TULSA, OK (August 7, 2021) – Birmingham Legion FC lost 3-1 on the road at FC Tulsa on Saturday night thanks to two Tulsa goals in the final ten minutes of the match. Legion forward Neco Brett bagged his tenth goal of the season from the penalty spot, after substitute forward Jaden Servania was fouled in the opposition box, but the home side snatched back all three points late on.
After coming out and looking ‘off’, according to Head Coach Tommy Soehn, Legion FC fell behind early for the third contest in a row, thanks to a 25th minute goal from Tulsa left back Matt Sheldon. Tulsa’s newest signing, forward Jason Johnson who joined the team this past week, poked the ball away from a Legion defender and got into the box, drawing Birmingham defenders to him, before laying the ball off for an underlapping Sheldon who put it away from about the penalty spot.
Brett got his tenth goal of the season, second-most in the USL Championship, in the 66th minute thanks to some shifty attacking play from Servania, who earned his team a penalty for the second time this season, and Legion pressed for a game-winner for most of the second half. But, Tulsa weathered the storm and grabbed a winner of their own in the 88th minute, as Marlon pounced on a pinball in the box and poked it in. Tulsa won a corner kick, that Legion initially headed away, but the second ball was swung in, knocked down, bounced around, and fell right to the Tulsa winger who finished it.
The home fans were then treated to an exclamation point of a goal in second half stoppage time. Legion FC pushed everyone forward, straining for an equalizer, but Tulsa forced a late turnover, sprung into a three-versus-one counterattack, and midfielder Joaquin Rivas played in substitute forward Kembo Kibato for the final tally.
“I think in this one we looked tired,” said Soehn. “Our soccer was off, our pressure that we talked about was lacking, so everything we talked about to implement for the first half, I felt like we fell short on. We raised it a little bit in the second half, but I still felt like it just wasn’t enough. Obviously, Jaden [Servania] coming on helped, and Phanny [Kavita] brought some life, but overall, I still feel like on the day at the end of it all we looked tired. A week of games has kind of worn on us a little bit, and it’s shown.”
Defender Jake Rufe made his fourth appearance of the season, coming on as a second half substitute, and he felt like the flashes in the second half can be something the team builds upon heading in to it’s home match on Wednesday.
“Right from the start of the second half we had more purpose about us. Our movement to get open for the ball was better, and our boldness to win tackles and play around them was obvious. Guys coming off the bench did really well changing the tempo. It was unlucky the way things ended because I thought we really showed better after the half.”
Box Score:
|
|
1st Half |
2nd Half |
|
TUL |
1 |
2 |
|
BHM |
0 |
1 |
Goals:
TUL – 25’ – #13 Matt Sheldon (assisted by #14 Jason Johnson)
BHM – 66’ – #11 Neco Brett (P)
TUL – 88’ – #10 Marlon
TUL – 90+1’ – #21 Kembo Kibato (assisted by #11 Joaquin Rivas)
Starting Lineups:
TUL – 4-2-3-1 – #1 Sean Lewis; #13 Matthew Sheldon, #22 Bradley Bourgeois ©, #4 Modou Jadama, #21 Jorge Corrales; #44 Eric Bird, #30 Lebo Moloto (76’ – #99 Raphael Ayagwa); #10 Marlon, #11 Joaquin Rivas, #16 Rodrigo da Costa (57’ – #21 Kembo Kibato); #14 Jason Johnson (57’ – #9 Dario Suarez)
BHM – 4-3-3 – #1 Matt VanOekel ©; #24 Jonny Dean, #21 Alex Crognale, #20 Zach Herivaux (46’ – #3 Phanuel Kavita), #7 Ryan James; #27 Thomas Vancaeyezeele, #6 Anderson Asiedu, #10 Prosper Kasim (78’ – #13 Jake Rufe); #11 Neco Brett, #23 JJ Williams (61’ – #17 Jaden Servania), #77 Junior Flemmings (21’ – #5 Mikey Lopez)
Stats: Legion FC Match Center
Legion FC will be back at BBVA Field again on Wednesday, August 11, at 7:00PM to take on Sporting KC II, and the game will be another edition of ‘Everybody Wins on Wednesdays!’ Join us for one-dollar hot dogs, two-dollar beers, and post-game fireworks. Fans can get tickets for the 11th HERE and can contact the Legion FC Ticket Office at 205-600-4635 or tickets@https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/bhmlegion with any questions.
For all club news and updates, be sure to follow @bhmlegion on social media and keep an eye on https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/bhmlegion and the Legion FC app. Download the Legion FC app today on Apple or Android, and save the full 2021 schedule straight to your calendar HERE.
