Chattanooga FC visits Columbus Crew 2 on Sunday, April 27, with kick-off set for 3:00 p.m. ET at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Chattanooga FC looks to continue its unbeaten streak in the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro season and keep its spot at the top of the Eastern Conference when it travels to face Columbus Crew 2 on Sunday afternoon.
Head Coach Chris Nugent's side has topped the league's overall power rankings over the past two weeks having posted five wins and a draw (and shootout win) in the first six matches of the season.
CFC is currently on the a three-match winning streak, the club's first since joining the league ahead of the 2024 season. Columbus has struggled in the early stages of the 2025 campaign and finds itself at the base of the Eastern Conference.
Sunday's match will be Chattanooga's first-ever trip to Columbus and the only meeting between the two sides during the 2025 campaign.
What they said
Head Coach Nugent previewed the match-up with Crew 2 and detailed the kind of challenge he is anticipating.
"I think their record's a bit unfair on them," said Nugent. "We know this league is close from top to bottom. There are no weak teams. In ten matches, they could be towards the top of the table. They've got some very good players and a clear, distinct style of play. They understand their principles very well and are committed to them. That will always be a challenge. They're not quite in their stride yet. We've got to deal with their plan A, plan B and plan C and it will be about how we deal with all of that."
Forward Peter Plougmand, and scorer in consecutive matches, also spoke about the contributing factors to the team's early success.
"The key has been coming into a place where I feel at home," said Plougmand. "I felt at home here straight away. The community, coaching staff and club as a whole have been so supportive. All of those factors have helped myself and the team perform well both mentally and physically."
Know the Opponent
Columbus Crew 2 is coached by former Inter Miami CF II head coach Federico Higuain, who took charge at the end of January 2025. Higuain is a Columbus Crew legend from his playing days as he amassed 55 goals for third all-time in club history and holds a club record of 63 assists over the course of eight seasons. He is joined by fellow Crew great Josh Williams as his assistant coach. Williams spent 12 seasons with the Crew as a player and helped the club win the 2020 and 2023 MLS Cups.
Columbus has reached the MLS NEXT Pro Cup twice in three years and the Eastern Conference final in all three seasons of the league's existence.
Crew 2 has one of the youngest rosters in all of the league, with an average age of 18.1 in the squad for the club's opening match of the season.
Players to watch include forward Chase Adams, who was honored earlier this season with Best Player and Golden Boot Awards during Concacaf U-17 World Cup Qualifying,
The club's nickname is The Capybaras.
Watch Party
The club's official watch party will take place at Cheers Collective member Clever Alehouse in Red Bank.
Match info
Venue: Historic Crew Stadium | Columbus, Ohio
Kick-off: 3:00 p.m. ET, Sunday April 27
Broadcast: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV | Talent: Josh Appel
Team uniforms for Sunday's match
Referees:
Calin Radosav
Head Referee
Trevor Hadick
Assistant Referee 1
Shane Richards
Assistant Referee 2
Rob Ruta
4th Official
