BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham Legion FC battled through 101 minutes of action Saturday night at Protective Stadium, but a late extra-time goal from Sporting JAX proved to be the difference as the Black and Gold fell 3-2 in a heartbreaking finish on Women in Sports Night.
After a scoreless opening half, Legion found its breakthrough in the 55th minute. Samuel Shashoua played Ronaldo Damus into the attack, and the striker finished to give Birmingham a 1-0 lead.
Sporting JAX answered just three minutes later when Emil Jääskeläinen found the equalizer, leveling the match at 1-1. The visitors then took their first lead of the night in the 76th minute when Wan Kuzain found the back of the net.
But Legion wasn’t finished.
With the clock ticking into stoppage time, Birmingham continued to push for a way back into the match. In the 93rd minute, Shashoua once again created the opportunity, finding Romario Williams, who calmly finished to bring Legion level at 2-2 and send the match into extra time.
Unfortunately for the Black and Gold, Sporting JAX found the decisive moment in the 101st minute. Danny Wilson scored the extra-time winner, handing Birmingham a 3-2 defeat despite a determined fight to the final whistle.
The result was a difficult one for a Legion side that created plenty of opportunities throughout the night. Birmingham finished with 58.4 percent possession, 18 shots and eight shots on target while generating 2.09 expected goals.
Shashoua was at the center of the attack all night, recording two assists while leading Legion with 97 touches and five chances created. Damus also finished with four shots and opened the scoring for the Black and Gold.
Head Coach Jay Heaps reflected on the difficult finish and what the team needs to do moving forward:
“It was an unfortunate finish. We need to find a way to respond to it this week in training.”
Damus, who opened the scoring for Birmingham, was happy to find the back of the net but disappointed with the final result:
“I’m happy about the goal, but disappointed with the overall result.”
Shashoua, who created both of Legion’s goals, echoed the team’s determination to bounce back:
“No one enjoys a loss like this. We need to pick ourselves up and find a way to respond.”
- Possession: Birmingham 58.4%, Sporting JAX 41.6%
- Shots: Birmingham 18, Sporting JAX 11
- Shots on Target: Birmingham 8, Sporting JAX 5
- Expected Goals: Birmingham 2.09, Sporting JAX 0.78
- Chances Created: Samuel Shashoua led Legion with five.
Birmingham Legion FC will look to regroup and respond as the Black and Gold continue through the final stretch of the USL Championship regular season.