TULSA, OK (August 7, 2021) – Birmingham Legion FC lost 3-1 on the road at FC Tulsa on Saturday night thanks to two Tulsa goals in the final ten minutes of the match. Legion forward Neco Brett bagged his tenth goal of the season from the penalty spot, after substitute forward Jaden Servania was fouled in the opposition box, but the home side snatched back all three points late on.
After coming out and looking ‘off’, according to Head Coach Tommy Soehn, Legion FC fell behind early for the third contest in a row, thanks to a 25th minute goal from Tulsa left back Matt Sheldon. Tulsa’s newest signing, forward Jason Johnson who joined the team this past week, poked the ball away from a Legion defender and got into the box, drawing Birmingham defenders to him, before laying the ball off for an underlapping Sheldon who put it away from about the penalty spot.
Brett got his tenth goal of the season, second-most in the USL Championship, in the 66th minute thanks to some shifty attacking play from Servania, who earned his team a penalty for the second time this season, and Legion pressed for a game-winner for most of the second half. But, Tulsa weathered the storm and grabbed a winner of their own in the 88th minute, as Marlon pounced on a pinball in the box and poked it in. Tulsa won a corner kick, that Legion initially headed away, but the second ball was swung in, knocked down, bounced around, and fell right to the Tulsa winger who finished it.
The home fans were then treated to an exclamation point of a goal in second half stoppage time. Legion FC pushed everyone forward, straining for an equalizer, but Tulsa forced a late turnover, sprung into a three-versus-one counterattack, and midfielder Joaquin Rivas played in substitute forward Kembo Kibato for the final tally.
“I think in this one we looked tired,” said Soehn. “Our soccer was off, our pressure that we talked about was lacking, so everything we talked about to implement for the first half, I felt like we fell short on. We raised it a little bit in the second half, but I still felt like it just wasn’t enough. Obviously, Jaden [Servania] coming on helped, and Phanny [Kavita] brought some life, but overall, I still feel like on the day at the end of it all we looked tired. A week of games has kind of worn on us a little bit, and it’s shown.”
Defender Jake Rufe made his fourth appearance of the season, coming on as a second half substitute, and he felt like the flashes in the second half can be something the team builds upon heading in to it’s home match on Wednesday.
“Right from the start of the second half we had more purpose about us. Our movement to get open for the ball was better, and our boldness to win tackles and play around them was obvious. Guys coming off the bench did really well changing the tempo. It was unlucky the way things ended because I thought we really showed better after the half.”
Box Score:
|
|
1st Half |
2nd Half |
|
TUL |
1 |
2 |
|
BHM |
0 |
1 |
Goals:
TUL – 25’ – #13 Matt Sheldon (assisted by #14 Jason Johnson)
BHM – 66’ – #11 Neco Brett (P)
TUL – 88’ – #10 Marlon
TUL – 90+1’ – #21 Kembo Kibato (assisted by #11 Joaquin Rivas)
Starting Lineups:
TUL – 4-2-3-1 – #1 Sean Lewis; #13 Matthew Sheldon, #22 Bradley Bourgeois ©, #4 Modou Jadama, #21 Jorge Corrales; #44 Eric Bird, #30 Lebo Moloto (76’ – #99 Raphael Ayagwa); #10 Marlon, #11 Joaquin Rivas, #16 Rodrigo da Costa (57’ – #21 Kembo Kibato); #14 Jason Johnson (57’ – #9 Dario Suarez)
BHM – 4-3-3 – #1 Matt VanOekel ©; #24 Jonny Dean, #21 Alex Crognale, #20 Zach Herivaux (46’ – #3 Phanuel Kavita), #7 Ryan James; #27 Thomas Vancaeyezeele, #6 Anderson Asiedu, #10 Prosper Kasim (78’ – #13 Jake Rufe); #11 Neco Brett, #23 JJ Williams (61’ – #17 Jaden Servania), #77 Junior Flemmings (21’ – #5 Mikey Lopez)
Stats: Legion FC Match Center
Legion FC will be back at BBVA Field again on Wednesday, August 11, at 7:00PM to take on Sporting KC II, and the game will be another edition of ‘Everybody Wins on Wednesdays!’ Join us for one-dollar hot dogs, two-dollar beers, and post-game fireworks. Fans can get tickets for the 11th HERE and can contact the Legion FC Ticket Office at 205-600-4635 or tickets@https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/bhmlegion with any questions.
For all club news and updates, be sure to follow @bhmlegion on social media and keep an eye on https://sportsengine-staging.go-vip.net/bhmlegion and the Legion FC app. Download the Legion FC app today on Apple or Android, and save the full 2021 schedule straight to your calendar HERE.
