LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Birmingham Legion FC battled back to level the match before halftime, but a second-half strike from Louisville proved to be the difference as the Black and Gold fell 2-1 to Louisville City FC on the road Saturday night. 

Louisville wasted little time getting on the scoreboard, finding the opener in the sixth minute when Kevon Lambert finished off a cross from Aiden McFadden to give the home side an early 1-0 advantage. 

Despite the early setback, Birmingham settled into the match and began creating opportunities of its own. The equalizer arrived in the 42nd minute when Gevork Diarbian delivered a perfectly placed ball to Samuel Shashoua, who calmly finished to send the two teams into halftime level at 1-1. It marked Shashoua’s second USL Championship goal of the season and Diarbian’s second assist. 

The Black and Gold continued to battle after the break, but Louisville regained the lead in the 74th minute. Taylor Davila found Lambert inside the box, and the midfielder headed home his second goal of the evening to restore the hosts’ advantage. “I thought we did well to get back in the game and tie it before halftime.” Coach Heaps says, ” Unfortunately, giving up the 2nd goal was extremely frustrating.”

Legion pushed for another late equalizer, bringing on Romario Williams, Samuel McIllhatton, Sebastián Saucedo and Serge Ngoma to inject fresh energy into the attack. Despite the effort, Louisville held on for the 2-1 victory. 

While the scoreline didn’t go Birmingham’s way, goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat kept the Black and Gold within striking distance throughout the night, recording 11 saves against one of the league’s most dangerous attacks. Shashoua also led Legion with 69 completed passes, while Seth Antwi recorded a team-high eight recoveries. 

Birmingham Legion FC is back at Protective Stadium this Saturday to open August with a showdown against Rhode Island FC. Off the pitch, Superhero Night will bring face painting, balloon animals, and superhero character meet-and-greets, making it a fun night for the whole family.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham Legion FC put together one of its most complete performances of the season Saturday night, defeating FC Tulsa 3-1 at Protective Stadium behind a brace from Peter-Lee Vassell and a stoppage-time finish from Romario Williams.

After controlling the pace from the opening whistle, the Black and Gold were finally rewarded in the 28th minute. Sebastian Tregarthen threaded a pass into Peter-Lee Vassell, who calmly slotted home the opener to give Birmingham a deserved 1-0 lead. 

Tulsa answered just five minutes later when Logan Dorsey capitalized on one of the visitors’ few opportunities to level the match at 1-1. Despite the equalizer, Legion never let its heads drop, continuing to dictate possession and create dangerous chances throughout the remainder of the half. Head Coach Jay Heaps praised his team’s resilience after surrendering the first-half equalizer.

“Tonight, there was no heads down. We kept going and kept going and kept going, and that’s what we need to do.”

That persistence finally paid off late in the second half.

In the 84th minute, Sebastián Saucedo found Vassell inside the box, and the midfielder buried his second goal of the night to restore Birmingham’s lead. With Tulsa pushing numbers forward in search of another equalizer, Legion struck one final time in stoppage time as Serge Ngoma slipped Romario Williams through on goal. The veteran striker calmly finished in the 93rd minute, sealing a convincing 3-1 victory and sending the home crowd into celebration. 

The result reflected Birmingham’s dominance from start to finish. Samuel Shashoua orchestrated the attack with a match-high 10 chances created and 90 completed passes, while Vassell led the way with 11 shots and his first two league goals of the season. 

Following the match, Vassell emphasized that Saturday’s performance is only the beginning.

“We have to keep on building on this and move forward.”

Williams echoed that sentiment after scoring the insurance goal in stoppage time.

“At the end of the day, our job is to put the ball in the back of the net. We’re starting to trend in the right direction, and we need to keep our foot on the gas pedal.”

Legion plays again July 24 in Shelby County at Dunnavant Valley Fields for an intimate fan experience matchup versus New Mexico United.

Match Notes

• Peter-Lee Vassell scored his first two USL Championship goals of the season with a brace. 
• Romario Williams scored his second goal of the season in second-half stoppage time. 
• Sebastian Tregarthen, Sebastián Saucedo and Serge Ngoma each recorded an assist. 
• Samuel Shashoua finished with a match-high 10 chances created and completed 90 passes. 
• Birmingham outshot FC Tulsa 32-9 and limited the visitors to just one shot on target.

