Back at Home, Legion FC Looks for Win Against Indy Eleven

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A return home sees the appearance of newfound expectations for Birmingham Legion FC. Following a win in the 2025 USL Jagermeister Cup at FC Tulsa over the weekend, the Black and Gold find itself on a two-match win streak for the first time this year as it jumps back into USL Championship play on Wednesday, welcoming Indy Eleven to Protective Stadium.

“We’ve just got to take each game at a time,” Legion FC coach Mark Briggs said. “It’s just building blocks that we’ve got to continue to lay down and set the foundation. We’ve got momentum and the guys are showing a better mindset, a better focus and as all the little details are getting taken care of, that’s when you start to see result.”

The midweek matchup between the two Eastern Conference rivals will be the first of three meetings this year, including an important Jagermeister Cup match in Indianapolis at the end of the month that will more than likely decide who finishes atop Group 3.

Legion FC finds itself in that ideal table position after standing tall on the road against Tulsa to earn three points despite getting outshot in the match 27-8 for a 2-1 victory. Even so, Briggs is striving for more, namely to see to Birmingham post its first clean sheet of the season.

“I don’t think we’ve shown enough pride in keeping the ball out of the goal,” he explained. “We can’t just get by on scoring goals. But I do l like the pride we’re showing in getting results on the road, in places where at times it’s hard to play beautiful football. You have to understand the position you’re in and grind out a result, so I was pleased with that.

“And that’s a key part of this, because when you look year-in and year-out at the top of the table, the league’s best teams are the ones that show they can grind out those results even when they are not playing their best.”

Birmingham will have to lean on those grinding capabilities again on Wednesday without the likes of Phanuel Kavita and Ramiz Hamouda who are both away on international duty with Rwanda and the USA U-17’s respectively. When healthy, the defending duo have been the first choice centerback pairing for much of the season with a combined 15 starts between them.

The good news is that Legion FC is no stranger to squad rotation due to an array of outside circumstances throughout this campaign, having deployed a different lineup in all 13 of its matches.

“It’s not about just eleven players, it’s a squad game,” Briggs said. “I have to keep everyone engaged and involved. If we can do that, it puts us in a good position with different players coming in and performing at a decent level to help the team. That’s what we did last week and those guys that did come in put themselves in a position to compete for more minutes going forward.”

As for its opponents on Wednesday, Indy Eleven enters the match on a full week’s rest after playing to a thrilling 4-4 draw against Hartford Athletic. Romario Williams salvaged the point at home with a stoppage time goal to complete his brace for the club’s fifth draw in USL-C play.

Despite having just one win on the year, matches featuring the Eleven have been nothing short of exciting. Led by forward Elvis Amoh and his four goals, Indy rank fifth in the league with 17 total goals scored. However, it has also allowed 20 goals which is second-worst in the league behind 22 from Oakland Roots SC.

Still, the Eleven come into Wednesday riding recent success against Legion FC with three straight wins against the home side. Briggs and company will look to put a halt to that streak as it tries to maintain its momentum.

“They are a very mature team with a lot of experience,” Briggs noted on Indy. “They’re also a very big team, so we have to be locked in on set pieces and long throw-ins. We’ve got to be prepared for them, but for me, it’s about us and what do and how we’ve prepared.”

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