Legion FC Seeks Conference Win in Clash with Detroit City FC

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – With still more than five months to go in the 2025 USL Championship season, there is no reason to panic due to some results not going a team’s way in the early going. However, that is not say that, for Birmingham Legion FC, three points aren’t paramount this Sunday when it welcomes a familiar foe Detroit City FC — especially just four days removed from dropping points at home.

“We’ve got to pick the guys up,” said Legion FC coach Mark Briggs. “We’ve got to analyze certain things, have individual conversations and we’ve got to lift the level and lift the energy. When we play at home, we should be excited and I didn’t feel that excitement (on Wednesday).”

Following the 1-0 defeat to Rhode Island FC, the Three Sparks finds itself sitting in a bit of a precarious spot of the Eastern Conference table in 10th place on six points. A noticeable chasm is developing in the middle of the standings two months into play with sixth place and fifth place separated by seven points. Detroit is holding that fifth position with 16 points earned in nine matches, so a Birmingham win this weekend could play a part in filling that gap.

For that to occur, the club will have to buck a problematic trend this season and notch its first win of the year against and East foe.

“I think it’s the mentality,” defender Phanuel Kavita said of reasons behind Legion FC’s 0-4-3 record within its conference. “As soon as you step on the field to warm up, you have to be ready to go. I think Mark has done a good job of coming in and change the culture, now it’s on us to take it on our shoulder and perform on the field.”

The slow start to the season can attributed to slow starts from match-to-match. In its eight USL-C outings this season, Birmingham has allowed six goals within the first 30 minutes, with the opposition outscoring it 9-4 in the first half. On the flip side, Legion FC has scored six goals in the second half, while just allowing four. It has yet to lead at the halftime break in any USL-C match in 2025.

“The first half performances, forget tactics, forget the quality, if you don’t run and don’t compete, you won’t win games,” Briggs explained. “You can’t play in this league without effort and without giving everything you’ve got. It needs to change.”

Detroit is in search of a change as well as it comes to Protective Stadium on Sunday to cap off a four match road trip. Having yet to play in Michigan since April 26, the traveling appears to be taking a toll on the side, having not been able to secure a victory in its previous three matches.

It now comes to Birmingham where it has had success in past years, winning all three of its matches in the Magic City dating back to 2022.

DCFC has routinely posed a threat in its history and this season is no different. In his first season with the club, Darren Smith has already made his name known with seven goals in USL-C play, tied for tops in the league. The South African forward found the back of the net against Birmingham when the two sides met at Keyworth Stadium on March 22. It was a match that ended in split points with Legion FC coming back from a 2-0 deficit thanks to a goal from Ronaldo Damus and an own goal off of a Kobe Hernandez-Foster free kick.

Birmingham will now look to grab all three points on Sunday.

“This game will be very different,” said Kavita who scored a goal against Detroit last season in Legion FC’s only win in the series. “When you lose a game like we did on Wednesday, you’re up for the next game and urgent to get back on the field and fix what went wrong.”

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