MIAMI, Fla. – Birmingham Legion FC battled back from a first-half deficit to earn a 1-1 draw against Miami FC on Sunday evening at Pitbull Stadium. Peter-Lee Vassell came off the bench to score the equalizer in the 78th minute, helping Legion secure a valuable point on the road.

Miami controlled much of the early possession and found the breakthrough just before halftime. Arney Rocha scored in the 41st minute to give the hosts a 1-0 advantage heading into the break.

Birmingham grew into the match during the second half, creating several quality opportunities while continuing to pressure Miami’s back line. Head coach Jay Heaps turned to his bench in the 70th minute, introducing Nico Brown, Peter-Lee Vassell and Romario Williams before adding Sebastián Saucedo and Serge Ngoma six minutes later in search of an equalizer.

The substitutions paid off just eight minutes later.

In the 78th minute, Vassell found the back of the net to level the match at 1-1, scoring his second goal of the USL Championship season and rescuing a point for Legion.

Miami finished with more possession and generated 2.26 expected goals, but Birmingham remained dangerous throughout the night with 16 total shots and 10 corner kicks. Goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat came up with five saves to help preserve the draw. ” A big part of set pieces is the keeper controlling the box,” Heaps says, “he’s a great shot stopper… It’s a balance.”

Samuel Shashoua once again orchestrated Birmingham’s attack, creating a match-high five chances while completing 66 passes. Sebastian Tregarthen contributed on both ends of the field with two shots and three successful tackles, while Vassell made an immediate impact off the bench with the equalizing goal.

The result gives Birmingham Legion FC an important road point as the club returns home looking to build momentum during the second half of the USL Championship season.

Legion hosts FC Tulsa this Saturday, July 11, where Kate Flannery, who played Meredith from “The Office,” will hold a meet and greet.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham Legion FC suffered a 2-1 loss to Detroit City FC on Thursday night at Protective Stadium, conceding the match-winning goal deep into second-half stoppage time despite an inspired response after an early setback.

Detroit struck first just two minutes into the match when Rio Hope-Gund finished off a cross from Kobe Hernández-Foster to give the visitors an early advantage. “Obviously, it’s tough when you give up a goal in the first minute.” Coach Heaps says, “It took us a couple of minutes to settle in, and we started playing the way we needed to in the first half.”

Legion answered in the 24th minute through Tyler Pasher, who found the back of the net to level the match at 1-1. The goal was Pasher’s fourth of the USL Championship season and capped off a strong first-half response after the early concession.
The hosts continued to push for a winner throughout the second half, creating several dangerous opportunities. Birmingham finished with 14 shots, four on target, and generated 2.32 expected goals while holding nearly even possession against Detroit.

Jay Heaps turned to his bench midway through the second half, bringing on Sebastián Saucedo, Dawson McCartney, Samuel McIllhatton, Romario Williams, and Serge Ngoma in search of a breakthrough. Saucedo nearly made an immediate impact, registering a shot on target after entering the match.
As the match appeared destined for a draw, Detroit found the decisive moment in the second minute of stoppage time. Ben Morris scored in the 92nd minute to hand the visitors all three points in dramatic fashion.

Tyler Pasher led Legion with four shots, while Samuel Shashoua created a team-high four chances. Ronaldo Damus recorded two shots on target as Birmingham continued to threaten throughout the evening. Goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat finished with six saves.

Despite the difficult result, defender Seth Antwi emphasized the team’s mindset moving forward.

“We have to keep believing in the team and keep coming in each day, trying to get better and put the result behind us. Most importantly, keep believing, because that’s what we can control.”

“No one is going to feel sorry for us, we have to pick ourselves up and go again… It’s a short week and quick turnaround, which is another chance to pick up maximum points and kick start the second half of our season and keep pushing.” Romario Williams adds.

Birmingham Legion FC will look to bounce back next week as the club returns to USL Championship action on the road against Miami FC.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham Legion FC found a dramatic late equalizer on Sunday afternoon as Sebastian Tregarthen’s 89th-minute goal secured a 1-1 draw against Loudoun United FC at Protective Stadium on Father’s Day and Paw Patrol Night.

