Match Preview

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – If there has been one constant throughout the topsy-turvy ride that has been the 2024 Birmingham Legion FC season, it is has been to always expect the unexpected. That theory was pushed to the extreme the last time the club took the pitch as it notched a 2-1 victory over Monterey Bay FC despite traveling across two time-zones, beginning the match with only three outfield players on its bench and playing the final 20-plus minutes at a man disadvantage.

“The boys battled extremely hard,” said defender and captain Phanuel Kavita who was unavailable for selection that match. “It just shows the character of the group. I think we have it in us for the long run because every time we go away, regardless of if we’re down or we’re up, we have the mentality of not losing.”

It was a banner 10th victory on the year for The Three Sparks who pushed its points total up to 35, moving into a tie with Indy Eleven for fourth place in the USL Championship Eastern Conference table. The mission now, as it begins a two-match homestand on Friday night against Detroit City FC – carry that performance over and protect Protective Stadium.

MATCH INFO

• Birmingham Legion FC (10W-8L-5D; 35PTS) vs Detroit City FC (8W-7L-7D; 31PTS)
• USL Championship | Matchday 24
• Friday, August 16 | 7:00 p.m. CT
• Protective Stadium | Birmingham, AL
• Watch: WABM My68 (Birmingham)
• Stream: CBS Sports Golazo Network (Free)

“I keep talking about consistency (with the team),” Legion FC coach Tom Soehn explained. “As a group they responded in the right way and ticked all the boxes that we talked about (leading up to the last match).”

That current quest for consistency appears to be the one sticking point in what has otherwise been a successful run as of late for a Legion FC squad that has only lost once in its last six matches. The most recent victory was a much-needed palate cleanser because the last time Birmingham was at Protective Stadium, it watched a 2-0 halftime lead turn into a draw and dropped points against Hartford Athletic.

A win would’ve marked just the second time this year in USLC play that Legion FC won consecutive matches. But now, the club has another chance to do just that against Detroit.

“We have a great fanbase and great everything,” Kavita said of his team’s advantages at home. “Now it’s just about doing the work and making sure we close out games at home.”

Ironically, the only time Legion FC has won two in a row was the last time it met Detroit City FC. In keeping with the theme of expecting the unexpected, Birmingham went into Keyworth Stadium on June 25 and bagged two goals in the final ten minutes – highlighted by an 88th minute winner from Kavita – for a 2-1 victory.

At that time, DCFC was undefeated at home while the Legion FC attack was still in search of goals. In the month and a half since, Birmingham is now averaging a 1.5 goals per game in its last eight matches, while Detroit has only won once in its previous nine matches and none in the last eight.

Soehn has no plans on seeing either of those trends come to a close on Friday, but knows it’s going to be tough, especially with his club’s opponents seeking revenge for the earlier loss.

“It sits in their heads and it sits in ours,” he said of the last meeting with Detroit City FC. “(That game) was a roll-up-your-sleeves type of mentality and that’s going to be no different than what they are on the road, probably even more so because they may sit in a little more. So we roll up our sleeves, we’re ready to battle and then we got to find our special moments from special guys to score goals.”

Those special moments have been hard to come by for Detroit City as of late, having scored one goal or less during this current eight-match skid. That has seen the club fall behind Legion FC in total goals scored this season and, more importantly, in the table.

However, the defense has remained stout by also not allowing more than a goal a match in that stretch, which has staved off a total free-fall and could make things difficult for the Birmingham attack.

“We expect the same fight,” said Kavita. “Regardless of how they’re playing, they always bring the fight, but I think if we can match the fight then the football will be ours.”

Follow Along 
For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @bhmlegion on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, as well as the Legion FC Match Center. Legion FC invites fans in attendance to go back to a simpler time and dress up in their favorite apparel from the 70’s, 80’s or 90’s as part of this special Flashback Friday match. Additionally, anyone that purchases tickets to Friday’s match will automatically be entered in a sweepstakes to win four free tickets to Paw Patrol Live: Heroes Unite! on September 8 at the BJCC Concert Hall in Birmingham.

SEASIDE, Calif. – With its new training facility set to have its grand opening soon, Birmingham Legion FC christened the complex this week with a physicality in practice that had been missing for much of the season. But, after dropping points at home against Hartford Athletic, the players and coaching staff knew that they had to kick things up a notch.

“(Assistant coach Braeden Cloutier) said it best, ‘where was that energy when we were giving away two goals in the second half against Hartford?’,” said midfielder Jake Rufe. “You see the intensity out here and sometimes we lose that edge a little bit in the games. That’s something we can’t afford to do.”

