MATCH INFO:
USL Championship Eastern Conference Semi-Final
Charleston Battery vs Birmingham Legion FC
Saturday, October 28
6:00 pm CT Kickoff
Patriots Point – Mount Pleasant, SC
Watch – My68 & ESPN+
For the second time in club history, Birmingham Legion FC is set to compete in the USL Championship Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday, October 28. Its opponent is the Charleston Battery, who finished third place in the Eastern Conference during the regular season.
After a thrilling display against the Tampa Bay Rowdies in its 3-0 victory in the Quarter-Finals, the Legionnaire’s will look to stir up trouble on their trip to Charleston. Losing at Patriots Point to Charleston 1-0 on the last game of the regular season, the Black & Gold come eyeing for revenge.
Keep note: provided Legion FC win tomorrow and Detroit FC win against Louisville FC in the Semi-Finals, the Eastern Conference Final will be played in Birmingham at Protective Stadium.
Tomorrow’s playoff match will be streamed locally on My68 and can also be found on ESPN+. International viewers can tune in live on YouTube. For fans in town on Saturday, come out to Ghost Train Brewing for a semi-final watch party! Cheer on the Black & Gold alongside Legion FC’s supporter’s group the Magic City Brigade.
Legion FC’s Form
Legion FC comes into its semi-finals clash fresh off of a historic 3-0 win against its Eastern Conference playoff nemesis the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The match saw 7th place Birmingham completely dominate 2nd place Tampa, and will provide confidence for the Legion going into its next match. Preston Tabort Etaka, Diba Nwegbo, and Prosper Kasim all scored in the Quarter-Final.
Neco Brett led Birmingham in scoring during the 2023 regular season, netting 12 goals in 30 appearances. The Jamaican is Legion FC’s all-time top goalscorer with 39 goals for the club. Close behind Brett in goals scored this season, and leader of the squad in goal contributions was Enzo Martinez with ten goals and seven assists in 33 appearances. Largely an attack-minded team, with 44 goals scored during the regular season, the Legionnaires also have attacking outputs like Preston Tabort Etaka, Tyler Pasher, Diba Nwegbo, Prosper Kasim and Juan Agudelo all healthy and available for its clash against Tampa.
On the defensive side of things, Birmingham has goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg it can turn to. Matt VanOekel received the majority of starts in the 2023 regular season (23) and registered 64 saves and a 65.3% save success rate. VanOekel, however, was injured in the first half of Legion FC’s quarter-final win. Spangenberg played in a total of 12 matches during the regular season.
Birmingham struggled defensively during the regular season, letting in the fifth most goals in the Championship (53). The Black & Gold has shown it is able to keep out goals this season, however, with clean sheets against New Mexico and Louisville FC, and last week against Tampa Bay. Its defense must stay very organized against Charleston, who have a very lethal offense.
Spangenberg had a very impressive performance during the 2022 USL Championship quarter-final, where he saved two penalty kicks in a penalty shootout against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Protective Stadium. His penalty experience may come into play if the match looks to head in the direction of a shootout.
Opponent Info
Charleston Battery: 17W – 9L – 8D / 47 Goals Scored – 43 Goals Allowed / 59 Points / 3rd in USLC Eastern Conference / H2H vs BHM: 3W-1D-3L
Last week at Patriots Park, the Charleston Battery battered Indy Eleven 5-0 in the USL Championship Quarter-Finals. They controlled the game from the very beginning and expect to continue on Saturday against Legion FC in great form.
Charleston won at home against Birmingham in the last game of the regular season 1-0, and will draw on that victory for confidence coming into Saturday’s game.
Looking at players who have made a difference this season, Charleston have been led by Augustine Williams. The striker leads the club with 14 goals, and six of those having been the crucial first goal of the game.
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.
