After opening the playoffs with a 1-0 win over Atlanta United 2, CT United FC continued its quest for the MLS NEXT Pro Cup Title with a trip to Finley Stadium on Sunday to face fellow independent side Chattanooga FC in the Eastern Conference Semifinal. The Coywolves suffered a 3-1 defeat and were eliminated from the playoffs.
Shavar Thomas made one adjustment from last week's win over Atlanta. Gunter Rankenburg started in goal behind the backline of Neo Che, Lukas Kamrath, Justin Malou, and Rickson Van Hees. Dylan Lacy, Ernesto Gomez, and Steven Sserwadda formed the midfield behind the attacking trio of Alex Monis, Bryan Destin, and Barnabas Tanyi.
Rankenburg came up big in the 24th minute when Damien Barker John intercepted a pass at midfield and threaded a perfect pass forward to Alex Krehl, who darted toward goal all on his own. Sensing the danger, Rankenburg came off his line and stretched wide to deflect a shot from Chattanooga’s most dangerous attacker, keeping the game scoreless.
The goalkeeper came up big again in the 37th minute, stretching wide to parry Barker John’s shot from atop the box to keep the game level. Rankenburg was called to action again in the 44th minute, parrying away Anton Sorenson's attempt as Connecticut cleared away the rebound off the goalkeeper.
Lacy nearly capitalized on the ensuing free kick as he ran onto the ball and drilled it goalward. Unfortunately for Lacy and CT, the effort reverberated off the crossbar.
Chattanooga capitalized on the ensuing free kick as defender Tate Johnson caught Rankenburg out of position before drilling the free kick to the right side of the net, off the underside of the crossbar, and in to give the home side a 1-0 lead.
Despite conceding, CT kept their head down, and it prevailed in the 65th minute when Sserwadda stepped up to intercept an attempted clearance from Chattanooga and passed it forward to Tanyi. After receiving the ball, Tanyi worked his way into the box and evaded his ensuing defenders before sending a dribbler past Eldin Jakupović to level the match at one apiece.
Unfortunately, the deadlock did not last long as the referee awarded Chattanooga a penalty kick in the 69th minute after deeming Ernesto Gomez fouled Daniel Mangarov atop the box. Leading goalscorer Alex Krehl stepped up and sent a right-footed shot to the right side of the goal, giving Chattanooga a 2-1 lead at home.
Thomas’ first substitutions came in the 71st minute as Jahvar Stephenson, Daniel D’Ippolito, and Robbie Mora replaced Gomez, Che, and Monis.
Rankenburg came up big to keep CT’s hopes alive in the 81st, parrying away an open look from Damien Barker John to keep the deficit at one. Chattanooga FC put the final nail in the coffin in the 83rd minute when a counterattack opportunity led to Krehl running all alone toward goal. Unselfishly, Krehl dished the ball to his left to an open Steeve Louis Jean, who tapped the ball into the open net to give Chattanooga a 3-1 lead.
Unfortunately for Connecticut, it just was not their day as their impressive debut campaign ended following a 3-1 defeat on the road.
With the 2026 season in the rearview mirror, Shavar Thomas and CT United turn their attention to 2027, where the club will take part in a brief sprint season before MLS NEXT Pro shifts its calendar in the summer.
