Chattanooga Football Club (CFC) today announced it has completed the signing of versatile winger Minjae Kwak in a one-year deal with a club option for a year extension.
Kwak began his professional career in the United States with National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) side California United Strikers during the 2020/2021 season before signing with Syracuse Pulse the next season. Kwak was voted to the 2022 NISA Best XI after making a considerable impact with the Pulse.
He then signed with Canadian Premier League (CPL) outfit Vancouver FC for the 2023 season, where he played for former South Korea assistant coach and Iran national team coach Afshin Ghotbi. Kwak had a successful spell with Vancouver, making 25 appearances in total.
"Over the last couple of years we’ve had certain characteristics in players and he fits those", said Head Coach and Sporting Director Rod Underwood. "We were making some changes in the characteristics this year and he fit those. This is a guy we’ve watched for a significant amount of time. He’s versatile, much like many of the players we’ve signed, and he can play multiple positions. He has attacking and defending qualities that simply fit into what we want to do. We expect him to come in and challenge everyone and push everyone.
“We saw him play and make his professional debut at 19. My assistant coach Chris Nugent did a lot of data work on him and found that he really fit the metrics that we wanted. We’ve been tracking him and tried to get him twice in the last two years and it didn’t work out, but now we get that opportunity to work with him, so we’re excited about that.”
Kwak expressed his excitement of linking up with his team-mates in the near future and the anticipation that comes with joining the club in its first-ever season in MLS NEXT Pro.
“It feels very special to join a historic club like Chattanooga FC,” said Kwak. “I’ve played at Finley Stadium against CFC multiple times before and the atmosphere and the fans are amazing. I’m really excited to play for the club. Giving back to the community is very important, so I think what Chattanooga FC does for the community is great.”
Kwak will wear the number 18 jersey.
Chattanooga FC is competing in MLS NEXT Pro for the first time in 2024. Fans can explore all ticketing options at ChattanoogaFC.com.
Player Profile
Name: Minjae Kwak
Position: Winger
Height: 5-10
Birthdate: August 25, 2000
Birthplace: Suwon, South Korea
Citizenship: United States
2024 Chattanooga FC roster (as of March 25, 2024)
Goalkeepers (3): Jean Antoine, Jon Burke, +Michael Barrueta
Defenders (8): Joseph Perez, Anatolie Prepelita, +Jesse Williams, +Milo Garvanian, +Robert Screen, +Duvan Viafara, +Farid Sar-Sar, +Logan Brown
Midfielders (6): Luis Garcia Sosa, Alex McGrath, Ethan Koren, +Andres Jimenez Aranzazu, +Callum Watson, +Jude Arthur
Forwards (7): Taylor Gray, Damian Rodriguez, Jesus Ibarra, +Mehdi Ouamri, +Jalen James, +Carlos Rivas, +Minjae Kwak