and Jesus Barea, before 7,613 fans.
- Nov 7, 2026Boise beat Chattanooga Red Wolves SC 1-0 in extra time in the semifinal in Boise. Jesus Barea scored in the 114th minute from a Blake Bodily pass, and Chattanooga goalkeeper Ricardo Jerez made eight saves.
- Nov 7, 2026Boise reached the USL League One Final in its first season, only the second expansion club to do so, and waits for the winner of Charlotte Independence against Forward Madison FC.