The two sides battled through a scoreless first half, with Birmingham controlling possession and creating several promising opportunities. Legion finished the match with 60.1 percent possession and generated 20 shots, but Loudoun goalkeeper Ethan Bandré and the visitors’ defense kept the Black and Gold off the scoreboard through the opening 88 minutes.

Loudoun broke the deadlock in the 67th minute when Abdellatif Aboukoura finished off a chance created by Bandré to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.

Facing a one-goal deficit late, Legion continued to push forward in search of an equalizer. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 89th minute when Sebastián Saucedo delivered a ball into the box that found Tregarthen, who calmly finished to level the match at 1-1. “He’s a difference maker when he’s out there.” Jay Heaps says.

The afternoon also marked the final appearance at Protective Stadium for 18-year-old defender Ramiz Hamouda before his move to Germany to join SV Werder Bremen. Hamouda, who came through Birmingham’s pathway to earn opportunities with both the club and U.S. youth national teams, received a warm ovation from the home supporters as his Legion career came to a close. ” This is a club I’m always going to remberer” Ramiz says, “it will always hold a special place in my heart.”

The goal was Tregarthen’s third of the USL Championship season and Saucedo’s first league assist of the year. “I’m the lucky one who made this goal, but I feel like everyone had a part,” Tregarthen says.

Birmingham continued pressing during stoppage time but could not find a winner before the final whistle.

The Black and Gold finished with advantages in possession, shots (20-14), touches in the opposition box (25-19), and expected goals (1.41-0.89), earning a point against one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.

Legion is back at home on July 2nd at Protective Stadium for a military appreciation night.

Oakland, CA. – Birmingham Legion FC was moments away from securing all three points on Wednesday night before Oakland Roots SC found a stoppage-time equalizer in a 1-1 draw at the Oakland Coliseum.

After a scoreless first half, Legion broke through just two minutes after the restart. Romario Williams worked the ball into the attacking third and found Peter-Lee Vassell, who calmly finished in the 47th minute to give Birmingham a 1-0 lead.

The goal marked Vassell’s first USL Championship goal of the season and put the Black and Gold in position for an important road result.

Oakland controlled much of the possession throughout the evening, holding 66.7 percent of the ball and forcing Birmingham to defend for long stretches. Despite the pressure, Legion remained organized defensively and limited the Roots to few clear-cut chances.

Goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat came up with several key moments, finishing the night with two saves as Birmingham protected its lead deep into stoppage time.

The Roots finally found their breakthrough in the 93rd minute when Jesús de Vicente delivered a ball into the box that was finished by Peter Wilson, leveling the match at 1-1 just before the final whistle.

Despite the late disappointment, Birmingham earned a valuable road point while showing resilience against one of the Western Conference’s toughest home sides. “Excellent team effort today.” Jay Heaps says  “Proud of how we responded after Saturday’s game and handled the challenging travel with such a quick turnaround.”

Legion finished with eight shots and two shots on target, while Vassell’s second-half strike accounted for the difference until the closing moments.

Birmingham Legion FC returns home Saturday night as the Black and Gold continue USL Championship play at Protective Stadium for a Father’s Day and Paw Patrol themed tonight.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham Legion FC’s late rally was not enough Saturday night as the Black and Gold fell 2-1 to Las Vegas Lights FC at Protective Stadium.

Las Vegas struck first in the 15th minute when Oalex Anderson found the back of the net to give the visitors an early advantage. The Lights doubled their lead in the 60th minute as Jonathan Rodriguez finished off a chance created by Christian Pinzón, putting Birmingham in a two-goal hole.

Legion controlled much of the possession throughout the evening, but struggled to convert opportunities against the Las Vegas defense.

Head Coach Jay Heaps turned to his bench in search of a spark, bringing on Samuel McIllhatton, Serge Ngoma, and Sebastián Saucedo during the second half. “I love the way we tried to end the game, passion, fight; I just wish we started the game that way.” Heaps says after a discussion with the team, “We played timmmid.”

The breakthrough finally came in the 89th minute. Tyler Pasher delivered a ball into the box that found Saucedo, who finished from close range for his first USL Championship goal of the season and cut the deficit to one.

