On a historic night at Protective Stadium, Birmingham Legion FC battled Miami FC to a 0-0 draw, earning a clean sheet in front of the club’s largest home crowd of the season.
The match carried added significance for both the city and the club, with the FIFA World Cup Trophy in Birmingham as part of the build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For Legion FC, the night represented more than a regular season fixture. It was a celebration of the continued growth of soccer in Birmingham and the city’s connection to the world’s game.
On the field, Legion FC controlled long stretches of the match and created the better attacking opportunities, finishing with 54% possession, 15 total shots and four shots on target. Birmingham also held the edge in passes, final-third entries and corner kicks, while limiting Miami to just seven total shots.
“It was a tough night in terms of how we finished,” said Legion FC Head Coach Jay Heaps. “I liked the way we played through portions of the game, but we just needed to be better with the final product.”
“I think we were there, we just couldn’t get that final product,” said Dawson McCartney. “We would get into the final third and that last pass or last shot let us down. Defensively, we were able to hold them back and I don’t think they had too many great chances, but we needed to be more ruthless in the final third with our opportunities.”
Despite the attacking pressure, Legion could not find the breakthrough. Sebastian Tregarthen led the team with four shots, while Gevork Diarbian, Tyler Pasher, Ronaldo Damus and Serge Ngoma each added two. Pasher was a key creative presence throughout the night, leading Legion with three chances created, while McCartney and Damus each created two.
Heaps pointed to Damus’ energy and attacking intent as one of the positives on the night.
“I love his attitude,” Heaps said of Damus. “He’s positive all the time and he just wants to play. He wants to score, he wants to be involved, and he was playing with heart and soul.”
Defensively, Birmingham delivered a disciplined performance to secure the shutout. Goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat made three saves, while the back line, led by McCartney and Keegan Hughes, helped keep Miami’s attack in check. McCartney led the team with six recoveries, while Hughes completed 47 passes at a 92.2% accuracy rate in a composed performance at the back.
“I never felt like they were really going to break us down,” Heaps said. “The only time I felt like they hurt us was when we put numbers forward and lost it or made a bad pass, and they were able to break on us. That was where we had to make sure our midfielders were connected, and I thought Seth and Sam played their hearts out.”
“It’s been amazing,” McCartney said of the team’s defensive form. “We’ve had a lot of guys moving in and out of spots, at center back and outside back, but Jaz has come into the team and done an amazing job. Even though we’ve been switching a lot of guys, we still have a lot of chemistry and we’ve been able to hold things down pretty well back there this year.”
Legion was forced into an early change in the 32nd minute when Phanuel Kavita replaced Ramiz Hamouda, prompting Hughes to shift across the back line after preparing during the week to play on the right side. The defender handled the adjustment well, helping Birmingham maintain its clean sheet despite the early disruption.
“It was great to have Keegan here,” Heaps said. “He played great, and Phanuel came in and did a great job as well under tough circumstances.”
“I’m right-foot dominant, so I enjoy being on the right side and being able to open my hips up, and that’s how I prepared this week,” said Hughes. “But when Raz went down, it was what the coach asked of me to shift over. There are benefits being right-footed on the left side as well. I can come inside a lot more and play the diagonal ball.”
Hughes’ performance came after a quick turnaround, having only returned to Birmingham earlier in the week. The defender credited the group and coaching staff for helping him settle back into the team.
“It’s been difficult,” Hughes said. “When I came in for the Loudoun game, I had one, maybe two trainings and was still learning people’s names that I was playing with. But the guys have made it really easy for me.”
Birmingham pushed for a winner late in the second half, bringing on Peter-Lee Vassell, Serge Ngoma, Romario Williams and Sebastián Saucedo as the club searched for the decisive moment. Ngoma registered one of Legion’s four shots on target after entering in the 79th minute, while the home side continued to press through wide service and final-third pressure.
“I think on another day, where we’re a little cleaner on the ball and sharper, we put that game away a little earlier,” McCartney said. “Maybe in the second half it was a short week and tired legs, but no excuses. We just need to do a little better.”
Hughes echoed that focus looking ahead, pointing to both the attacking opportunities and the moments where Birmingham will want to improve in possession.
“We’ll look at the film, get in tomorrow for regen and see areas that we can improve,” Hughes said. “I think we created some chances that we could have done better on, but it would be great to create more of those and give ourselves more opportunities to score. Defensively, we’ll look at some of the moments in the second half where we won the ball back and gave it straight back. We just need to control the tempo a little bit and try to get three points next week.”
While the match ended scoreless, the night stood as one of the most meaningful moments of the season for the club. With the largest home crowd of the campaign, a clean sheet, and the FIFA World Cup Trophy present in Birmingham, Thursday’s match reflected the continued growth of the game in the city and the role Legion FC is playing in that momentum.
Legion FC will now turn its attention to its next USL Championship match on Saturday, May 16, as the club heads to Chattanooga Red Wolves SC. Fans can join Legion on the road with the official fan bus to Chattanooga, with tickets including match admission, round-trip bus transportation and beer courtesy of Martens. Secure your seat HERE
Legion returns home to Protective Stadium on Wednesday, June 3.
