Match Recap

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.

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.”

USL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 18	1ST HALF	2ND HALF	FINAL
COLORADO SPRINGS SWITCHBACKS FC (4W-6L-6D | 18 PTS)	0	1	1
BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (4W-8L-6D | 18 PTS)	0	0	0

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Success in the attacking third was hard to come by for Birmingham Legion FC, as the club sees its run of unbeaten matches halted at three matches on Saturday Night. A late goal was the difference at Protective Stadium with Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC pulling out a 1-0 win.

“I just felt like we never really got going,” Legion FC coach Mark Briggs said afterwards. “You’re playing against a team that won the Championship, but our guys feel like they played a few games really well and think we can just turn up and perform. The mindset isn’t right and we never grab a hold of the opportunity that’s in front of us.”

In an outing where neither team had many chances, it was the defending USL Championship title winners that ultimately converted with a goal in the 83rd minute by forward Marco Micaletto to take home all three points. Despite the defeat, Legion FC finishes the evening still above the playoff line, sitting in eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

However, the squad knows they missed a golden opportunity make a move up the table in front of its home crowd.

“We have to find the energy that we have on the road and bring that here,” explained Briggs. “You can’t just turn it on and off and right now we have too many players turning it on and off. We had the chance to strengthen our playoff position and we don’t.”

Both sides finished the match with three shots on target, but with Legion FC outshooting Colorado Springs 11-8, while also winning the possession battle (55.2%) and having a higher expected goals metric (0.92 – 0.57).

Birmingham also led the way with 17 touches in the box as part of its game-high 56 final third entries, but the final product that Briggs has often talked about once again went wanting.

“We had spells where we looked dangerous,” Briggs noted. “But then we would get into those spots and made bad decisions. The decision making and the attitude tonight just wasn’t there.”

Following a scoreless first half, Legion FC opened the final 45 minutes on the front foot and nearly struck in the six minutes into the second half with defending Stephen Turnbull finding space to dribble into the box down the right side. He opted to test Switchbacks FC’s newly-acquired goalkeeper Adam Beaudry at the near post, but the shot was pushed wide.

The ball largely remained on Colorado Springs’ side of the pitch from that point on. But the away side grabbed its goal against the run of play late in the match with substitute Quenzi Huerman picking out Micoletta inside the box and the Italian was able to turn on the Legion FC backline and get a shot past goalkeeper Fernando Delgado, diving to his right.

“The game is about your 18-yard box and the opponent’s 18-yard box,” said Briggs. “What happens in the middle of the field is irrelevant and tonight we weren’t ruthless in their box, and we were ok for 83 minutes in our box, but in a decisive moment, we allowed one of the better attacking players in the league to get a shot off.”

Forward Ronaldo Damus achieved Birmingham’s first shot on target of the match with a 49th minute effort, but his streak of matches with a goal comes to an end at two. Preston Tabort Etaka, who came on for new Legion FC-loanee Samuel Shashoua in the 71st minute, recorded the side’s third shot on target.

NEXT UP
Legion FC now must pick up the pieces following this defeat as it takes a break from USL-C play but remains at Protective Stadium for a pivotal 2025 USL Jagermeister Cup match on Saturday, July 26 against Forward Madison FC. Birmingham currently sits in second place in Group 3, but will clinch a spot in the knockout rounds if it is able to come away with a victory against the USL1 side. Kickoff for the Christmas in July match is set for 7:00 p.m. CT with tickets available HERE.

USL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 17	1ST HALF	2ND HALF	FINAL
BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (4W-7L-6D | 18 PTS)	1	2	3
NORTH CAROLINA FC (7W-6L-2D | 23 PTS)	1	1	2

CARY, NC – Mark Briggs had been wary lately at how often he had been preaching for Birmingham Legion FC to show more ruthlessness in front of goal. But on Friday night at First Horizon Stadium, the head coach finally saw that missing trait from his squad.

Led by a second half brace from Forward Danny Trejo, the Three Sparks picked up a huge three points on the road with a 3-2 comeback victory over North Carolina FC.

“It’s a great result for us,” said Briggs. “To perform in such a difficult place and score three goals, I’m really proud of the players in what they did tonight.”

