Shavar Thomas and CT United FC hit the road yet again, looking to build off an absolutely dominant performance in the club’s inaugural match last week. Catch up on everything you need to know ahead of their next match.
Opponent: Chattanooga FC
Date: Sunday, March 8th
Time: 3:00 PM ET
Venue: Finley Stadium, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Broadcast: OneFootball TV and MLS YouTube Channel
Weather: Expect a cloudy and warm day in Chattanooga, with temperatures hovering in the mid-70s throughout the afternoon. Sunday’s game could see some delays as thunderstorms are expected to roll in around four.
CT United FC:
After years of waiting, Connecticut got things off to a blazing start last week. It all started in the 45th minute when Robbie Mora received Ibrahim Kasule’s pass, drove along the top of the box, and curled a shot past Bryan Dowd and into the right side of the net to notch the first goal in CT United history and give the club a 1-0 lead just before half.
Despite conceding a penalty and having FC Cincinnati 2, Alex Monis put the team on his back in the 78th minute when he unleashed a shot from distance that soared into the sky before careening over the reach of Dowd and into the net to give CT the lead. A goal that led Monis to take home Goal of Matchweek One honors.
Kasule sealed the result in the 90th minute when a series of passes led to Kasule running onto the ball inside the box and slotting it home to secure CT a 3-1 victory.
Opening day’s win sees Connecticut enter the weekend in third place in the Eastern Conference with three points and a plus-two goal differential.
Goalkeeper Anthony Ramos and forward Sean Petrie will look to make their debuts after being unused substitutes.
Chattanooga FC
Interim Head Coach Richard Dixon and Chattanooga are looking to bounce back after suffering a disappointing loss at home to Crown Legacy on opening day.
Despite Damien Baker John giving Chattanooga the lead in the opening minute, goals from Emmanuel Uchegbu, Rodolfo Aloko, and a brace from Nimfasha Berchimas led Crown Legacy to a 4-1 victory.
While opening day went starkly different from what they would have wanted, there's still plenty of talent Connecticut has to be aware of.
Defender Tate Robinson returns for another year in Chattanooga after a dominant 2025 season that saw him tally a staggering nine goals and 10 assists in 27 appearances.
41-year-old Eldin Jakupović returns for another season after taking home 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Goalkeeper of the Year honors after tallying a league-leading 124 saves and 10 clean sheets.
Connecticut also has to watch out for forward Daniel Mangarov, who notched eight goals and four assists in 28 appearances last season.