Birmingham continued to push forward during stoppage time but could not find an equalizer before the final whistle. ” I thought we defended well, but these games come down to moments.” Defender Keegan Hughes says. “Soccer is played in 90 minutes, but it all comes down to a few key moments. You have to capitalize on those moments.” Defender Keegan Hughes

Legion finished with 13 shots and 29 touches inside the opposition box, while Pasher led the team with three chances created. Samuel Shashoua recorded three shots, while Gevork Diarbian, Ronaldo Damus, and Ngoma each added multiple attempts.

Goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat made two saves for Birmingham. “You go with your instinct and hope for the best,” Koleilat says. “I think we need to feel the emotions of the game a bit more.”

The result snaps the momentum gained from Wednesday’s 3-0 victory over Corpus Christi FC and leaves Legion searching for points as the USL Championship schedule continues.

Legion heads to Oakland next week and returns to Protective Stadium on June 20th.

BIRMINGHAM, AL. — Birmingham Legion FC battled to a 1-1 draw against Louisville City FC on Saturday night at Protective Stadium, earning a valuable point against one of the USL Championship’s top teams.

Legion struck first in the 10th minute when Gevork Diarbian found the back of the net off an assist from Serge Ngoma. Ngoma delivered a dangerous ball into the attacking area, and Diarbian capitalized to give Birmingham an early 1-0 advantage. When asked about his preparation coming into the match, and if he changed it based off of Louisville’s change in their back line. Diarbian assures, “…my mentality is still the same to run at defenders, be as dangerous as I can, and create for others.

Louisville City responded just before halftime as Babacar Niang scored in the 42nd minute off a pass from Quenzi Huerman, leveling the match at 1-1 heading into the break.

The second half saw both sides battle for a winner, but strong defensive performances and disciplined organization kept the scoreline unchanged. Birmingham held a slight edge in possession and created the better chances throughout the match.

Legion generated 11 shots and limited Louisville to just one shot on target all evening. Tyler Pasher and Samuel Shashoua led the attack with three shots apiece, while Diarbian’s goal highlighted another energetic performance from the winger. Shashoua and Pasher also paced the squad with 57 completed passes each as Birmingham controlled long stretches of possession.

Defensively, Birmingham stood firm against a Louisville side that entered the match among the Eastern Conference’s elite. Seth Antwi recorded a team-high five recoveries, while Bryce Washington and Keegan Hughes helped limit Louisville’s attacking opportunities despite the visitors registering 25 touches inside the penalty area. Washington returned for the Legion tonight, contributing to a strong defensive performance. “For us, it was about knowing to play through the lines, being organized, and denying circumstances, and I think we did that.”

The result extends Legion’s unbeaten home run and provides another positive performance against one of the league’s most consistent clubs. Head Coach Jay Heaps says “”It’s not a question that we have talent. You saw it tonight. Now it’s about those moments of focus and taking our chances when they’re there.”

Birmingham Legion FC will now turn its attention to its next USL Championship matchup as the club continues a busy stretch of fixtures in June.

Birmingham Legion FC fell 2-0 on the road to Monterey Bay FC after a scoreless first half at Cardinale Stadium.

Monterey Bay controlled possession early and finished with a season-high 502 passes completed.

Legion’s defense held strong through the first 45 minutes, continuing a trend of limiting first-half goals this season.

The breakthrough came in the 60th minute as Riley Bidois finished off a chance assisted by Sebastian Lletget to make it 1-0.

Legion pushed for an equalizer late, with Sebastian Tregarthen forcing a save in the 82nd minute and Sebastián Saucedo creating multiple chances off the bench.

Monterey Bay sealed the match in the 77th minute when Eduardo Blancas scored off an assist from Ilijah Paul.

“Tough performance tonight for us. We did not start the game well and we lost too many duels. Give credit to Monterey Bay as they were better than us on the night and they finished their chances.” Birmingham Legion Jay Heaps says.

Samuel Shashoua led Legion in passes ending in the final third, while Sebastian Tregarthen recorded the most duels won for Birmingham.

Zack Farnsworth completed 85 passes for Monterey Bay, the highest total by a Monterey Bay player in a USL Championship match this season.

The result ends Legion’s five-match unbeaten streak in league play.

Legion will be returning home to Protective Stadium on Wednesday, June 3.

Hammer Down.