That switch-off last weekend burned a golden opportunity for The Three Sparks who would’ve reached fourth place in the USL Championship Eastern Conference standings had it held on to a 2-0 lead. Instead, it sits in fifth place in a jumbled-up race both for first round hosting privileges and a postseason spot altogether.

With 12 matches left and a road trip to face a potentially volatile opponent in Monterey Bay FC on Saturday, Legion FC coach Tom Soehn knows that his team can ill afford to drop anymore points, hence the recent ramp up within the training sessions.

MATCH INFO

• Birmingham Legion FC (9W-8L-5D) at Monterey Bay FC (7W-9L-6D)
• USL Championship | Matchday 23
• Saturday, August 10 – 9:00 p.m. CT
• Cardinale Stadium – Seaside, CA
• Watch: WABM My68 (Birmingham)
• Stream: ESPN+

“It was a hard video session (following the draw with Hartford) and when you have those it tends to lead to a hard training session, but we need to do that on the weekend, not during the week,” Soehn said. “When you lose or tie and feel like you gave away points, there’s a hell of a lot to learn from that.

“Those are two points we’ll look back at and regret later on in the season. The message was really clear and the response was good, we just have to keep it there.”

As things stand, Legion FC is at 32 points through 22 matches, just three back of fourth place Indy Eleven. Detroit City FC and Loudoun United are both right behind at 30 points apiece, with Rhode Island FC rounding out the top eight at 29 points and North Carolina FC currently on the outside looking in – six points behind at Birmingham – at 26.

What makes the race even closer is that Legion FC has played one more match than every team in that group except for Indy and Rhode Island.

“Everyone kind of pays attention to that,” midfielder Kobe Hernandez-Foster said of the season standings. “We know now that we have to go in and pretty much win every game that we play. The most important thing is not dropping points and we let points go away last game, so we know that we have to go into this game and make them back up.”

Three points are ripe for the picking as Legion FC heads to the Pacific coast this weekend having grabbed seven points in its last four home matches, while Monterey Bay FC went winless at Cardinale Stadium with a pair of draws in July. That was the catalyst to the team shaking up its coaching staff by parting ways with Head Coach and Sporting Director Frank Yallop after three seasons.

The ensuing hire came this past Tuesday with the club naming Jordan Stewart as its new coach. It marks the first head job for the former San Jose Earthquakes assistant and longtime English Premier League defender, which can throw a wrench into the gameplan for Soehn and company.

“A lot could change, it could be the same, no one knows,” the Legion FC coach explained. “What you’ll find normally when a new coach comes in is that there is going to be a bounce from the team that you’re playing against. We have to expect that emotional bounce, so we’re going to have to match that first then worry about tactics.”

In 21 matches under Yallop and one with interim coach Simon Dawkins, Monterey’s biggest issue has been a lack of bite in the final third. It currently ranks in the bottom five of the USLC in goals scored with 21 and is only ahead of El Paso Locomotive FC with an 11% conversion rate.

In the defensive half, opposing teams have found it difficult to get much by goalkeeper Anthony Siaha, who leads the league with 84 saves – 18 saves ahead of Phoenix Rising FC’s Rocco Rios Novo in second. Two of Siaha’s five total clean sheets have come in his last four matches, however Monterey has allowed five goals in its two most recent outings.

“You never know what to expect from a team when a new coach comes in,” Hernandez-Foster said. “At the end of the day, we just need to play our game and not focus so much on the opponent. It’s just about what we do, what we can control and ultimately just going out there and getting the win.”

Follow Along 
For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @bhmlegion on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, as well as the Legion FC Match Center. 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham Legion FC enters Saturday’s contest against Hartford Athletic with a chance to do something it has yet to over the course of the 2024 USL Championship season – win consecutive games at Protective Stadium.

The Three Sparks capped off July with some fireworks as it looked the part in a 3-0 victory over Orange County SC for its second home win in its last three matches and fourth overall. So as things appear to be turning around on home soil, it’s not lost on the team the opportunity that stands in front of them this weekend as it sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference table and just on the outside of a home playoff spot with 13 matches to go.

“It’s a home game and we should always be winning at home,” said Legion FC coach Tom Soehn. “In the past, that’s where we have been letting ourselves down, so it’s a priority.”