It marks Birmingham’s first victory since a 1-0 result over Sacramento Republic FC on June 18 and it propels the club up to 7th place in the USL Championship Eastern Conference standings with 18 points.

The win also gives Legion FC a signature result in what is now a three-match unbeaten streak in league play as it handed NCFC its first home loss since May 6 and first in league play since March 15th.

“It took belief,” Briggs noted when asked what it took to pull off the win away from home. “It’s belief in what the guys can achieve, belief in what we can achieve as a group and I think you’re starting to see a togetherness. If we stay together and continue to have that belief, I think our quality will continue to show. We showed that we can be lethal in transition.”

After falling behind in the 40th minute from a North Carolina FC goal by Pedro Dolabella against the run of play, Legion FC forward Ronaldo Damus erased the deficit five minutes later, setting Trejo’s heroics in the final 45 minutes by grabbing Birmingham’s second and third to secure the win.

“I think it was really important for Danny,” explained Briggs. “He’s been through a rough stretch and his confidence has been down, but tonight he showed what a top player he is. He kept the ball for us, he moved in areas that we wanted him to and he got his rewards. I’m really happy for him.”

The sequence of Trejo’s first of the evening began on the end of the pitch as Legion FC defended a North Carolina corner kick with Moses Mensah clearing a ball that found Tyler Pasher on the outlet. Wearing the captain’s armband for the first time this season, Pasher dribbled into open space, igniting a four-on-two counterattack with Trejo on the left side, receiving a pass in the box and chipping the ball over goalkeeper Jake McGuire to put Birmingham in front for the first time.

Then just seven minutes later in the 63rd, Trejo again finished off a Legion FC counter with Damus receiving a line-breaking ball from Edwin Laszo down the right side. The Haitian striker then was able to beat his defender and keep the ball in play before laying it off to Trejo, who took a couple of touches before his shot deflected into the back of the net.

“Me and Tyler spoke at length at halftime about making sure that we drive the ball,” recalled Briggs. “I just wanted us to drive with the ball because the spaces are open. That’s what we did in the second half and we made the right passes that led to both goals.”

Damus opened Birmingham’s scoring right before the halftime whistle when his pressure on the backline forced a turnover off of McGuire trying to play the ball out. With the goalkeeper off his line, Pasher recovered the loose ball and his deflected shot went right to Martinez who played a nice cutback pass where Damus slotted a shot into the open net.

North Carolina FC grabbed a goal back in the ninth minute of second half stoppage time from substitute Evan Conway.

Legion FC’s three goals on the evening matches its season high, including a 3-1 victory over El Paso Locomotive FC in USL-C play on April 13 and a 3-1 win in the USL Jagermeister Cup against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC on April 27.

NEXT UP
Following a successful two match road trip that saw Legion FC grab four points, the club now gets a bit of a break before heading back to Protective Stadium for a home stand, beginning on Saturday, July 19 where it will look to carry this momentum against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.

“Our last few performances have been very good but we weren’t getting the points,” Briggs said. “Tonight, we got the performance and the result. So I’m just really proud to see that progress is being made. A win like this can give the guy confidence going forward.”

Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT with tickets available HERE.

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.

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.

USL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 15	1ST HALF	2ND HALF	FINAL
CHARLESTON BATTERY (10W-3L-2D | 32 PTS)	0	0	0
BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (3W-7L-5D | 14 PTS)	0	0	0

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Matt Van Oekel once again showed that age is merely a number. It was Salute to Service Night on Wednesday at Protective Stadium and by the end of the match, the Birmingham Legion FC players and fans were saluting the 38-year-old goalkeeper who turned in a vintage performance for his 50th clean sheet in USL Championship play as the Three Sparks held an attacking-minded Charleston Battery squad to a 0-0 draw.

Even so, the veteran felt his side could’ve had grabbed a win if the overall play was a little bit cleaner.

“I don’t really think about the personal achievements,” Van Oekel said afterwards. “Sure, it’s cool and all, but my goal here is to get this club wins and hopefully some silverware down the line. In the end, we didn’t do enough on the night to get three points, so we have to continue to work towards that.”

Van Oekel posted five saves on the night and it seemed like every one of them took every ounce of his athleticism to do so.

