Midfielder Marlon Santos scored an exquisite goal late in the second half to christen the club’s new home.

BIRMINGHAM, AL (March 13, 2022) — Birmingham Legion FC came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw versus the visiting Tampa Bay Rowdies in the first competitive soccer match at Protective Stadium in uptown Birmingham on Sunday afternoon. It was newcomer Marlon Santos who found the equalizer for the home side, beating Tampa goalkeeper CJ Cochran with a stunning finish from outside the box.
The first half saw Legion FC establish control of the match early on, forcing the Rowdies defense into action with a number of runs going forward. The moment that highlighted the first half chances for the hosts was midfielder Bruno Lapa’s effort in the 9th minute. Lapa’s curling shot from outside the box was fumbled by Cochran at first, creating a small window of time for Enzo Martinez to bounce on the rebound. The visiting ‘keeper, however, managed to collect the loose ball.
The visitors got on the board first in the 34th minute as midfielder Yann Ekra dribbled into the right side of the Legion FC box and chipped a ball across to midfielder Sebastian Dalgaard who found the bottom corner of the net.
Legion Nation in attendance got to enjoy a worldie of a goal from newcomer Marlon Santos in the 86th minute to get the home side on the board. Midfielder Eli Crognale played a long switch out to the left wing for forward Prosper Kasim, who then found Marlon at the top of the box. The Brazilian turned and curled his effort right over the ‘keeper and into the top right corner.
“It was a beautiful goal,” said Legion FC Head Coach Tommy Soehn. “Marlon spun around and I just happened to be right in line with it – the way he tucked in the corner was just gorgeous. Like I said, we were pushing for that last one and given more time we might have had it.
“Tampa is a good team, and you have to respect what they do. Having to chase it I give the guys credit. They were resilient to come back and get a result out of it. Obviously, we want to win those games but there was plenty of excitement to see. The stadium was great, the fans were great, it was great to see.”
This team’s depth is something Soehn has held in high regard heading into this season, and it already paid dividends today as all three players involved in the goal were second half substitutes.
Midfielder Bruno Lapa led the team on the day in expected goals and total shots, and he felt like it was a solid team performance with room to grow as the season gets under way.
“I think it was a very even game, it was a game decided by details. Both teams had a solid game and for us – like the first half – one detail, we were down a goal and the second half we were fighting to get that goal back and we did. I think we deserved the draw; it was a fair result. A good game is a tough game to play but I think we’re proud of our performance. There’s a lot to learn from it and I think we can build from this draw today.
“Going forward I think we can be little more creative. We’re still getting to know each other, and it’s the first game of the season, so I think that chemistry is going to come as we play more with each other. And, I think, just some small details in the back, especially with set pieces, make sure not to give them some good looks. But overall, I think it was a good performance and I think we can continue to work and build up on and find the best form later on this season.”
Box Score:
1st Half | 2nd Half | |
BHM | 0 | 1 |
TBR | 1 | 0 |
Goals:
TBR – 34’ – #23 Sebastian Dalgaard (assisted by #7 Yann Ekra)
BHM – 86’ – #11 Marlon Santos (assisted by #10 Prosper Kasim)
Marlon Santos Goal – 3/13 – #BHMvTBR
BHM – 3-5-2 – #1 Matt VanOekel; #3 Phanuel Kavita ©, #4 Freddy Kleemann, #21 Alex Crognale; #6 Anderson Asiedu, #20 Zach Herivaux (81’ – #12 Eli Crognale), #5 Mikey Lopez (68’ – #11 Marlon Santos) , #8 Bruno Lapa (89’ – #7 Ryan James), #24 Jonny Dean; #19 Enzo Martinez, #77 Macky Diop (68’ – #10 Prosper Kasim)
TBR – 3-4-3 – #1 CJ Cochran; #33 Aaron Guillen, #24 Robert Castellanos (18’ – #6 Junior Etou), #5 Jordan Scarlett; #23 Sebastian Dalgaard, #27 Laurence Wyke, #4 Lewis Hilston, #2 Connor Antley; #13 Sebastian Guenzatti © (80’ – #19 Jake LaCava), #10 Steevan Dos Santos (80’ – #22 Kyle Greig), #7 Yann Ekra (74’ – #8 Jake Areman)
Legion FC hits the road for the first away contest of the season on Saturday, March 19 at FC Tulsa at 7:30pm CT. Catch the match live on My68 and ESPN+ and follow @bhmlegion on Twitter for match updates.
The Black and Gold are back at Protective Stadium on Saturday, March 26 at 6:30pm CT for its first ever match against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Get your tickets today!
For all club news and updates, be sure to follow @bhmlegion on social media and keep an eye on bhmlegion.com and the Legion FC app. Download the Legion FC app today on Apple or Android, and sync our 2022 schedule to your calendar HERE.