MATCH INFO

• Birmingham Legion FC (9W-8L-4D) vs Hartford Athletic (6W-11L-3D)
• USL Championship | Matchday 22
• Saturday, August 3 – 6:30 p.m. CT
• Protective Stadium – Birmingham, AL
• Watch: WABM My68 (Birmingham)
• Stream: ESPN+
• Buy Tickets

Another priority for Birmingham has been returning to full fitness with the squad having dealt with an assortment of injuries dating all the way back to preseason. Having to go through stretches of matches without key players on the field has hindered Legion FC in some aspects, however it has also forced the squad to adapt, whether that’s been with tactics or expanding the roles of certain players.

Last time out against Orange County, captain Phanuel Kavita moved away from his usual centerback spot to more of a stay-at-home right back, pushing Derek Dodson further up the field where he completed five of his eight passes in the final third while leading Birmingham with five total crosses.

“Not just this past game, but the past three or four games, players that have come in have made a massive difference,” said midfielder Enzo Martinez. “Whether it has been a young player or an older player, everyone has stepped up when the team needs it.”

Meanwhile, Ramiz Hamouda – who has been deployed exclusively as a left back off the bench for much of the season – has now made two straight starts in the midfield as the 16-year-old U.S. youth international continues to grow the resume in his first professional season.

“Coach has given me more roles to play and they are asking me to do more physically and to have a better presence,” said Hamouda who has appeared in Legion FC’s last eight matches after appearing in only three of the first fourteen.

“The staff is trying new things and we’re all up for it. We’re adapting and playing in the midfield is new for me. I like learning and these guys are helping me a lot, so it’s been really fun. I like to get in the attack a little bit while have more of a presence defensively in the midfield.”

With all these changes being made out of necessity, it has now made for some interesting decisions for Soehn going forward as the roster health continues to recover. After missing three games across June and July, Dawson McCartney has responded with a goal and two assists in the last four games, while Tyler Pasher marked his return last Saturday with a goal and an assist in a 22-minute cameo.

Having had to spend the last handful of matches just hoping he had enough guys to fill out a team sheet, Soehn suddenly has a plethora of options to choose from with guys fighting for spots all across the pitch.

“There was a point in the season where I couldn’t remember the last time we were able to dress out 18 guys,” laughed Soehn. “You get some of those guys back now and it makes for a better group and it creates a competition amongst the squad that we’re looking forward to.

“We’re going to keep trying things out now so that when we get to the stretch run, we will have some versatility and the ability to do different things in the event that more injuries happen or if you just need to change something up to solidify a game or look at different attacking options if the game needs to be won.”

On the subject of games needing to be won, Hartford Athletic felt that way on Wednesday as it snapped a six-match winless streak with a 1-0 home victory over Detroit City FC.

The difference of the match came on a 23rd minute goal from forward Deshane Beckford, who is a third of a dynamic triumvirate up top that also features Mamadou Dieng and Michee Ngalina. Together, the trio has combined for 11 of Hartford’s 17 goals in the USLC campaign and 43 shots on target.

“Those three guys in transition can really hurt you,” Soehn said. “As we attack, we have to make sure that we maintain our shape and always take into account where those three are and that’s just anticipating when the ball turns overs that we’re still in good spots.”

When Birmingham first faced Hartford Athletic back on March 23 in Connecticut, it was Ngalina who provided the lone goal in a 1-0 Legion FC defeat, marking the first of his team-high six goals on the season.

“They’re a team that beat us early in the year and a team that we could be fighting with for a playoff spot,” Martinez said of Saturday’s opponent, who currently sits 10 points back of Birmingham. “These points are so, so important in order to keep climbing up the table.”

Follow Along 
For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @bhmlegion on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, as well as the Legion FC Match Center. A youth clinic will be held prior to the match, presented by Regions. Registration will be from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. CT with the hour-long clinic to take place immediately afterwards. Open to ages 5-16, the clinic is free with the purchase of a ticket to Saturday’s match.

Legion FC will also have designated spots for donations as part of its Back To School Drive in partnership with United Way of Central Alabama. Those who donate a school item from the approved list will receive a free general admission ticket to Saturday’s match.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Back on the Protective Stadium pitch on Saturday, Birmingham Legion FC is in search of a needed paradigm shift. Going against the conventional wisdom that is embedded throughout all of sports, The Three Sparks ready for a tenth home game in the 2024 USL Championship campaign with three wins and one draw of the previous nine, amounting to just 10 of a possible 27 points.

Now firmly in the second half of the season and currently in a jumbled race for Eastern Conference playoff positioning, Legion FC looks to finally turn its home of horrors into a homefield advantage this weekend against Orange County SC.

“Our record at home is not acceptable right now,” said midfielder Dawson McCartney who has provided a goal and an assist in the last three matches since returning from injury.

