BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham Legion FC responded in emphatic fashion Wednesday morning, earning a 4-0 victory over Brooklyn FC at Protective Stadium during Education Day.
After falling on the road to Tampa Bay just four days earlier, Legion came out with a renewed sense of purpose, controlling possession and creating opportunities throughout the match. Birmingham finished with 55.4% possession, 15 total shots and seven shots on target while limiting Brooklyn to just two shots on target.
Peter-Lee Vassell opened the scoring in the 14th minute, giving Legion an early lead and setting the tone for the rest of the morning. Vassell finished with three shots and two on target while also providing the assist on Serge Ngoma’s second-half goal.
Legion doubled its advantage just three minutes into the second half when Ngoma found the back of the net in the 48th minute, with Vassell providing the assist. The goal gave Birmingham breathing room and allowed the Black and Gold to continue controlling the match.
Sebastián Saucedo added a third in the 84th minute before Ronaldo Damus capped off the afternoon in stoppage time, finishing off an assist from Gevork Diarbian in the 92nd minute.
The performance was just as impressive defensively. Jassem Koleilat recorded two saves as Birmingham kept Brooklyn off the scoreboard for the full 90 minutes.
“It’s a good feeling, it’s nice to see a zero on the board,” Koleilat said. “It’s a good boost to the guys knowing we can shut teams down.”
The clean sheet marked a complete defensive effort from a Legion side that entered the match looking to respond after conceding four goals in Tampa Bay on Saturday. Birmingham’s defensive structure held Brooklyn to nine total shots and just two on target.
The result also gave Legion three points in front of a Protective Stadium crowd filled with students for Education Day.
“It’s a great feeling as a team to come together and get three points,” Peter Lee said.
Head coach Erik praised the group for the way it responded following Saturday’s difficult road performance.
“The guys responded well after a tough performance on the road,” Erik said. “I’m proud of how they came out.”
Birmingham’s attack finished the afternoon with four goals from four different players, while the team generated 2.89 expected goals compared to Brooklyn’s 0.76. Hamady Diop led the team with 83 completed passes, while Samuel Shashoua completed 65 and Dawson McCartney created two chances.
The victory gives Legion a much-needed response as the club continues through the final stretch of the regular season. Birmingham will now prepare for its next road matchup against Detroit City FC on October 3.
