Chattanooga FC Women is one of 16 WPSL teams left standing in the nation as it looks to make history this weekend.
Chattanooga FC Women aims to advance in the WPSL Playoffs when it travels to take on Arlington Soccer Blue in the South Region semifinals on Saturday, June 12 at neutral site Revolution Sports Park in Leesburg, Va., with kick-off set for 5:00 p.m. ET.
On July 3, CFCW defeated in-state rivals Nashville Rhythm FC 1-0 at Fort Finley to become the 2025 WPSL Southeast Conference Champions, earning a spot in the WPSL Playoffs.
CFC Women Head Coach Juan Hernandez spoke with media about the strengths of the team and what has got them to this stage.
"We want to be a dominant team, our primary objective is to take care of the ball and to do it in a vertical way," said Hernandez. "We want to be aggressive, we want to go forward, we want to create chances, and we want to score goals, and with all of that we want to be solid. We want to be solid defensively and we want to give the least opportunities possible, so it is an aggressive, fun, attacking-minded, position-minded type of game that is not only enjoyable for the athletes, which is the primary part, but also for the spectators. And that’s what we aim to do every time we’re on the field."
Chattanooga FC Women Associate Head Coach Maryn Beutler talked about how the club is preparing for Saturday.
"I think that we are so lucky to be in the position that we’re in and there are a lot of teams across the country that don’t have this opportunity and we take that very seriously," said Beutler. "Our preparation has been serious, intense, and intentional, making sure that when we hit the field on Saturday we know exactly what the opposition’s going to look like. We know exactly what we’re going to do to take advantage of them and put the ball in the back of the net. Training has been really intentional, really intense, but obviously a lot of fun as well because we’re so grateful to be here and we’re super excited for the weekend."
Chattanooga will want to keep its momentum going as the winner of Saturday’s matchup will move on to the South Region Championship and face either McLean Soccer or LA Krewe Rush the following day on Sunday, July 13 at 6:00 p.m. ET. The South Region Champion and three other regional champions will compete in the WPSL Championship, taking place from July 18-20 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Arlington Soccer Blue earned the Southern Region Wildcard spot and is representing the District Division after finishing its 2025 campaign with a 4W-3L-1D record.
What to watch for
- Chattanooga FC Women is advancing to the WPSL South Region Playoffs for the first time since 2018
- CFC has conceded just five goals total in eight matches played, which is the joint-best defensive record of all 16 teams remaining the 2025 WPSL Playoffs alongside 2024 champions California Storm
- 2025 CFC goalkeeper Maddie Smith won the 2024 WPSL Championship with California Storm
- Multiple CFC Academy products expected to be part of playoff squad
Know the opponent
Arlington Soccer Blue is led by Head Coach George Hales.
Jocelyn Lohmeyer and Olivia Stafford lead the club with five goals each, and Ellie Stokes has four goals on the season.
Arlington enters Saturday’s match following a 9-0 victory over UK FC on June 28. The club finished second in the Atlantic Conference - District Division behind eventual Atlantic Conference Champions McLean Soccer.
This is Arlington’s second season in the WPSL after joining as a 2024 expansion team.
Match info
Venue: Revolution Sports Park | Leesburg, Va.
Kick-off: 5:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, July 12
Broadcast: National Soccer Network
Watch party
The club will be hosting an official watch party at Cheers Collective member Buffalo Wild Wings Downtown for the Chattanooga FC Women South Region semifinal!