“We need to make sure that (opposing teams) come in and are scared to play us at our home field. It’s three points or nothing.”

MATCH INFO

• Birmingham Legion FC (8W-8L-4D) vs Orange County SC (8W-9L-3D)
• USL Championship | Matchday 21
• Saturday, July 27 – 6:30 p.m. CT
• Protective Stadium – Birmingham, AL
• Watch: WABM My68 (Birmingham)
• Stream: ESPN+

With two straight matches in The Magic City on the docket, it poses a great opportunity for Legion FC, following a big draw at New Mexico United to push its away match points total to 18. That last time out, head coach Tom Soehn instituted a drastically different gameplan than has been seen from his squad this season with a more defensive-minded approach, featuring defender Ramiz Hamouda in the midfield and a gameplan that ceded the bulk of possession.

Despite that, Birmingham looked the more dangerous of the two sides with 11 more total shots than its opponents and four more on target.

“It was a 90-minute performance where we knew what to expect and knew what we were going to get out of our guys,” Soehn said of his squad’s most recent match. “It was a constant effort and consistency of play where our shape was good. More performances like that is what we look to build on for the last part of the season.”

Thus far, Legion FC actually is finding more success in front of goal at Protective Stadium than it is away from it with a +0.4 differential in average goals and +2.3 in average total shots. The difference comes on the defensive side with Birmingham allowing 1.8 goals per game at home, compared to just 1.1 away – and that would be even lower if now for the anomaly of the five goals allowed at Louisville City FC early in the season.

“We have the talent and quality to do it game in and game out, but it’s all about just staying more consistent,” defender and captain Phanuel Kavita said of translating its road success over. “It’s tough that we don’t have our best performances at home. We need showcase our fortitude and make sure that anytime we step out on our field, we should be striving for nothing short of victory.

“We haven’t given our fans enough these past few games at home, so we need to come out and find ways to win.”

Through nine home matches, only once has Legion FC posted a clean sheet with its 3-0 victory over San Antonio FC back on June 19. That comes in stark contrast to the four shutouts over 11 matches away from home. In fact, since that 5-0 defeat at Louisville, Birmingham has since had just one road match where it has given up multiple goals.

Soehn isn’t so sure that has as much to do with tactics as it does just with things becoming much more insular for the squad when it hits the road.

“Players just naturally seem more cohesive on the road because they are spending so much time together, whether it’s in on the plane, in the hotel or on the bus,” explained Soehn. “We have to try to figure out how to create that same mentality here. We have to lock in to giving that same 90-minute performance and if we do that, we’ll be fine.”

Like Birmingham, Orange County SC enters the weekend looking to change its fortunes. The club recently went through a coaching change with Morten Karlsen departing for Danish SuperLiga club Lyngby Boldklub on June 25 and assistant coach Paul Hardyman taking over in the interim. In its two matches away Irvine since the staff shakeup, Orange County has suffered a pair of 2-0 defeats to the Tampa Bay Rowdies and New Mexico United.

Goalkeeper Colin Shutler has been a man under fire this season. He currently ranks third among all USLC netminders with 59 saves, however Orange County SC is one of only five teams this season that has allowed opposing teams to log more than 100 shots this season, which could bode well for Legion FC on Saturday.

“You look at their away performances, they are going to sit in a little bit more, so we’re going to have to break that down,” the Birmingham coach said of the team’s upcoming opponents. “If you turn it over they’ll punish you, so we’re going to have to be good with the ball if we expect to come away with points.”

Follow Along 
For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @bhmlegion on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, as well as the Legion FC Match Center. A youth clinic will be held prior to the match, presented by Alabama Power. Registration will be from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. CT with the hour-long clinic to take place immediately afterwards. Open to ages 5-16, the clinic is free with the purchase of a ticket to Saturday’s match. Buy tickets HERE.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – There is not much time to dwell on the past for Birmingham Legion FC. Just a couple of days removed from a tough 3-1 loss to Rhode Island FC at Protective Stadium, The Three Sparks finds itself shipping out west for a Saturday test at New Mexico United.

Despite the most recent defeat, Legion FC still holds favorable playoff position at sixth place in the USL Championship Eastern Conference standings. However, the margin for error is now even more razor thin with only two points separating fifth place and eighth place in the table. With 15 matches remaining in the 2024 season, that ratchets up the pressure for the club as it finishes up a three-match-in-eight-day stretch with the team that’s currently atop the Western Conference and on a 10-match home winning streak.

