22-04-2025
One Knoxville SC enters home opener as league's last unbeaten team
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — One Knoxville SC is headed home for their first-ever match at Covenant Health Park following a six-week road trip to kick off the 2025 season. The team is off to its best start to a season since moving up to the professional ranks in 2023.
It's been an impressive start to life under first-year head coach Ian Fuller, who will enter Saturday's home opener as the reigning USL League One Coach of the Week. After drawing their opening match against Spokane Velocity FC, Knoxville has strung together three straight league wins without conceding a single goal.
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The four-match unbeaten run makes them the only team that has yet to lose a USL League One match. However, Knoxville won't be putting their league unbeaten streak on the line when they host FC Tulsa at Covenant Health Park on April 26. The match will kick of Knoxville's 2025 campaign in the USL Cup, a in-season World Cup-style tournament.
After the inaugural 2024 edition only featured teams from the third-division USL League One, this year's tournament will also feature all 24 USL Championship teams. The 38-team field is divided into six groups based on geographic proximity.
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Knoxville will take on two USL Championship sides during USL Cup group play: FC Tulsa and Indy Eleven. A win against either would be the first in One Knoxville history against a team from a higher division.
Saturday's match will kick off at 7 p.m. Knoxville is aiming to break a USL League One record for the most-attended home opener, a mark of 6,000 currently held by Richmond Kickers. The team has reported that 5,000 tickets have been sold as of Tuesday.
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The team played at Regal Soccer Stadium on the University of Tennessee campus for the past two seasons before the completion of the multiuse downtown stadium that is also the home of Knoxville Smokies minor league baseball. They will play their first USL League One match at Covenant Health Park on Friday, May 9 when they host Forward Madison FC.
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