Birmingham Legion FC 0 – 0 Hartford Athletic
Protective Stadium | USL Championship
Birmingham Legion FC battled to a scoreless draw against Hartford Athletic at Protective Stadium, controlling large stretches of the match before finishing the final minutes with ten men.
Legion dictated much of the tempo and created the majority of the chances, finishing with 52.5% possession and 15 shots compared to Hartford’s eight. Birmingham also produced a higher expected goals total of 1.02 to Hartford’s 0.38, reflecting the hosts’ attacking pressure throughout the contest.
Samuel Shashoua and Gevork Diarbian led the attacking efforts, each registering five shots, while Shashoua also created a team-high five chances. In midfield, Ramiz Hamouda helped control the tempo with 47 completed passes, while Tyler Pasher added 55 touches and 36 completed passes as Legion continued to push forward.
Defensively, Birmingham remained organized when Hartford attempted to counter, with Jassem Koleilat recording 11 recoveries, the most in the match, as Legion maintained the clean sheet.
The match’s decisive moment came late in the second half. Defender Leo Duru, who entered the match in the 70th minute, had already been shown a yellow card before stepping onto the field of play following the substitution. Duru was then issued a second yellow card in the 77th minute, reducing Birmingham Legion to ten players for the final stages of the match.
Despite the disadvantage, Birmingham maintained its defensive shape and continued to push forward late in the match, limiting Hartford’s opportunities and securing a point at home.
Head coach Jay Heaps praised the effort from his side following the final whistle.
“We felt like the game was on our terms for long stretches,” Heaps said. “Obviously the red card changes things, but I was really proud of the way the guys responded. Even when we went down a man, we were still the team trying to press the game and push for the win. It showed a lot of character from the group.”
Heaps also highlighted the attacking opportunities created by his team throughout the match.
“I thought the first half especially showed the kind of football we want to play,” Heaps said. “We created opportunities and probably could have been up at halftime. We’re also missing a couple of our top goal scorers right now, so getting those players back will help. Once we get that first goal and first win, I think the group will feel a lot more comfortable.”
Goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat emphasized the team’s resilience after going down a man.
“Going down a man is never easy, but to come away with a clean sheet and our first point of the season gives us something to build on,” Koleilat said. “Defensively everyone stepped up — it wasn’t just the goalkeeper, it was the whole back line working together.”
Midfielder Ramiz Hamouda pointed to the team’s attacking build-up and the importance of converting chances moving forward.
“I think the difference today was just the final pass,” Hamouda said. “We created good moments and got into the right areas, but that last ball is something we’re continuing to work on. Once we get that first goal, the goals will start coming.”
Key Match Stats
Possession: Birmingham 52.5% | Hartford 47.5%
Expected Goals: Birmingham 1.02 | Hartford 0.38
Shots: Birmingham 15 | Hartford 8
Shots on Target: 2 | 2
Corners: 5 | 5
Passing Accuracy: Birmingham 86.7% | Hartford 81.5%
Fouls: Birmingham 8 | Hartford 22
Yellow Cards: Birmingham 3 | Hartford 6
Red Cards: Birmingham 1 (Leo Duru 77′)
Top Performers – Birmingham Legion
Shots: Samuel Shashoua (5), Gevork Diarbian (5)
Chances Created: Samuel Shashoua (5)
Touches: Ramiz Hamouda (77), Samuel Shashoua (76)
Recoveries: Jassem Koleilat (11)
Next Up
Birmingham Legion FC returns to Protective Stadium on April 12 as the club looks to build on the performance and push for its first home win of the season. Fans can secure tickets now and be part of the action as Legion continue their USL Championship campaign in Birmingham. Tickets are available at bhmlegion.com/tickets.