“We just have to forge ahead,” said Birmingham coach Tom Soehn following Wednesday’s defeat. “We have to put this one behind us, have a short memory and get back at it this weekend.”

MATCH INFO

• Birmingham Legion FC (8W-8L-3D) at New Mexico United (11W-4L-1D)
• USL Championship | Matchday 20
• Saturday, July 20 – 8:00 p.m. CT
• Isotopes Park – Albuquerque, NM
• Watch: WABM My68 (Birmingham)
• Stream: ESPN+

Slow starts have been a struggle for Legion FC much of the season, with the club having scored a first half goal in just three of its first 19 matches, ranking at the bottom of the USLC. The last two matches though have particularly been painful with its opponents finding early scoring success – Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC opening the scoring in the 11th minute, followed by Rhode Island FC taking it a step further with a goal 45 seconds into the match on Wednesday.

It’s a worrisome trend for what has, throughout the season, been a stout Legion FC defense and the team knows it can ill afford to have it happen again against New Mexico United.

“It’s been a theme so far this season that we’ve been a little slow (to start matches),” said defender AJ Paterson. “We’ve conceded early in multiple games and that just can’t happen. The quality just needs to be better all around.”

Birmingham has fallen behind in the first half in four of its last five matches.

But to the club’s credit, two of those ended in a win (against Colorado Springs on July 13 and at Detroit City FC on June 26). There was a spark of hope that was again going to be the case against Rhode Island with Prosper Kasim’s 50th equalizer, but the visitors quickly answered back by bagging two second half goals, something that Legion FC hasn’t been accustomed to allowing this season.

“We had the game in our hands,” said forward Preston Tabort Etaka. “That was supposed to be a boost for us and a chance to take over a game, but we did not and we got punished for that.

“We have to want it more.”

No team has wanted it more than New Mexico United when it is playing at Isotopes Park – a fortress it has not lost at since last September and hasn’t even allowed a goal dating back to a 2-1 win over San Antonio FC on May 25. It will look to keep that winning streak going on Saturday when it plays its first USL Championship opponent in 17 days.

It has been a weird schedule for New Mexico lately with the club finally seeing its run in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup end on July 10 on a 3-1 loss to MLS side Los Angeles FC. It now tries to pick up where it left off in USLC play where it is currently on a three-match winning streak, having outscored its opponents 6-2 in that stretch. That scoring has come in many different ways too, with two of those goals on penalties and two more from own goals.

On shorter rest, Legion FC is now tasked with somehow concocting a gameplan to slow that machine down. The club has already shown the ability to go into a seemingly unwinnable place and walk out with a victory. Prior to its win over Detroit City FC earlier this season, no team had found success at Keyworth Stadium in 2024.

But the quest for Birmingham’s sixth road win in 2024 poses to be the toughest yet.

“They’re flying right now,” Paterson said of New Mexico United. “We have to fine tune things we’re lacking right now and the things that we are doing well has to be even better because with a team that is in form like they are, you have to bring your best or else you’re going to get punished.

“We’ve had decent results on the road against good teams and this is another opportunity for us to go and do that.”

Follow Along 
For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @bhmlegion on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, as well as the Legion FC Match Center.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Following a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, Birmingham Legion FC heads right back to the Protective Stadium pitch after just a three-day layoff for a big USL Championship Eastern Conference showdown with Rhode Island FC on Wednesday. It’s the middle game of a grueling eight-day stretch that will later see The Three Sparks, still on the mend from a slew of injuries, travel out west to New Mexico United on Saturday.

“It’s a short rest but we trust our staff with our recovery program to get our legs ready,” said defender Moses Mensah. “It’s about getting the right rotations and we believe in everyone, whether it’s starting or coming off the bench, to just fight for the team and bring their A game by helping each other.”

MATCH INFO

• Birmingham Legion FC (8W-7L-3D) vs Rhode Island FC (4W-4L-10D)
• USL Championship | Matchday 19
• Wednesday, July 17 – 7:00 p.m. CT
• Protective Stadium – Birmingham, Ala.
• Watch: CBS Sports Network

But while it is such a short period between matches, Legion FC still found some things to work on and implement in the limited time – namely, figure out how to take its second half performance against Colorado Springs and extend it to the full 90 minutes. Head coach Tom Soehn felt that his squad played too direct in the first half of last Saturday’s match which was the root cause of the turnover and subsequent Switchbacks FC goal that put Birmingham in a 1-0 hole within the first 11 minutes.

“First half was not good enough and there has got to be a reality check and have a look at the things that we need to improve upon,” said Soehn. “It was just much better (in the second half) and so much in line with the team that we were when we were at our best.”

