Early goal from the Riverhounds hands Legion FC defeat
PITTSBURGH, PA (May 7, 2022) – Birmingham Legion FC lost on the road to fellow Eastern Conference side Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC by a scoreline of 1-0. The loss was a frustrating one for the Three Sparks, as they failed to create many chances after conceding early on.
Pittsburgh scored the game winning goal just four minutes into the match. Midfielder Daniel Griffin found the back of the net for the hosts, slotting it just under Legion FC goalkeeper Matt VanOekel with a finish from inside the box.
The Riverhounds came close to doubling their lead in the 31’, but a fantastic reflex save from VanOekel kept the scoreline at 1-0.
Legion FC tallied 10 shots on goal throughout the match, yet none forced Pittsburgh goalkeeper Kevin Silva into action. The hosts did well to make things difficult for Birmingham, as the latter was unable to create any clear cut chances over the course of the 90’.
“I think we pressured them well and won some balls, we just didn’t do anything with them,” said Legion FC Head Coach Tommy Soehn. “Our creation was limited today, so that was disappointing because I felt like we had some moments where we could’ve turned it into chances. It just wasn’t happening today. Credit to [Pittsburgh], though, they did a good job of making it difficult.”
The loss comes ahead of an 11-day break in between matches for the Black & Gold, a break that will be important for the squad going forward.
“The break is very important for all of us to recharge the battery a bit,” said defender and Captain Phanuel Kavita. “ We have a very talented team but we need to start bringing consistent performances and I believe once this break is over we will have just that.
| 1st Half | 2nd Half | |
| PIT | 1 | 0 |
| BHM | 0 | 0 |
PIT – 4-2-3-1 – #1 Kevin Silva; #13 Luke Biasi (Subbed out in the 78’ for #3 Shane Wiedt), #5 Mekeil Williams (Subbed out in the 78’ for #27 Jelani Peters), #15 Arturo Ordonez, #2 Nathan Dossantos; #11 Kenardo Forbes (Subbed out in the 78’ for #4 Daniel Rovira), #18 Marc Ybarra (Subbed out in the 78’ for #21 Luis Argudo); #10 Russell Cicerone, #12 Daniel Griffin, #7 Alexander Dixon; #9 Albert Dikwa
BHM – 4-2-3-1 – #1 Matt VanOekel; #24 Jonny Dean, #21 Alex Crognale, #3 Phanuel Kavita ©, #5 Mikey Lopez ; #6 Anderson Asiedu, #20 Zach Herivaux (Subbed out in the 86’ by #27 Thomas Vancaeyezeele); #10 Prosper Kasim (Subbed out in the 78’ by #8 Bruno Lapa), #19 Enzo Martinez (Subbed out in the 86’ by #7 Ryan James), #11 Marlon Santos (Subbed out in the 56’ by #13 Jake Rufe); #99 Juan Agudelo (Subbed out in the 56’ by #9 Edi Horvat)
The next home game is back at Protective Stadium on Wednesday, May 18, at 7:00pm against Las Vegas Lights! ‘Everybody Wins on Wednesday’ drink deals continue, so get your tickets HERE and contact the Legion FC Ticket Office with any questions.
