
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – It may have not been the result that Birmingham Legion FC envisioned when it arrived to Protective Stadium, however there were still positives to take away in a 2-0 loss to Atlanta United FC on Saturday to open up its 2025 preseason slate.
“I saw a lot of positives and a lot of good energy,” Legion FC Head Coach Tom Soehn said afterwards. “You always learn from the group and it highlighted some areas that we’re still looking to improve upon.”
In a first half that saw the starting lineup for Birmingham feature four first-team players make their club debut, including forward Sebastian Tregarthen in his first professional outing, Atlanta grabbed the opening goal in the 25th minute with Cayman Togashi heading in a free kick from Ronald Hernandez outside the box.
The visitors then doubled the lead in the 80th minute via an own goal.
Despite that however Legion FC are happy to have gotten a full match under its belt and look forward to building off of this newly discovered foundation.
“You’re disappointed because you lost the game and wanted to give the crowd something to cheer about,” midfielder Enzo Martinez said. “The atmosphere was great, the level of the game was high quality, but most important was the things we saw as a team and getting to play 45 minutes against an opponent with so many guys in the lineup that are new, that’s a big thing. So it was a lot of positives and things we know we can work on and that’s all you can ask.”
With a brand new starting eleven to begin the second half, Birmingham found its rhythm in the match with a couple of early chances and a near equalizer from forward Lucca Dourado in what was his first professional experience. Receiving a pass to trigger the counterattack, the former Central Florida star took the ball down the left side before cutting inside in the box. His right-footed shot beat an outstretched arm from Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan, but rolled just outside of the post and out of play.
“I felt butterflies for the first 10 minutes or so,” Dourado said of his first match in Birmingham. “I haven’t had a feeling like that since my first college game which was four years ago, so it was good to have that again of like ‘you made it.’ So now with that out of the way, it’s all about just keep going and keep improving and find ways to help the team win.”
For the match, Legion FC finished with six total shots and a pair on target, while Atlanta countered with seven of its 10 shots on frame.
Birmingham was able to utilize all three of its goalkeepers on Saturday with veteran Matt Van Oekel playing the entire first half, while Trevor Spangenberg and Fernando Delgado split time in the second.
“We’re worlds ahead in where we are compared to so many teams I’ve had in the past,” explained Soehn. “That allows us to jump into the next phase and build the attack out. It provided some good starting points that allows us to move ahead faster than we have in some areas before.”
NEXT UP
Legion FC will return to preseason action on Saturday, February 8 against MLS Next Pro-side Chattanooga FC. The match will take place at the Legion FC Training Facility (1021 Dunnavant Valley Rd., Birmingham, AL) and is open to season ticket holders. Kick-off is set for 2:30 p.m. CT with a meet and greet and tour of the facility to take place. Get your season tickets for 2025 by visiting www.bhmlegion.com/2025-season-tickets.