And Birmingham at its best is a team that controls possession, something it didn’t do in the first half against Colorado Springs, but made up for it in spades in the second half, culminating in Stefano Pinho’s winner in the 85th minute.

Over the course of Legion FC’s last five matches, it had the upper-hand in the possession in each of its three wins, but failed to do so in the two defeats.

“We got to be moving the ball,” Soehn said of his club that currently ranks third in the USL Championship with an 82% pass accuracy rate. “Playing in (our opponent’s) end and then when the ball turns over, be in a position to win it back and that was all better (in the second half against Colorado Springs).”

After snapping a streak of 180 minutes with just one goal by notching a pair on Saturday, there should be scoring opportunities for Legion FC on Wednesday with Rhode Island FC having allowed 28 goals this season on 80 shots faced. However, the USL Championship debutants have discovered a recent run of form and are in the midst of a five-match unbeaten streak that began with a huge 5-2 upset over league leaders Louisville City FC and was most recently extended over the weekend with a 3-2 road victory over Miami FC.

“They are a counter attack team that has some weapons up top and they’ve been getting results lately,” Soehn said of Rhode Island FC, who enters the match one spot out of playoff positioning in the East at 9th place with 22 points.

“There’s never any easy games in our league, so we have to match their mentality, because you have a lot of guys coming in who used to play in Birmingham, so we know they are going to have a little extra venom and we’re going to have to match that.”

Led by coach Khano Smith, who served as an assistant under Soehn in Birmingham from 2019 through 2023 and featuring former Legion FC forward JJ Williams and Birmingham-native Clay Holstad in the midfield, Rhode Island FC’s calling card in its first season has been its physicality.

Through 18 matches this season, the squad has conceded 265 total fouls with 54 yellow cards and three red cards, all of which rank near the top amongst the other USL Championship teams. So while Legion FC has its sights set on a fourth victory at home and its second in-a-row, its knows that it will certainly have to earn it.

“It’s all about teamwork,” said forward Prosper Kasim. “We’ve watched the video and we know their strengths and we know their weaknesses, so we’ll just keep playing until we find the right time to punish them. They are starting to find their rhythm and are starting to win some games.

“It’s going to be a tough game, but I think we’re going to come out with a win.”

Follow Along 
For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @bhmlegion on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Presented by Coca-Cola, Legion FC will be debuting a new Sprite Chill-themed kit, marking the first time that Sprite has ever sponsored a soccer kit. The match will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network and Legion FC is urging the Birmingham community to Pack Protective with a special offer of $25 VIP Club Seats (55% discount). Fans that are interested can contact the Legion FC ticket department HERE. General admission tickets can be purchased HERE.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In the midst of a two-match skid, Birmingham Legion FC is hoping that a week off and a return home is just what the doctor ordered, as the club looks to get back on track this Saturday at Protective Stadium against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.

“Anytime you lose one game, you have that hunger (to respond), so when you lose two in a row, you have to be ready to go,” said midfielder Enzo Martinez. “We played two of the best teams in the league and they showed us why they are the best, so right now we got to make sure we worry about ourselves and be ready to go from that first whistle.”

MATCH INFO

• Birmingham Legion FC (7W-7L-3D) vs Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC (8W-6L-3D)
• USL Championship | Matchday 18
• Saturday, July 13 – 6:30 p.m. CT
• Protective Stadium – Birmingham, Ala.
• Watch: WABM My68 (Birmingham)
• Stream: ESPN+

The grind of a long season has taken its toll on Birmingham with Martinez one of just four Legion FC players who have been healthy enough to play in all 17 games of the USL Championship campaign, while also logging over 1,000 minutes. Forward Tyler Pasher, midfielder Kobe Hernandez-Foster and defender Phanuel Kavita are the others.

The good news is that the club finally seems to be on the mend with midfielder Jake Rufe returning to action in last week’s match against Charleston Battery, while defender AJ Paterson and goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg will be available for selection on Saturday. Spangenberg is set to make his season debut and his return is particularly fortuitous with it coming the same week that Atlanta United recalled Jayden Hibbert from his loan, following his four starts in goal with Legion FC in the wake of Matt Van Oekel’s injury.

“We finally got some guys back,” a relieved Birmingham coach Tom Soehn said after having just four available outfield players on his bench the previous two matches.

“It’s always refreshing to see those guys back because now it pushes everybody. Now there is competition for spots and you can’t emulate that if you don’t have guys pushing, so that’s a real positive, but also the quality that we’ve been missing from those guys, that got us through tough stretches and put us in a scenario where we were really honest and hard working. Our performances dictated that.”

