MATCH INFO:
Birmingham Legion FC at Hartford Athletic
Saturday, July 30
6:00pm CT Kickoff
Trinity Health Stadium – Hartford, CT
Watch – My68 & ESPN+
Legion FC hits the road again riding high after a resounding win on Wednesday over Loudoun United. The Three Sparks put up their most shots in a game this season (30), scored the most goals in a home game in club history (six) and midfielder Bruno Lapa bagged the club’s first-ever hattrick.
Birmingham now continues its push for a home playoff game, currently sitting just two points back of third place Pittsburgh Riverhounds and four back of third place Memphis 901 FC in the Eastern Conference standings. The top four finishers each earn the right to host at least one game in the USL Championship playoffs come October, a stated goal of Head Coach Tommy Soehn and his side.
The team’s attack has been led by talisman Enzo Martinez this season, who leads the team in goals (six), shots (31), assists (four) and chances created (43), but he is not the only danger man, as nine different players have combined to score BHM’s last 11 goals. Midfielder Zach Herivuax scored the final goal in at Atlanta on July 6, Martinez, defender Jonny Dean, and defender Ryan James got on the board at Charleston on July 9, forward Juan Agudelo bagged the winner at Sacramento on July 16, and Lapa was joined on the scoresheet by forwards Prosper Kasim, Mataeo Bunbury, and Grayson Dupont on Wednesday.
The balanced attack and six goal output midweek has pushed Legion FC up to 15th in the USLC in goals scored (28), while the club has been one of the best in the league all season defensively, having given up the fifth-fewest goals allowed (20). Hartford have scored the third-fewest goals in the USLC (22) this year and allowed the 12th most (32).
The Athletic come into the match looking for its first win in a month, having drawn two and lost three in its last five. While Wednesday night’s result at RGV looks like well-earned point on the road, HFD was outshot 32-2 in the 0-0 draw, so the attack will be keen to get back on track. Joel Johnson leads the team in goals (four), Danny Barrera is first in chances created (35), and Prince Saydee tops in shots (21), and is tied with Rashawn Dally for the lead in assists (three).
For this week’s UAB Medicine Injury Report, defender Jake Rufe is out due to a lower body injury and defender Freddy Kleemann is out due to a torn ACL.
Looking for somewhere fun to watch the game? Join the Legion FC front office at TrimTab Brewing Company, the Official Watch Party Location of the Club, to cheer on the guys in Black & Gold! Saturday will also be the first opportunity for fans to purchase the new ‘Legionized 205’ pale ale cans from TrimTab, and President and General Manager Jay Heaps is buying the first 28 fans Legion beers, so we’ll see you there!
Can’t make it to TrimTab? Tune in to watch the match on My68 or ESPN+, and follow @bhmlegion on twitter for live match updates.
For team updates, news and more, follow @bhmlegion on social media, sign up for Legion FC’s Newsletter, or visit bhmlegion.com. The Legion FC app is also available for download via Apple or Android. For gameday reminders, sync the Legion FC 2022 schedule to your calendar HERE.