He did not have much time to ease into the match, thanks to an eighth minute save where he left his feet to punch away a dangerous set piece whipped in by Charleston’s Juan Torres. Van Oekel would be called into action 26 minutes later, winning a one-on-one battle in the box with MD Myers, who snuck past the backline but wasn’t able to get one by the charging keeper.

“I thought he was fantastic,” said Legion FC coach Mark Briggs. “In the first half they had some really good chances and he stood up big for us with big saves.”

Van Oekel’s heroics was the highlight on an evening where the Legion FC defense made it very difficult for the Battery to resort to its usual goal-scoring prowess. Despite leading the match with 13 shots — six of which came inside the box, Charleston’s expected goals metric (0.63) was only slightly better than Birmingham’s (0.52) on seven shots.

The league’s leading goal scorer, Cal Jennings, was only able to muster two total shots on the evening as Charleston was kept off the scoresheet for just the third time this season.

“A lot of credit to Matt, we did really well on the defensive end,” noted Birmingham defender Phanuel Kavita who made his 250th USL-C regular season appearance. “The biggest thing in going up against a team that rotates well on the ball is to stay organized and disciplined. Keeping that structure is what helped us in this game and in the end we did a decent job in getting a zero.”

Unfortunately, the Birmingham attack was unable to find that breakthrough goal on the other end as its only shot on target on Wednesday occurred in the second minute of second half stoppage time via Preston Tabort Etaka.

The final ball appeared to be lacking for the home side as Legion FC completed only 58% of its 81 passes in the final third.

“When you play against good teams, you can’t afford to be sloppy,” explained Briggs. “We were sloppy when our opportunities came. It’s not good enough, because when you work hard just to create those moments, you’ve got to be ruthless in those moments.”

It marked the sixth time in 15 league matches that Legion FC was unable to find the back of the net. Despite that, Kavita feels a tide could be turning, especially as the defense continues to thwart opposing chances on the other end.

“The goals will come,” he said. “They put in work in each and every day. Sometimes it takes a lucky bounce to grab that momentum. We just got to keep going and continuing to do the right things will eventually lead to success.”

NEXT UP
Having just finished its second game in five days, the congested schedule continues for Birmingham as it now heads up to New England for a date with Rhode Island FC on Saturday, July 5.

“We’re doing our best to get them as fresh and ready as we can,” Briggs said. “It’s going to be a difficult trip against a very well-coached team and one that we haven’t been successful against since they’ve began. There’s a lot of things there that should give our players a little hunger and desire.”

Following the Rhode Island matchup, Legion FC will remain on the road for a little while longer with a trip to North Carolina FC on July 11 before returning to Protective Stadium on July 19 to welcome the defending champion Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. Tickets for that match are available.

USL JAGERMEISTER CUP | GROUP 3	1ST HALF	2ND HALF	FINAL
BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (2W-0L-1D | 7 PTS)	0	1	1 (6)
INDY ELEVEN (2W-0L-1D | 8 PTS)	1	0	1 (7)

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Entering Saturday night at Michael A. Carroll Stadium, the stage was set for a thrilling affair with both Birmingham Legion FC and Indy Eleven undefeated in the 2025 USL Jagermeister Cup through two matches. The two sides lived up to the lofty billing in a 1-1 draw that saw Legion FC equalize in the final minutes of regulation, followed by eight rounds of penalty kicks with Indy grabbing the extra point in the end.

“I told them in the locker room that I’m so proud with how they performed,” said Birmingham coach Mark Briggs. “The quality they showed, the intensity and the amount of opportunities that we created was great, but you have to win matches and if you don’t score goals, you won’t win.”

While the defeat in penalties was not the ideal outcome, Birmingham’s chances of winning Group 3 and advancing to the knockout stage of the in-season tournament are still strong. With one last group match at home against Forward Madison FC on July 26, Legion FC sits at seven points, just one behind Indy for first place, and is also in good standing for locking up one of the two second place wild card spots.

It appeared for the longest time that it would be the Eleven taking all three points in the match and locking up first place, if not for a stoppage time goal off of a free kick by Preston Tabort Etaka to even things up.

It was the final of Birmingham’s 21 shots on the evening and its seventh on-target that finally found a path past Indy goalkeeper Hunter Sulte.

