Jake Keegan scores the fastest goal in club history before Blake Bowen nets the late winner in front of a Fourth of July crowd.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (July 4, 2026) — On a night celebrating Independence Day, Corpus Christi FC delivered another statement performance in front of its home supporters, defeating the Chattanooga Red Wolves 2-1 Saturday evening to extend the club’s home unbeaten streak to six matches.
The victory marked the Sharks’ second win over Chattanooga this season after knocking off the Red Wolves 1-0 in April during USL Cup group stage play. It also continued Corpus Christi’s climb up the USL League One table, with the club moving three spots closer to playoff berth while further cementing one of the league’s strongest home stretches.
Corpus Christi wasted little time igniting the Fourth of July crowd. Just four minutes into the contest, Blake Bowen floated a dangerous cross into the penalty area where Nacho Abeal redirected a header towards forward Jake Keegan, who acrobatically finished with a bicycle kick to give the Sharks an early 1-0 advantage.
The goal was one for the history books. Keegan’s strike became the fastest goal in club history while extending his scorching run to three goals in his last three matches. Abeal’s helper was his sixth of the year, tying him for first in the league in total assists. Keegan’s 35th career League One goal also moved him into a tie for third on the league’s all-time scoring list.
Defensively, the Sharks controlled much of the opening 20 minutes, limiting Chattanooga’s attack through disciplined pressing and timely recoveries.
The visitors eventually found their breakthrough in the 26th minute. A corner kick into the six-yard box took an awkward bounce before falling to Angelo Kelly, who reacted off of a tap-pass from his teammate and fired home the equalizer to make it 1-1.
As a result, the sides would enter the break level after an evenly contested first half.
Chattanooga emerged with greater urgency after halftime, forcing Talbot into several key interventions. The Sharks’ goalkeeper produced an outstanding diving save in the 51st minute before later tipping away a dangerous corner-kick sequence in the 75th minute.
Head coach Eamon Zayed turned to his bench in the 65th minute, introducing 21-year-old midfielder Javier Mariona for his Sharks debut after joining the club on loan from AV Alta FC earlier this week.
The move paid immediate dividends.
In the 81st minute, Mariona slipped a perfectly weighted pass into the attacking third, finding Bowen in stride. The midfielder calmly finished past the goalkeeper for the go-ahead goal, his sixth of the season, pulling him into a tie for third in the league’s goal-scoring race.
“I’m stoked that I could help the team with a goal, but credit to everyone else,” said Bowen following the match. “We worked hard, and we came back from a tough loss that I felt we should’ve done better at, but it’s all the team, so the team wins.”
Mariona earned an assist on his very first appearance for Corpus Christi, and added after the game, “I’m so thankful for the boys, and the coaching staff made the onboarding super easy and friendly.” He continued, “I know we’ve had a good streak at home, and continuing that streak is wonderful. On top of that, three points instead of one, and the phenomenal assist is just the little cherry-on-top.”
The Red Wolves mounted a few final pushes during six minutes of stoppage time, throwing numbers forward in search of another equalizer. Talbot and the Sharks’ backline, however, would weather the multiple dangerous sequences to secure Corpus Christi the three points.
The final whistle capped another memorable evening at Cabaniss Athletic Complex, where Corpus Christi has now gone six consecutive home league matches without defeat.
Head coach Eamon Zayed praised his team’s resilience after the victory.
“We found another gear in the second half. I commend the lads. It’s been a tough week, going to Charlotte and then travelling back in this heat. It’s a great three points,” Zayed said. “This is officially the halfway point of the season. We are a team on the up, and we’re looking to continue that.”
With victories in each of their two meetings against Chattanooga this season and momentum continuing to build, the Sharks head into the second half of their campaign playing some of their best soccer of the year.
Coming Up:
The Sharks remain home Saturday, July 11 to host the visiting One Knoxville SC in their final PRINX Tires USL Cup group stage match at Cabaniss Athletic Complex.
Notable:
- Corpus Christi extends its home unbeaten streak to six consecutive league matches
- Blake Bowen’s sixth goal of the year moves him into a tie for third in total goals in USL League One this season
- Nacho Abeal recorded his sixth assist of the season, pulling him into a tie for the league lead
- Jake Keegan’s bicycle-kick opener was his 35th career League One goal, tying for third on the league’s all-time scoring list
- Just days after joining the club on loan from AV Alta FC, 21-year-old Javier Mariona recorded his first assist for Corpus Christi on Bowen’s game-winning goal
- Keegan’s opening goal also stood as the fastest goal in Corpus Christi FC club history
Goals: Keegan (4’), Bowen (81’)
Yellow Cards: Medina (1), Roscoe (1), Talbot (1), Kwakwa (1)
| CORPUS CHRISTI FC | CHATTANOOGA RED WOLVES | |
| 10 | SHOTS | 13 |
| 4 | SHOTS ON TARGET | 7 |
| 2 | SAVES | 5 |
| 13 | FOULS | 16 |
| 2 | CORNERS WON | 10 |
| 4 | YELLOW CARDS | 2 |
| 1* | RED CARDS | 0 |
*Red Card given to the bench
Story written by Nate Martinez, Corpus Christi FC Communications Contributor
About Corpus Christi FC
CCFC was established in 2017 by Dr. Kingsley Okonkwo. The club previously played in USL League Two, the nation’s leading pre-professional league, and won their first Lone Star Division title in 2024. That same year, Corpus Christi was awarded a USL League One franchise and will kick off its first professional season in 2026. CCFC is building a new home at the Corpus Christi Multi-Sport Complex currently being constructed at 5102 Old Brownsville Road. Phase One of the $28.3 million complex was completed in summer 2025 and a 5,000-seat stadium, which will serve as home for all of the Sharks’ USL League One home games, is currently under construction.
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