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Chattanooga FC Beat LAFC 2, 1-0, to Become First Independent Club to Win MLS NEXT Pro Cup

Damien Barker John scored in the 31st minute and Chattanooga held on at Finley Stadium in front of a record crowd of 10,228 to win the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Cup Final.

By Orbit Post2 min read
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Chattanooga FC Beat LAFC 2, 1-0, to Become First Independent Club to Win MLS NEXT Pro Cup
Photo: WWing7990, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FinleyStadium.jpg)

Key points

  • Chattanooga FC beat LAFC 2, 1-0, on Sunday night to win the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Cup Final at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
  • Damien Barker John scored the only goal in the 31st minute, a strike from outside the penalty area.
  • The crowd was 10,228, an MLS NEXT Pro Cup record.

Chattanooga FC beat LAFC 2, 1-0, on Sunday night to win the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Cup Final at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Chattanooga is the first independent club to win the MLS NEXT Pro Cup.

Damien Barker John scored the only goal in the 31st minute, a strike from outside the penalty area. He was named MLS NEXT Pro Cup MVP. It was his second goal of the 2026 playoffs, and he finished the postseason with two goals and one assist.

A record crowd at Finley Stadium

The crowd was 10,228, an MLS NEXT Pro Cup record. The club said the title was the first professional sport national championship in Chattanooga history.

Chattanooga goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic made six saves as LAFC 2 pressed in the second half. A bicycle kick by Marius Aiyenero in the 86th minute was ruled offside, and Chattanooga held its lead to the end.

Why this title is a first

MLS NEXT Pro is in its fifth year, and no independent club had won its Cup before Sunday night. Chattanooga is the fifth champion in league history. Three of the five champions, including Chattanooga, have come from the Eastern Conference.

Chattanooga did it in its third year in the league and did it at home. The final was played at Finley Stadium, the club's home ground, and the record crowd of 10,228 saw the club lift the trophy there. The club said it was the first professional sport national championship in Chattanooga history.

A title in the club's third year in the league

Chattanooga won the title in its third year in the league, coached by Richard Dixon. The club is the fifth champion in league history and the third champion from the Eastern Conference in the five-year history of MLS NEXT Pro.

Chattanooga reached the final by beating New York City FC II 3-1, CT United FC 3-1 and Columbus Crew 2, 3-2, after trailing by two goals in the Eastern Conference Final.

LAFC 2 was the No. 6 seed in the West and the lowest seed ever to reach the Cup Final. LAFC 2 beat Houston Dynamo 2 on penalties, Austin FC II 1-0 and Ventura County FC 1-0 in the playoffs before falling in the final.

The win closes Chattanooga's playoff run with a trophy at home, in front of the largest crowd the Cup Final has drawn.

Sources