“That’s the type of football we want to play,” Briggs explained. “That game should have seen us up four or five goals. The things that we asked of them, they did, we just have to really focus in on the finishing element.”

With renewed momentum heading into penalties, Legion FC quickly jumped out in front as goalkeeper Fernando Delgado made a diving stop on an attempt by Romario Williams.

The two sides would then trade goals through to the fifth round of kicks where Ronaldo Damus’ chance to end the match was denied by Sulte. After both sides converted a pair of sudden death opportunities, Indy sealed things in the 8th round with Erik Centeno’s shot denied after Josh O’Brien converted.

“That’s the way it goes sometimes, it’s just the toss of a coin,” Briggs said. “There were some good penalties from us. It was a lot like the game where we were unbelievable but were unable to take our chances.”

While proud of the overall performance, Legion FC is lamenting a couple of missed opportunities that could have seen the match won in regulation.

Birmingham finished regulation with an expected goals metric of 2.54 to the Eleven’s 0.88. Additionally, Birmingham controlled the match from outset with 63.5% of the possession and recorded six big chances, but was having its issues getting the ball past Sulte, who made six saves, none bigger than a pair of point-blank shots from Danny Trejo in the 22nd and 49th minutes.

“It is frustrating because the goals scored in this tournament or so important and we created a lot of opportunities,” noted Briggs. “The adjustments, the team took well and our movement and quality of possession of the ball was very good, but the finishing, we’ve got to score goals. As a coach, I understand that it’s the last thing that comes. For 90 minutes, they played the football that I want us to play and they looked like they enjoyed it, and that’s why I’m proud of them.”

The Eleven finished the match with just nine total shots, but opened the scoring in the 28th minute as O’Brien headed in a cross from Oliver Bryneus.

NEXT UP
Legion FC jumps back into the USL Championship regular season quickly as it returns home on Wednesday to face a stout Charleston Battery side.

“Charleston are one of the best teams in the league,” said Briggs. “They’ll come to our place this week and we’ll get the guys ready and prepared and we’ll see how that games goes.”

Kickoff from Protective Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available to purchase for a special Salute to Service Night match that will include a flyover at the culmination of the national anthem and a fireworks show immediately following the match. More surprises will be announced on bhmlegion.com and the Legion FC social media channels.

USL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 14	1ST HALF	2ND HALF	FINAL
OAKLAND ROOTS SC (4W-8L-2D | 14 PTS)	0	1	1
BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (3W-7L-4D | 13 PTS)	0	0	0

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An early second half foul proved costly for Birmingham Legion FC as converted penalty was the difference in a 1-0 loss to Oakland Roots SC on Saturday night at Protective Stadium.

“The second half was embarrassing,” said Birmingham coach Mark Briggs. “It was shocking and it nothing to do with tactics, but everything to do with hunger and desire. We show it on Wednesday night and think we can just turn up and play. I’m frustrated.”

Despite beginning the match on the front foot from the start of the match and through the majority of the first half, Legion FC found it difficult to create many scoring chances with just six total shots and 49 entries into the final third.

The same was the case for Oakland, however one sequence in the 53rd minute changed the complexion of the contest. Following a turnover at midfield, Roots SC’s Morey Doner ignited a rare break down the right side. As the Birmingham defense scrambled to get back, Doner picked out the second run of Ali Elmasnaouy, who was then taken down in the box from behind by Edwin Laszo.

Kai Greene converted the ensuing spot kick for the only score of the evening.

“We weren’t keeping possession to create opportunities,” Briggs said. “It would be one or two passes and then we’d give it away. Those standards have to be higher. These things aren’t acceptable.”

Birmingham completed 75.6% of its passes on Saturday, but just 66.9% of it passes in the attacking half of the field.

The home side tallied two shots on target with the first coming in the 28th minute from Danny Trejo with an effort destined for the lower left corner if not for a diving save by Kendall McIntosh.

The Oakland keeper then thwarted another Legion FC in the 89th minute when Tyler Pasher got found some space off a short corner and laced one from distance that again required a diving save.

“We looked tired, but that’s not an excuse,” said Briggs of his team that has played three matches in the past week. “Yes, your legs are tired, yes your body is tired, but you should never get tired up here (pointing to his head). Tonight, we didn’t have anything.”

