MATCH INFO:
Birmingham Legion FC vs FC Tulsa
Sunday, August 22 – 4:00PM CT Kickoff
BBVA Field – Birmingham, AL
Get your tickets HERE
Watch – My68, ESPN+
Stats – Legion FC Match Center
Legion FC welcomes FC Tulsa to the Magic City for the second time this season looking for a repeat performance from June 6th’s 2-1 victory. On 6/6, forward Neco Brett scored both goals for the good guys, with assists coming from fellow strike partners JJ Williams and Junior Flemmings. Brett now sits tied-second in the USL Championship in goals with 11 on the season and is up for USLC mid-season MVP. BHM goalkeeper Matt VanOekel is currently tied for third in clean sheets with five and is seventh in saves with 50 while also being up for USLC Goalkeeper of the Year. Fans can vote for both players HERE.
Williams is up to three goals and three assists this year, while Flemmings has four goals in his last five games for BHM. After a goal and assist showing on August 11 against SKC and a goal over weekend in our match at Memphis, Flemmings earned a USLC Team of the Week nod this week, his first honor while donning Black and Gold. Midfielder Anderson Asiedu also earned himself a spot on the TOTW after bagging his first professional goal against SKC. Asiedu also leads the team in tackles and is second in interceptions to captain Phanuel Kavita.
Birmingham will unveil special-edition jerseys for this match, with logos hand-drawn by kids from Children’s Harbor. The jerseys will be auctioned off after the game with all proceeds going to the hospital.
FC Tulsa is in the middle of a hotly contested race for one of the Central Division playoff spots and are currently in fifth, tied with fourth place Indy Eleven and sixth place OKC Energy FC on 22 points, just three points back of third place Atlanta United 2. Tulsa greatly helped their cause with a 3-1 win over Legion FC in the clubs’ last meeting, in Oklahoma on August 7.
That win was Tulsa’s only victory in its last six games, with all five other games being losses, but two goals in the last five minutes of the game for the home side made all the difference. Five different players had goal contributions for Tulsa that night, and none of them were from Rodrigo da Costa, Tulsa’s main man in the attack. Da Costa leads the team in goals this season with eight, assists with four, and chances created with 31, while forward Marlon scored the game-winner on 8/7 and leads the team in shots this year with 26.
According to Head Coach Tommy Soehn, his team’s energy level will be a key towards coming away with a victory.
“I feel like it’s about setting the tempo, understanding what the tempo is in a game, and pressing high which is something [FC Tulsa] does as well,” said Soehn. “I think it just comes down to who does it better. I feel like the second time we played them [on August 7th] we kind of let them off the hook because it wasn’t our best effort going forward and pressing them and forcing them into mistakes. That’s something we have to do better, and I’m sure they’ll try to do the same to us.”
On this week’s VIVA Health injury report, Legion FC midfielder Daigo Kobayashi (knee) is questionable, and midfielder Bruno Lapa is out due to a sports hernia. Defender Freddy Kleemann has been recalled from loan by Austin FC.
Legion FC’s next home game is a big one in the fight for the playoffs, as Central Division leaders Louisville City FC come to town for the first time this season on Saturday, August 28 at 6:30PM. Fans can get tickets for the 28th HERE and can contact the Legion FC Ticket Office at 205-600-4635 or tickets@https://www.bhmlegion.com with any questions or requests.
MATCH INFO:
Birmingham Legion FC vs FC Tulsa
Sunday, August 22 – 4:00PM CT Kickoff
BBVA Field – Birmingham, AL
Get your tickets HERE
Watch – My68, ESPN+
Stats – Legion FC Match Center
Legion FC welcomes FC Tulsa to the Magic City for the second time this season looking for a repeat performance from June 6th’s 2-1 victory. On 6/6, forward Neco Brett scored both goals for the good guys, with assists coming from fellow strike partners JJ Williams and Junior Flemmings. Brett now sits tied-second in the USL Championship in goals with 11 on the season and is up for USLC mid-season MVP. BHM goalkeeper Matt VanOekel is currently tied for third in clean sheets with five and is seventh in saves with 50 while also being up for USLC Goalkeeper of the Year. Fans can vote for both players HERE.
Williams is up to three goals and three assists this year, while Flemmings has four goals in his last five games for BHM. After a goal and assist showing on August 11 against SKC and a goal over weekend in our match at Memphis, Flemmings earned a USLC Team of the Week nod this week, his first honor while donning Black and Gold. Midfielder Anderson Asiedu also earned himself a spot on the TOTW after bagging his first professional goal against SKC. Asiedu also leads the team in tackles and is second in interceptions to captain Phanuel Kavita.
Birmingham will unveil special-edition jerseys for this match, with logos hand-drawn by kids from Children’s Harbor. The jerseys will be auctioned off after the game with all proceeds going to the hospital.
FC Tulsa is in the middle of a hotly contested race for one of the Central Division playoff spots and are currently in fifth, tied with fourth place Indy Eleven and sixth place OKC Energy FC on 22 points, just three points back of third place Atlanta United 2. Tulsa greatly helped their cause with a 3-1 win over Legion FC in the clubs’ last meeting, in Oklahoma on August 7.
That win was Tulsa’s only victory in its last six games, with all five other games being losses, but two goals in the last five minutes of the game for the home side made all the difference. Five different players had goal contributions for Tulsa that night, and none of them were from Rodrigo da Costa, Tulsa’s main man in the attack. Da Costa leads the team in goals this season with eight, assists with four, and chances created with 31, while forward Marlon scored the game-winner on 8/7 and leads the team in shots this year with 26.
According to Head Coach Tommy Soehn, his team’s energy level will be a key towards coming away with a victory.
“I feel like it’s about setting the tempo, understanding what the tempo is in a game, and pressing high which is something [FC Tulsa] does as well,” said Soehn. “I think it just comes down to who does it better. I feel like the second time we played them [on August 7th] we kind of let them off the hook because it wasn’t our best effort going forward and pressing them and forcing them into mistakes. That’s something we have to do better, and I’m sure they’ll try to do the same to us.”
On this week’s VIVA Health injury report, Legion FC midfielder Daigo Kobayashi (knee) is questionable, and midfielder Bruno Lapa is out due to a sports hernia. Defender Freddy Kleemann has been recalled from loan by Austin FC.
Legion FC’s next home game is a big one in the fight for the playoffs, as Central Division leaders Louisville City FC come to town for the first time this season on Saturday, August 28 at 6:30PM. Fans can get tickets for the 28th HERE and can contact the Legion FC Ticket Office at 205-600-4635 or tickets@https://www.bhmlegion.com with any questions or requests.