The hope going forward now is that Legion FC recouping its health will return it to the form that it was on when it went on a five-match stretch where it dropped just one game and got its goal differential back to even before this recent downturn.

“It’s just so important to keep everyone fresh and rotate the squad,” explained Hernandez-Foster. “We just need that first win and from there we’re going to have the confidence to keep going and win more games and make a climb up the table.”

Speaking of that confidence, Colorado Springs seems to have it in spades at the moment. The Switchbacks recently completed a two-match homestand where secured a pair of 1-0 victories over Monterey Bay FC and FC Tulsa, pushing its points total up to 27 for fourth place in the USLC Western Conference Standings. The two wins also bumped goalkeeper Christian Herrera’s clean sheet total up to six, which ranks third in the league. Overall, Colorado Springs has only allowed 18 goals this season.

Forward Ronaldo Damus leads the club with eight goals on the campaign, including a penalty conversion that proved to be the difference in the win over Monterey Bay.

“They’ve got some athletes up top and they work in transition quite a bit so we have to be very careful with our turnovers,” Soehn said of Birmingham’s upcoming opponent. “In the same respect, they take a lot of risks going forward so we will look to see if we can transition on them as well.”

Follow Along 
For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @bhmlegion on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. As part of Christmas in July, a special Shootout With Santa will be held prior to the match. Registration will begin at 4:30 p.m. CT and is open to anyone who purchases a ticket (HERE) and registers for the event online (HERE).

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A lot has changed since the last time Birmingham Legion FC and Louisville City FC met on a soccer pitch. Even so, that 5-0 defeat Lynn Family Stadium back in March is still fresh in the minds of The Three Sparks and the club has aspirations of flipping the script this weekend on its home turf against the current USL Championship leaders.

“They took care of us really early in the season when we were a different team (then),” said Birmingham coach Tom Soehn. “We need to just let that go and focus on what’s at hand doing the things that we’ve been doing that have gotten us to this point.”

MATCH INFO

• Birmingham Legion FC (7W-5L-3D) vs Louisville City FC (11W-3L-2D)
• USL Championship | Matchday 16
• Saturday, June 29 – 6:30 p.m. CT
• Protective Stadium – Birmingham, Ala.
• Watch: WABM My68 (Birmingham)
• Stream: ESPN+

This point that Soehn is referring to is the current stretch that his club is on, having gone unbeaten in four of its previous five matches, and a victory over Louisville at Protective Stadium this weekend would mark the first three-match winning streak of the 2024 season.

It’s safe to say that the goal woes are officially in the rearview mirror for Legion FC, having outscored its opponents 8-3 in this recent run of form with the goals coming from all over the pitch and on different scenarios throughout the match. Lately, the calling card has been set piece goals, which was the driving force in Wednesday’s 2-1 comeback win over Detroit City FC with Phanuel Kavita and Derek Dodson both getting on the end of Tyler Pasher corner kicks.

Dodson still had yet to complete his loan move to Birmingham the last time Legion FC faced LouCity and he, in particular, is looking forward to the challenge on Saturday.

“It’s a confident group right now,” the defender said. “Going to Detroit and getting three points is not an easy task so I think that has set us up right for the weekend. Louisville historically is a great team and they’re flying right now in terms of goals scored and all that, so it’s going to be tough, but we’re looking to get three points at home.”

In addition to personnel tweaks, Birmingham will also be showing a different lineup shape, a more sound defense and, most importantly, a different mentality compared to that first meeting.

“We’ve really focused on shoring things up,” Soehn explained. “That’s really shown over the last few games because we’re not leaking a ton of chances. They have a lot of weapons that we’ll have to take care of, but they have their vulnerabilities and if continue to shore things up, we should be able to capitalize on some of those.”

Dating back to that five-goal outburst early in the season, Louisville City has only grown from that performance to establish itself as the most ruthless offensive team in the USLC. Led by 10 goals from Wilson Harris along with five from Ray Serrano, the club tops the league with 42 total goals through 16 matches – an impressive 14 ahead of the Tampa Bay Rowdies in second place with 28.

“The biggest thing is that we all play together,” said forward Enzo Martinez on combatting the Louisville attack. “We need to hold our shape like we have been doing lately and make it very difficult for them to break us down.”

That stranglehold on the league lead is easy to understand considering it is also first in total shots (266) and conversion rate (22%). Throw in that the defense has posted seven clean sheets for a plus-22 goal differential and it makes for the perfect recipe for a dominant season.