Following Wednesday’s win over Sacramento Republic, Birmingham went with just one change on Saturday with Enzo Martinez starting in place of Pasher, who later subbed on the 60th minute.

Also coming off the bench was forward Sebastian Saucedo in the 75th minute for his Legion FC debut after signing with the club earlier in the week.

NEXT UP
Legion FC must now regroup as it takes a brief break from USL Championship play as it travels to Indy Eleven next Saturday, June 28, for a pivotal match in the 2025 USL Jagermeister Cup. Both teams currently are tied on points with six in Group 3, with Indy’s +5 goal differential leading Birmingham’s +3.

“As a staff, we’ve got to be consistent with our message and standards,” said Briggs. “We have to continue to try and put guys in spots to be successful, but you can’t go on the field and do it for them.”

The Three Sparks return home on July 2 for a special Salute to Service Night match against Charleston Battery that will feature fireworks as part of the festivities. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and tickets can be purchased HERE.

USL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 13	1ST HALF	2ND HALF	FINAL
SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC (3W-4L-5D | 14 PTS)	0	0	0
BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (3W-6L-4D | 13 PTS)	0	1	1

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A day that began with torrential rains at Protective Stadium ended with torrential cheers at Protective Stadium. On what ended up being the final kick of the match, Birmingham Legion FC’s Sebastian Tregarthen provided a magic moment in the Magic City with a stoppage time goal to give his club a thrilling 1-0 victory over Sacramento Republic FC on Wednesday night.

“That was awesome,” Tregarthen said of his first goal in USL Championship play and second with Legion FC this season. “Honestly, these are the moments I dream about and I wanted to score so badly at Protective in front of all our fans.

“I kind of manifested it.”

It was a goal that came with so much emotion from the first-year player from Uruguay, that it somehow did the impossible and made Legion FC coach Mark Briggs’ first home victory with the club take a backseat, despite it being against a team that he used to coach.

“For where we’ve been and the results we’ve had, this was a perfect moment,” Briggs said. “I’m so pleased for the guys because they deserved that tonight.”

Staring down a 0-0 draw in a match where it seemed to deserve more than just a point, Legion FC took all three in the blink of an eye.

Having to defend a corner in the final minute of second half stoppage time, defender Jake Rufe saw the potential for a match-winning counter if his team won the first ball, which is exactly what Tiago Suarez did, and the break was on.

“We felt the energy when Tiago got that ball,” recalled Rufe. “From that moment on it was all hands on deck, just go, go, go.”

Off of Suarez’ header, Enzo Martinez received the ball and started driving towards midfield before playing it out wide to Preston Tabort Etaka down the right side. From there, Legion FC found themselves in a three-on-two advantage with Tyler Pasher towards the middle, while Tregarthen sprinted up the left flank. Pasher then cut across towards the right corner flag and Tabort Etaka laid it off to him.

“You see it developing and you realize something can happen,” noted Phanuel Kavita who watched it unfold from the other end of the pitch. “We knew we could win this match and said we’re not leaving without three points.”

As Tregarthen made a free run into the box, Pasher picked him out with a left-footed cross. It was placed perfectly as Tregarthen put his right foot on it, powering the ball by helpless Sacramento goalkeeper Danny Vitiello. The young winger then ran to the corner, greeted by a big bear hug from Pasher, followed by a mob from the rest of his teammates.

“I just put my foot there and hoped for the best,” laughed Tregarthen. “I didn’t have a good game up to that point, and I just told myself to not think about it. We’re human beings, we all make mistakes. My teammates kept telling me ‘next one, Seba, next one,’ I knew I had to control my emotions because they believed in me.”

While Tregarthen’s buzzer-beating goal was more than a reason enough to celebrate, so too was the fact that those heroics were set up by the first clean sheet posted by the club this season. Utilizing three centerbacks in the backline for a second straight match, the Three Sparks gave a glimpse in what the new formation could become, holding Sacramento to just five total shots, with only two on target.

“It’s a process and we’re currently seeing it take place,” explained Briggs who first debuted the formation change last weekend at Louisville City FC. “It’s moving in the direction that we want it to move. I’m just proud of the player tonight, but also proud of the fans.

“There was an atmosphere tonight in that stadium. There was an extra energy, so they helped us in a big way.”

