The match kicked off with both Birmingham Legion FC and the Chattanooga Red Wolves looking to capitalize on early opportunities, setting the tone for an intense cup battle. Birmingham wasted no time, striking quickly in the 9th minute with a goal from D. Trejo that put them ahead 1-0.
Chattanooga’s keeper, Jerez—who has started every cup match this season—stepped up with a crucial save shortly after to keep the Red Wolves in the game. Birmingham earned a corner kick soon after but sent the resulting shot over the crossbar.
Birmingham continued to apply offensive pressure, dominating possession throughout the first half. Despite the onslaught, Jerez made several key saves to keep Chattanooga within striking distance. The Red Wolves remained organized in their formation and slowly began creating their own chances late in the first half. The match grew tense around the 30th minute, culminating in a yellow card for Jerez after he protested a call to the referee.
Coming out of the break, the second half maintained a fast pace as both teams looked to find the back of the net. However, Chattanooga’s efforts took a major hit in the 65th minute when Knapp received a red card, reducing the Red Wolves to 10 men.
With the advantage in numbers and already controlling around 70% of possession in the first half, Birmingham capitalized. They found the back of the net again in the 71st minute, extending their lead to 2-0, and struck once more in the 78th minute to make it 3-0—both goals coming from well-placed passes to their strikers.
Despite being down a man and three goals, Chattanooga showed resilience. Kinzner netted a stoppage-time goal to put the Red Wolves on the board, but it wasn’t enough to mount a comeback.
In a physical match filled with yellow cards and one red, Birmingham walked away with a 3-1 win and valuable points in the cup standings.
