Legion FC Rides Rollercoaster in 4-4 Draw at Orange County SC

USL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 22	1ST HALF	2ND HALF	FINAL
BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (4W-9L-9D | 21 PTS)	2	2	4
ORANGE COUNTY SC (8W-8L-4D | 28 PTS)	2	2	4

IRVINE, Calif. – With a bushel of goals at a torrid pace, things certainly got weird out on the west coast on Saturday night as Birmingham Legion FC went back and forth with Orange County SC in a 4-4 draw at Championship Soccer Stadium. The lone point though is a tough pill to swallow for the Three Sparks, who felt on multiple occasions that it had done enough to claim all of the points, but was unable to see the match through.

“When you score four goals away from home, you should be able to come away with three points,” Legion FC coach Mark Briggs said following one of the more thrilling matches in the USL Championship this season.

“We scored and then switched off and every time we scored, they would score again almost immediately. We’ve got to be focused and locked in for 90 minutes.”

It’s the second match in a row that Legion FC has played to a draw, as it continues to search for its first win in league play since July 11. Goals by Amir Daley, Ronaldo Damus and Sebastian Tregarthen, along with a second half own goal saw Birmingham hold a lead at four different points during the match, only for Orange County SC to bring the scoreline back to even each time.

In both of Legion FC’s second half goals, the home side responded with the equalizer within in four minutes.

“You are at your most vulnerable right after you score a goal,” explained Briggs. “When you score you have to take pride for the next five minutes to not give anything up and give yourself a platform to continue to grow into the game.”

On a positive note, the Three Sparks showcased a ruthlessness in the attack that Briggs has long been wanting to see as it converted three of its four shots on target. And it started almost immediately with Daley diving through the box in the third minute to head home a cross from Tregarthen.

The young right back, in just his third match with Birmingham since his loan move from FC Cincinnati, also capped of his side’s scoring account by returning the favor with an assist to Tregarthen in the 64th minute.

“He showed real quality,” Briggs said of Daley. “We know the attributes he has, that’s why we wanted to bring him here, and tonight he really helped us by getting a goal and an assist.”

Following a 24th minute goal from Orange County’s Ashton Miles to even things up at a goal apiece, Damus made it 2-1 just four minutes later. With his back to goal, the Haitian forward received a pass deep into the box from Enzo Martinez before turning and firing with his left foot for his club-best 10th goal in USL-C play and 13th across all competitions this season.

Damus also played a large role in forcing the own goal in the 52nd minute by making a run towards a loose ball that forced Orange County SC defender Vuk Latinovich to boot a high, looping ball back that goalkeeper Colin Shutler was unable to keep out of the back of the net.

“We deployed Seba and Ronaldo as a pair up top and they played well together,” said Briggs. “I thought our midfield got into the spots that we wanted to get in on the attack.”

Orange County scored its second goal right before the halftime whistle as Ethan Zubak converted from the spot following a penalty awarded in the 43rd minute. The home side then got second half goals from Pedro Guimaraes in the 54th minute and Christopher Hegardt in the 66th.

Saturday marked the debut of Jackson Travis, who joined Legion FC this week on a loan from the Colorado Rapids. The 21-year-old got the start at left back and played the entirety of the match. He completed 36 of his 39 passes, including 15 of 17 in the attacking third while also finishing second on Birmingham with 62 touches.

NEXT UP
After the point on the road, Legion FC finishes the two-match road stretch next Saturday, September 6, against another Western Conference opponent in FC Tulsa. It will be the second time that the Three Sparks travel to ONEOK Field this season, having earned a 2-1 victory there back on May 31 in USL Jagermeister Cup group play.

“We’ve got to take the positives from this one and move on,” said Briggs. “We also have to learn from the goals we have up tonight because it’s just not good enough. We’ve got to continue to be ruthless in the opponents box and be better from a defensive standpoint.”