DETROIT, MI (April 15, 2022) — Birmingham Legion FC fell to Detroit City FC 1-0 in a match that the Three Sparks will look to move past quickly. Antoine Hoppenot scored the game-winner for the hosts, finding the back of the net in the second half thanks to a well delivered ball from teammate Maxi Rodriguez.The first 45’ saw Legion tally eight shots as they looked to break the deadlock at Keyworth Stadium. The most clear chance for the visitors came on the stroke of halftime – after doing well to win the ball back in the attacking third, defender Mikey Lopez delivered a cross in toward an onrushing Jonny Dean, whose attempt went just wide.
Legion FC would continue to create in the second half, managing the same number of shots they had in the first half. It seemed as though Birmingham would take the lead in the 53rd minute thanks to a headed effort from midfielder Anderson Asiedu, but Detroit goalkeeper Nate Steinwascher made a fantastic save to keep things level.
After a lackluster first half that saw them tally only two shots on goal, Le Rouge would be the side to open the scoring for the night thanks to textbook Route One play. Starting with Steinwascher’s ball from the back, Detroit City FC forward Pato Botello Faz flicked it on to an onrushing Rodriguez, who would find Hoppenot in the box and see his side take a one-nil lead thanks to the Frenchman’s finish.
In a contest played in less than stellar conditions, Legion FC were the more dangerous side, boasting 2.49 Expected Goals tally according to StatsPerform (compared to Detroit’s 0.77). Despite that, Head Coach Tom Soehn’s side were unable to capitalize on their opportunities.
“I think we just need to take more opportunities and more shots,” said Soehn. “On a wet, windy day like today, any shot is a good shot. I thought we passed some opportunities up. When we did have a couple of looks like Jonny’s, those have got to be goals. That’s how you open teams up.”
Defender Alex Crognale when asked about the mentality in the locker room after a challenging start to the season:
“We have to keep battling and continue to work,” said Crognale. “This sport is never easy but we will stick together as a group through good times and bad.”
Box Score:
| 1st Half | 2nd Half | |
| DET | 0 | 1 |
| BHM | 0 | 0 |
HFD – 3-4-1-2 – #1 Nate Steinwascher; #30 Devon Amoo-Mensah, #5 Stephen Carroll, #15 Matt Lewis; #20 Deklan Wynne, #21 Maxi Rodriguez, # Abdoulaye Diop, #2 Rhys Williams; #11 Connor Rutz; #29 Antoine Hoppenot (Subbed off by #9 Francis Atuahene in the 75’), #19 Pato Botello Faz
BHM – 3-4-3 – #1 Matt VanOekel; #21 Alex Crognale, #3 Phanuel Kavita ©, #27 Thomas Vancaeyezeele (Subbed off by #7 Ryan James in the 84’); #5 Mikey Lopez, #6 Anderson Asiedu, #19 Enzo Martinez, #24 Jonny Dean; #10 Prosper Kasim, #11 Marlon Santos (Subbed off by #8 Bruno Lapa in the 73’), #99 Juan Agudelo (Subbed off by #77 Macky Diop in the 66’)
The Black & Gold will return to Birmingham on April 19 to host USL League One side South Georgia Tormenta FC in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup. The match will be kickoff at 7:00PM CT at Preston Goldfarb Field on the campus of Birmingham Southern College. Tickets and parking passes for the tie are available HERE.
The next league home match for Legion FC will be on Wednesday, April 27, at 7:00PM CT against the Charleston Battery. Details about our new ‘Everybody Wins on Wednesdays’ campaign coming soon, so keep an eye out @bhmlegion on social, and 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
