MATCH INFO:
Charleston Battery vs Birmingham Legion FC
Saturday, October 14
4:00 pm CT Kickoff
Patriots Point – Mount Pleasant, SC
Watch – My68 & ESPN+
The end of the 2023 USL Championship regular season is here. Tomorrow, in the last game of the regular season, Birmingham Legion FC kicks off against the Charleston Battery. Kickoff will begin at 4pm CT and the match will be streamed on ESPN+ and locally in Birmingham on My68.
The results of tomorrow’s game could have playoff implications. A win for the Black & Gold (7th place) and a loss for Indy Eleven (6th) would see Legion FC jump to sixth place and face the Charleston Battery again in the first round of the playoffs. If the table remains the same, however, with Birmingham at seventh and Tampa at second place, Legion will head south to Tampa Bay for the first round of the playoffs.
Legion FC’s Form
The Legionnaire’s come into this game on a two-game win streak after going on the road and besting its arch-rivals Memphis 2-1 and then returning home and beating Monterey Bay 2-0 in the last home game of the regular season. Another win on Saturday, against an opponent high on the Eastern Conference table in Charleston (3rd), would do well for Legion’s confidence going into the postseason.
In its victory against Monterey Bay, Legion cruised to a 2-0 shutout thanks to goals by forward Juan Agudelo and right back Collin Smith. Smith and Legionnaire Prosper Kasim were both named to the USL Championship’s Team of the Week for their outstanding performances against Bay FC.
Neco Brett leads Birmingham in scoring in 2023 with 12 goals in 29 appearances. The Jamaican is Legion FC’s all-time top goalscorer with 39 goals for the club. Close behind Brett in goals scored, and leading the squad in goal contributions, is Enzo Martinez with ten goals and seven assists in 32 appearances. Largely an attack-minded team, with 44 goals scored this season, the Legionnaires also have attacking outputs like Preston Tabort Etaka, Tyler Pasher, Diba Nwegbo, Kasim and Agudelo all healthy and available.
On the defensive side of things, Birmingham has relied on goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg in goal while starting goalkeeper Matt VanOekel has been out of play. VanOekel is available and could start tomorrow. Spangenberg put up a few great performances in Legion’s last few games, however, including a clean sheet against Monterey Bay. Legion has not had the consistent, unbreakable defense it is characteristic of in 2023. This Legion team has conceded the fourth most across the USL Championship (52).
Opponent Info
Charleston Battery: 16W – 9L – 8D / 46 Goals Scored – 43 Goals Allowed / 56 Points / 3rd in USLC Eastern Conference
Charleston come into tomorrow’s tie on a two-match losing streak, having picked up losses while visiting El Paso Locomotive and hosting Miami FC. No matter the result, The Battery will finish the regular season in 3rd place and face the sixth-place team in the first round of the playoffs.
Augustine Williams is the top-scorer for the Battery in 2023, with 13 goals to his name. Behind him is Nicholas Markanich (eight goals) and Tristan Trager (5). Trager scored against Birmingham the last time the two sides met on July 29.
For this week’s UAB Medicine Injury Report, all players are available and are traveling to Charleston.
To keep up to date on all things Legion FC, Legion encourages its fans to follow @bhmlegion on social media and keep an eye on bhmlegion.com and the Legion FC app. Download the Legion FC app today on Apple or Android, and sync our 2023 schedule to your calendar HERE.
