Tennessee Tempo FC finished undefeated in the 2025 United Premier Soccer League spring season with a 1-0 win over LA10 FC in Sunday’s championship game in Irvine, Calif. The game-winning goal was scored by former pro Dominic Oduro in the 86th minute.
“Great game, incredible team we just played, undefeated all season long; we knew we were going to get our chances, we just had to capitalize,” said Tennessee Tempo head coach Gift Ndam.
With the win, Tempo FC not only earned the club’s first UPSL title, but they also qualified for the 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. It will be their second appearance in the US Open Cup, after playing in the 2023 tournament under the name Beaman United.
It was another dramatic win for Tempo FC as they rallied from a goal down in extra time to beat Chicago Nation FC 2-1 in Friday’s Semifinal. Oduro tied the game in the 114th minute and Souleymane Balde scored the game-winner in the 116th minute. LA10 FC, a club owned by Italian football legend Alessandro Del Piero, cruised to a 5-0 win over Balboa FC to reach the title game.
As the first half got underway, LA10 FC were swift in establishing the momentum for the match. However, that ended with a yellow card awarded in the 2nd minute.
The aggressiveness would not phase Tennessee Tempo as they returned with the same level of intensity, but would face the same outcome shortly after. In the 6th minute of the match, Tempo’s Nathaniel Biedel would be given a yellow card for a foul outside of the goalie’s box.
Both teams would break through each other’s defensive line but fall short of raising the score. The match would remain scoreless as the end of the first half was called.
“They suffer a lot behind the ball, and there were moments when it also seemed like we didn’t have space to even breathe with the ball at their feet,” Ndam said.
The second half continued to play out much like the first. Both teams would find any moment to capitalize on an offensive attack, but the tight formation from the defensive line would stop them in their tracks. The goalkeepers also played a huge role in this scoreless match and provided huge saves from goal attempts.
“When you play a team that is that good, that organized, that possession oriented, you have to be very disciplined defensively,” Ndam said.
It wasn’t until the 86th minute that Tennessee Tempo’s Souleymane Balde, the hero from Friday’s Semifinal, broke free on a run towards the goal. Balde crossed the ball to the center of the 18-yard box where it would rebound off of players and fall to the feet of Oduro. He took the opportunity to score, and his shot would narrowly miss the fingertips of LA10’s goalie and hit the back of the net.
Oduro, who spent a number of years playing professionally with teams like the Charleston Battery, Memphis 901 FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, has the most Open Cup experience out of anyone on the roster. Oduro has played in seven Open Cup games with FC Golden State Force (USL League Two), the Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL Championship) and with Beaman United in 2023.
In the final minutes of the match, LA10 FC didn’t let this affect their play and used it as motivation to find a chance to even the score.
However, as the final minutes of extra time came to an end, Tennessee Tempo would remain victorious.
“These guys have been working hard together. They are impressive. It’s a big family,” Ndam said, “ We don’t have like big superstars, but at the end of the day, you have a bunch of guys that would die for each other.”