Legion FC Earns Hard Fought Point Against Louisville

USL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 2	1ST HALF	2ND HALF	FINAL
LOUISVILLE CITY FC (1W – 0L – 1D; 4 PTS)	1	0	1
BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (0W – 1L – 1D; 1 PTS)	1	0	1

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Following a season opening loss, the message for Birmingham Legion FC over the next week was to fight back. And the team responded in kind on a picturesque afternoon at Protective Stadium with a 1-1 draw against Louisville City FC.

“I’m extremely proud of that effort,” said Legion FC Head Coach Tom Soehn. “We knew they were a team that was going to defend hard and make it difficult. We knew we were going to be short some bodies and the guys that did step in did a really good job of managing the game.”

The Three Sparks not only responded from match to match, but proved that mettle throughout the 90 minutes on Sunday as forward Ronaldo Damus opened his Legion FC account with a first half stoppage time goal that turned out to be the key in splitting the points.

“He created a lot of havoc and was a handful for their backs” Soehn said of the Haitian striker. “There’s a lot more to come from him and I loved the way he competed up there and made it really hard for their backline.”

For the second consecutive match, Birmingham’s goal came off a set piece and for the second consecutive match, the service came from the foot of midfielder Roman Torres, who is quickly making a name for himself in The Magic City.

After Legion FC drew a foul on the left side of the field in second minute of first half stoppage time, the loanee from Minnesota United FC sent in a perfectly placed free kick that swung towards the goal. Making the run, Damus timed his jump perfectly to power it home for the equalizer.

“I’m having a good run of games right now” said Torres as he begins his first season as a professional. “Hopefully I can keep that up and keep contributing to the team in as many ways as I can.”

The goal was the perfect response from Birmingham after Louisville took a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute by working the ball out of the back against the Legion FC press, setting up a break down the left side for Emmanuel Perez who rippled the top corner of the net.

It was the only thing that seemed to get past Legion FC goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel who was in vintage form with five saves on the day, including a couple of big ones in the second half to keep the score intact.

“I’ll take it,” Van Oekel said of his outing. “There are things that I still have to work on.

“If I can keep the team in it as much as I possibly can, I know that I’ve got the talent and players around me to get one back “

Van Oekel was also backed by a new-look Legion FC backline that saw the club debuts of Stephen Turnbull and Ethan Kos, while Jake Rufe and Ramiz Hamouda saw their positions shift a bit following last week’s outing.

Rufe made a huge clearance off the goal line in the 50th minute after a shot stung the hands of Van Oekel and popped backwards.

“I owe them some beers” the Legion FC veteran netminder quipped about his defenders. “It’s great to see that they have my back like I have theirs.”

Birmingham finished the match with 10 total shots to Louisville’s 12 as Preston Tabort Etaka found some openings down the right side in the second half, but was unable to get something by Louisville City FC goalkeeper Damian Las.

Despite Louisville having three more shots on target, Birmingham actually had the slightly higher expected goals advantage at 1.05 to 0.94. The away side did have a bit more of the possession at 55-percent to highlight what was an evenly matched contest.

“I don’t think you’re ever satisfied with a tie,” said Soehn. “I think finishing is a big component, but as the season goes, that’s usually the last thing that really comes along.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to finish those moments, but we created those moments and that will come as we continue to grow.”

NEXT UP
Legion FC now must embark on a busy week that begins with a quick turnaround as the squad beings its 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup run on the road against USL2 side, the Little Rock Rangers, on Wednesday before hopping back into USL Championship play at Detroit City FC on Saturday.

“It’s really important” Torres said of getting a result against Louisville. “We want to play with a lot of confidence and hopefully a good result here is going to lead into our next couple of games.”

Legion FC returns to Protective Stadium on Sunday, April 13 when it welcomes El Paso Locomotive FC. Tickets for that match can be purchased HERE.