
USL JAGERMEISTER CUP | GROUP 3 | 1ST HALF | 2ND HALF | FINAL |
---|---|---|---|
FORWARD MADISON FC (1W-2L-1D | 4 PTS) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (3W-0L-1D | 10 PTS) | 1 | 1 | 2 |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – As much as storybook moments are romanticized across all sports, it’s not often that they actually come. But on a Saturday night at Protective Stadium, Sebastian Saucedo had his storybook moment.
With Birmingham Legion FC deadlocked in a 1-1 fight with Forward Madison FC with less than 10 minutes left in regulation and in danger of missing out on the 2025 USL Jagermeister Cup knockout round, Saucedo entered the match in the 77th minute and just four minutes later notched his first goal with the club in dramatic fashion. His late winner sees the Three Sparks through to the quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory.
“I’ve been through a lot over the last year and a half,” Saucedo said, fighting back tears. “I’m very emotional because of that. This is something that I work for every day, that I continue to work for. And this goal is not just me. This was the club and soccer just works that way sometimes. We don’t always get what we want in this game, but we’ve been working so hard.”
Having signed with Legion FC in June after a turbulent last couple of seasons in Liga MX, it was just Saucedo’s second appearance for the club after a lower body injury forced him to miss some time following his club debut against Oakland Roots SC.
“It’s just things that you can’t control,” said Saucedo. “You come in and want to do your best for the club. Tonight felt different. It’s been a long four weeks getting match fit. We take this sport for granted and I’m thankful for the guys here that make me excited to come to work everyday.”
Taking a corner kick from the left side, Saucedo opted to play it short to Tyler Pasher but then received the ball back from the Legion FC captain after making a run towards the top of the box. The 28-year-old forward was able to dribble past one defender before ripping a right-footed strike that was in the back of the net before Madison goalkeeper Wallis Lapsley could even get his hands up.
“The ruthlessness that I always talk about, (Sebastian) has that in abundance,” Legion FC coach Mark Briggs said. “He went through a lot in Mexico and then coming here and pulls his hamstring in his first game. He’s been doing a lot of work and then gets rewarded by scoring a fantastic goal and we’re into the quarterfinals.”
Birmingham finishes Group 3 play of the Jagermeister Cup with 10 points to qualify as the top Wild Card in the field, after not losing a match in regulation across four outings. It will travel to face Rhode Island FC in the quarterfinals with a date and time to be announced by the USL.
Ronaldo Damus opened the scoring in the 30th minute, heading home a cross from Samuel Shashoua who was also making just his second appearance with Birmingham after joining the club on loan last week.
“The more games that I get, I’ll get better and better,” Shashoua explained. “I’m here to try and provide goals and assists, so the quicker that happens the better.”
Legion FC set the pace for much of the match with 58% of the possession with 10 of its 19 shots on target, while Forward Madison put two of its seven shots on frame. The visitors though drew things even in the 71st minute on a goal from substitute Isaac Angking.
“In the second half, they made a couple of adjustments and got into the game,” Briggs noted. “When they scored, I looked around the field and I saw what’ve wanted to see for a while. I saw a group of players with a look in their eyes and a pride that we were going to win this.”
Saturday’s match marked the return of defender Ramiz Hamouda with the 17-year-old getting the start and going 77 minutes in his first outing since June 14.
It was also a homecoming of sorts for forward Lucca Dourado and midfielder Temi Ereku with both getting minutes for Forward Madison after joining the USL League One side on loan this season. Ereku received the start and played 62 minutes, while Dourado came in off the bench for the final 28 minutes of the match.
Match Details
LINEUPS
MAD: Lapsley – GK, Crull, Chilaka, Viader, Ereku (Mehl 62′), Murphy, Mesias (Angking 62′), Sousa, Garcia (Boyce 62′), Galindrez (Dourado 62′), McLaughlin (Brown 81′).
BHM: Delgado – GK, Tregarthen (Turnbull 65′), Suarez, Rufe, Paterson, Hamouda (Centeno 77′), Laszo, Martinez (McIllhatton 89′), Shashoua (Saucedo 77′), Pasher – C, Damus (Tabort Etaka 89′)
GOALS
MAD: Angking 71′
BHM: Damus 30′; Saucedo 81′
DISCIPLINE
MAD: Murphy (Yellow) 26′; Sousa (Yellow) 28′; Crull (Yellow) 53′
BHM: Hamouda (Yellow) 25′; Tregarthen (Yellow) 34′; Paterson (Yellow) 75′
NEXT UP
As it awaits a date for its quarterfinal contest in the Jagermeister Cup, Legion FC now jumps back into USL Championship play with a trip out west on Saturday, August 2 to take on Phoenix Rising FC. The squad then returns to Protective Stadium on August 9 to take on Hartford Athletic.
“I’ve said it since I’ve been here, this is a talented group,” Saucedo said. “We have the quality and what it takes to really turn things around.”