Tennessee Tempo FC established its place in Murfreesboro sports history when it captured its first-ever United Premier Soccer League National Championship in a 1–0 win over LA10 Football Club in August.
The UPSL championship win capped a tremendous spring 2025 season for the side, during which the club posted a regular season record of 10 wins and 1 loss under the leadership of head coach Gift Ndam. From beginning to end, the Tempo demonstrated why they’ve become one of the top teams in the UPSL—a semi-professional soccer association that now boasts over 300 teams across the nation competing in its Premier Division.
Established in 2021 as Beaman United FC, the club rebranded to Tennessee Tempo in 2023, and reached the pinnacle of league play by the end of its spring 2025 season.
Before the national competition, the Tempo were first victorious in the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference championship, taking that July 5 match over the FC Leopards out of Bowling Green, Kentucky. The team kept on winning, earning a spot in the Southeast Region Championship match against the Miami United FC. Goalkeeper Francois Djiba was a brick wall in the game, scoreless until the 83rd minute when Belizean Latrell Middleton scored a dramatic late game-winner to send the Tempo to the national semifinals in California.
The Tempo were then victorious in the Aug. 8 semifinals, held at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, California, versus the Chicago Nation FC, and would go on to face its toughest test yet in the national final against the defensive juggernaut LA10 FC, a team that had conceded just three goals all season.
Early on, the Tempo looked in control, with Moussa Gueye, Enil Garcia and Joe Omondi forming a defensive wall in front of Djiba, keeping the first half scoreless.
In the final three minutes, Dominic Oduro struck an assist from Souleymane Balde into the back of the net, scoring the lone goal that secured the Tempo’s first UPSL National Championship trophy.
“It’s not always about winning a national championship,” Ndam said in a UPSL press conference. “This is about bringing people together from different parts of the planet. This is about my wife and I bringing people together for the glory of God and trusting Him.”
Tennessee’s rapid evolution over its four years of existence is in large part thanks to team co-founders, Coach Ndam and former NYCFC midfielder Kwadwo Poku.
For Ndam, the championship win transcends the soccer field.
“To everyone back home—Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, whatever part of the planet you are on . . . thank you all for your love and support,” he said. “My hat also goes off to LA10 FC, what an amazing team.”
The Tempo continues to try and ignite a wave of excitement for soccer in Murfreesboro, inspiring young players and fans. With the UPSL national championship win, the Tempo has secured a spot in the 2026 U.S. Open Cup.
Turnaround time is quick in the UPSL; the league holds both spring and fall seasons, with the next season already kicking off this September.
Catch the Tennessee Tempo FC in action in Murfreesboro on Sept. 12 against the Kaistorms Football Club (out of Chattanooga) at 7 p.m. the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex Stadium, and then on Sept. 28 against the Southern Indiana FC at 6 p.m. at Siegel High School.
For more on the Tennessee Tempo, which also fields academy level teams, visit tennesseetempofc.com.
