| USL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 16 | 1ST HALF | 2ND HALF | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (3W-7L-6D | 15 PTS) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| RHODE ISLAND FC (4W-7L-4D | 16 PTS) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
PAWTUCKET, RI – For a second match in three days, Birmingham Legion FC walk away with a hard fought point, while also feeling like the three points where there for the taking. Still, a 1-1 draw at Rhode Island FC on Saturday is a sign of improvement from the Three Sparks, snapping a three-match skid to their USL Championship Eastern Conference foe.
“I thought we were the best team for 80 of the 90 minutes,” said Legion FC coach Mark Briggs. “They had a 10 minute period at the end of the first half where they had us under pressure, but we were by far the best team. It shows we have quality, but I’m still frustrated because we should have won that game.”
Ronaldo Damus opened the scoring at Centreville Bank Stadium with his club-leading seventh goal in USL-C play and ninth across all competition, but had it canceled out right before the first half whistle on a strike from Rhode Island’s Noah Fuson.
The draw marks the third time this season that Birmingham was unable to secure a victory after scoring the opening goal of the match. It was not for a lack of trying, particularly in the second half, with Legion FC two of Legion FC’s three shots on target coming in the final 45 minutes where it also struck the frame of the goal twice.
“We perform well and create opportunities, but we don’t put the ball in the back of the net,” Briggs said of his Birmingham side that outshot Rhode Island 8-7. “That’s why we keep only coming away with one point and not three points. It has to change.”
Capping off a stretch of three matches in a week, Briggs rotated the squad Preston Tabort Etaka, Stephen Turnbull and Fernando Delgado inserted into the starting lineup following Wednesday’s home draw with the Charleston Battery.
The latter two played a big part in the goal with Delgado, in his second USL-C start of 2025, playing a ball over the top from his own box. Making his return to RIFC after playing for the side last season, Turnbull reminded the home crowd of his quality as he won the route one ball by bodying off defender Frank Nodarse before dribbling into the box and playing a perfect cross to an open Damus in front of goal.
“I’m really happy for Stephen to come back here and get an assist and perform the way he did,” Briggs noted. “It was a fantastic goal because, with Fernando, you have essentially an extra field player with his distribution that allows us to create certain plays. That was something that we wanted to draw up and the guys executed it really well.”
After Fuson’s goal for Rhode Island in the 43rd minute equalized the game at the half, Legion FC came out for the second half with a clear intent of not settling for the draw.
A set play off a free kick in the 58th minute saw AJ Paterson head the ball down to an open Enzo Martinez in the box, but the angle was cut off by Rhode Island goalkeeper Jackson Lee who made the save.
The route-one attack then made another appearance 15 minutes later with Paterson playing a ball to a streaking Tyler Pasher, who then got off a shot that was destined for the lower left corner, but Lee was able to get enough of a hand on it to push off the post before RIFC cleared it out. Pasher would meet the post again in the 88th minute when he laced a curler that, this time, beat a diving Lee before careening off the frame. Sebastian Tregarthen followed the shot and sent in a ball back across the goal, but Erik Centeno’s header went wide.
“You just have to put the ball in the goal,” explained Briggs. “We had countless opportunities, we hit the post twice and just kept missing on endless opportunities.”
Legion FC’s first sub of the match occurred early in the second half with Jake Rufe coming on in the 52nd minute for Phanuel Kavita after the veteran defender suffered an apparent lower-body injury.
The two teams combined for seven yellow cards on the night with Tiago Suarez, Damus, Edwin Laszo and Paterson booked for Birmingham.
Match Details
LINEUPS
BHM: Delgado – GK, Turnbull, Suarez, Kavita (Rufe 52′), Paterson, Mensah (Centeno 80′), Laszo, Martinez – C, Tabort Etaka (Trejo 72′), Pasher, Damus (Tregarthen 80′)
RI: Lee – GK, Sanchez, Nodarse, Yao, Hope-Gund (Mabika 71′), Rodriguez (Rovia 79′), Holstad – C, Kwizera, Fuson, Brito (Ybarra 65′), Dikwa
GOALS
BHM: Damus 27′
RI: Fuson 44′
DISCIPLINE
BHM: Suarez (Yellow) 29′; Damus (Yellow) 35′; Laszo (Yellow) 47′; Paterson (Yellow) 90+7′
RI: Holstad (Yellow) 45+2′; Rodriguez (Yellow) 57′; Kwizera (Yellow) 90+3′
NEXT UP
Sitting on 15 points and still trying to fight its way back in playoff positioning, the road trip for Legion FC continues on Friday, July 11 as it travels to Cary, North Carolina to take on East fourth place North Carolina FC.
Birmingham then returns home on July 19 to take on 2024 USL-C champions Colorado Springs Switchback FC at Protective Stadium. Tickets are available for the 7:00 p.m. CT kickoff.