However, of Louisville City’s three losses in 2024, two of them have occurred within the last weeks – 1-0 to Tampa Bay on June 15 and most recently a shocking 5-2 home loss to Rhode Island FC on June 22. Legion FC will look to add on to that downward trend on Saturday.

“We have to keep our emotions in check,” said captain Phanuel Kavita. “You look at great teams across all different sports and they all have in common that they never get too high or never get too low regardless of recent results or how the season is going. We know how good Louisville is and we’ll be ready to take on that challenge.”

Follow Along 
For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @bhmlegion on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. A special youth clinic will be held prior to the match. Registration will be from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. CT with the hour-long clinic to take place immediately afterwards. Open to ages 5-16, the clinic is free with the purchase of a ticket to Saturday’s match. Buy tickets HERE.

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – Last week at Protective Stadium saw Birmingham Legion FC present an impassioned home crowd with quite the gift in a 3-0 win over San Antonio FC for the club’s most complete performance of the 2024 season. As a follow up act, The Three Sparks now looks to do something it has not done at all throughout this USL Championship campaign – win two matches in a row with a road trip to face Detroit City FC on the horizon.

“From start to finish it felt like a complete performance and we deserved the win,” said defender AJ Paterson of Birmingham’s last outing. “I think we’re going to use that confidence from that big win at home to go into a hostile environment, but we’re going to be up for the fight.”

MATCH INFO

• Birmingham Legion FC (6W-5L-3D) at Detroit City FC (7W-3L-2D)
• USL Championship | Matchday 15
• Wednesday, June 26 – 6:00 p.m. CT
• Keyworth Stadium – Hamtramck, Mich.
• Watch: CBS Sports Network

As Legion FC begins its summer in earnest by heading north to The Motor City, conventional wisdom would say that the chances of notching a second consecutive victory aren’t in its favor, but the trends say quite the opposite. In fact, the road has been where Birmingham has done its most damage to opponents this season with four of its six wins and two of its three draws coming outside of Alabama this season.

That includes a current three-match unbeaten streak away from home, which was extended back on June 1 with a 3-1 victory over El Paso Locomotive FC, prior to a scoreless draw at Sacramento FC and a 1-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

“I think what you find out is that teams (at home) come to play,” Legion FC coach Tom Soehn said. “When teams play us here, they sit in a lot more and it’s hard to break down, but when they try to play at home, it benefits us because we try to play no matter where we go so that’s always a positive and why we find our results on the road.”

But this midweek matchup could be the classic case of an unstoppable force colliding with an immovable object, because Keyworth Stadium has proven to be the ultimate fortress for Detroit City, who has posted an impressive 5W-0L-1D record at home across all competitions in 2024. The club most recently carried the USLC flag proudly in a 1-0 home victory in a friendly on Sunday against Liga MX side Pumas UNAM.

Sitting two points ahead of Legion FC in the Eastern Conference standings with two games in hand, DCFC presents a unique puzzle for Birmingham to solve. Despite ranking near the bottom in average shots per game, Detroit makes the most of the few chances it does create with an 18-percent conversion rate, which only trails Louisville City FC’s 21-percent for best in the league.

That signature blue collar mentality that is synonymous with the local area carries over to the defensive end as well with Detroit City having conceded just 15 total goals with four clean sheets through its 12 matches.

“If you don’t roll up your sleeves and know it’s going to be a war,” Soehn said, “then you’re not going to come out on the right end of things.”

However, there may be no better time for Birmingham to face such a stout defense considering its current overall form.

Following last week’s victory, Legion FC – once desperate for an offensive spark – has bagged six goals in three matches. Even better, those goals have been spread out across five different players, with four players also accounting for the assists on five of the six goals.

“We’ve been working very hard to find our identity” said forward Prosper Kasim, who has contributed a goal and an assist in that span. “It all starts on the training ground and we’re all beginning to understand each other with how we move on and off the ball. The chemistry is working right now and we’re happy about that.”

And with goals finally coming, the defense doesn’t appear to be letting up in the slightest with just two goals allowed in the run of play over the last five matches. So the recipe for success is clear and it is now up to the club to continue to execute and continue its climb up the table.

“Our challenge this year has always been to make sure we keep our defensive quality high and then push the offensive quality without losing track of the other one,” Soehn explained. “We’re going up a team that is very hardworking, so if we lose sight of that and forget that you have to work hard, then neither of those qualities matter, so this will be a really good challenge for us.”

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For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @bhmlegion on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.