BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham Legion FC continued its climb up the Eastern Conference standings Saturday night, earning a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Rhode Island FC at Protective Stadium behind Ronaldo Damus’ second-half match winner.
Just moments after entering the match, Dawson McCartney helped spark the attack before a Rhode Island defender attempted to head the ball back toward goalkeeper Koke Vegas. Instead, the header carried over the goalkeeper, allowing Ronaldo Damus to stay alert and calmly tap the ball into an open net for the game’s only goal.
Following the match, Damus explained the importance of always being ready for moments like that.
“I think as a striker, you need to always be ready because anything can happen. That’s why when I play, I’m always locked in.”
From there, Birmingham’s defense stood tall. Rhode Island pushed numbers forward in search of an equalizer, but the Black and Gold remained organized and composed. Goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat recorded six saves, while the back line turned away every attack to preserve the clean sheet.
Head Coach Jay Heaps praised his team’s defensive resilience after the victory.
“We defended well. We bent, but didn’t break.”
Sebastian Tregarthen echoed that sentiment, highlighting the team’s commitment on both sides of the ball.
“Today we were very focused and locked in defensively, and offensively, we were just trying to score a goal, and that’s what happened. So I’m very happy for this team.”
The victory was another gritty performance from a Birmingham side that continues to find ways to earn results. Samuel McIllhatton controlled the tempo in midfield with a team-high 68 touches, while Samuel Shashoua and Gevork Diarbian helped create opportunities throughout the evening. Seth Antwi anchored the midfield once again, completing 45 passes and winning three tackles as Legion earned another important three points
Legion will now travel on the road to New York to take on Brooklyn FC on August 8. They’ll be back at home August 22 to host women and girls and sports.