NEXT UP
With the signature win in tow, Legion FC will now look to build off of it in a big way as it gets set to host Oakland Roots SC at Protective Stadium on Saturday.

“To get a win like that in the last minute, it can change a lot going forward,” said Briggs. “You saw emotions from everyone release. That’s why the sport is awesome and we look forward to doing it again.”

Tickets for the June 21 match are still available. A youth soccer clinic, led by players from Birmingham Legion FC 2, will take place prior to kickoff. Registration is free with a purchased match ticket.

USL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 12	1ST HALF	2ND HALF	FINAL
BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (2W-6L-4D | 10 PTS)	1	1	2
LOUISVILLE CITY FC (9W-0L-4D | 31 PTS)	3	1	4

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Despite jumping out to an early lead, Birmingham Legion FC was unable to sustain the fast start on the road, as the Three Sparks fell to Louisville City FC, 4-2, on Saturday night at Lynn Family Stadium.

“It was about a lack of game management,” Legion FC coach Mark Briggs said. “You look at their goals and the majority of them came from individual errors that cost us. We have to manage games better.”

After holding a 1-0 advantage through the opening 29 minutes, Legion FC saw it evaporate as its USL Championship leading opponents answered back with two goals in two minutes to flip the momentum. After putting his side up 2-1 in the 30th minute, Louisville forward Phillip Goodrum removed all doubt by later completing a hat trick before subbing off midway through the second half.

“It’s demoralizing,” noted Briggs on losing the lead and falling behind so quickly. “We have to show a better mentality and be better focused in understanding that after just conceding a goal, the momentum of a game is now switched. We don’t want to give them more momentum, but that’s exactly what we did.”

Back on the field for the first time in 10 days, Legion FC used the time off in between matches to work on a new formation with five on the backline that it debuted on Saturday.

It appeared to be working at the start with Birmingham not only controlling the possession, but controlling it in its attacking half. That was validated in the 15th minute when midfielder Edwin Laszo grabbed the ball in transition with space and rocketed a shot from distance. The ball ricocheted off of Ronaldo Damus at the top of the box before nestling into the corner of the net for the weirdest of his club-best six goals in USL-C play.

Unfortunately, Louisville would draw even 14 minutes later on a goal by Amadou Dia, followed by a quick turnover off the ensuing kickoff and Goodrum getting in behind the backline to slot the go-ahead goal by Legion FC goalkeeper Fernando Delgado.

“I was hoping it was going to make us a little more solid, but obviously we conceded four goal,” explained Briggs of Goodrum’s outing. “It’s a difficult result to swallow, there were some positives from it particularly early on, but we have to understand where we are and what it’s going to take to get where we need to be.”

Goodrum would then double his total right before halftime after he finished a one-time shot off of a deflected Birmingham pass in the back. He would then complete the hat trick in the 58th minute by heading home a corner kick from Taylor Davila, who provided the assist on all three of teammate’s goals on Saturday.

Legion FC would grab one back in the 90th minute as Danny Trejo played a dangerous ball into the box from the right side that was redirected into the net by Louisville’s Carlos Moguel for an own goal.

The shot tally between the two teams was fairly equal with Birmingham putting five shots on target to Louisville’s seven, however the home side converted on its first three.

“It’s their work rate and their mentality,” said Briggs. “That’s why they are at the top of the league because they have players that have that ruthless mentality and that’s something that we need to find as a group.”

Making his first start in USL-C play this season and fourth overall, Delgado recorded three saves on the evening including an acrobatic effort in the 78th minute to deny LCFC forward Rey Serrano by diving to his left to push a shot out of play.

Following a preseason injury, Legion FC defender AJ Paterson was available for the first time in 2025 and entered the match in the 67th minute for Tiago Suarez. After making his international debut last week with Rwanda, Phanuel Kavita returned to the starting lineup on Saturday and played the full 90 minutes, while Ramiz Hamouda — who was also on international duty with the USA U-17’s — substituted on in the 78th minute.

NEXT UP
Legion FC does not have much time to think about the recent defeat as it now turns its attention to a pair of home matches next week, beginning with a meeting on Wednesday at Protective Stadium against Sacramento Republic FC, who Briggs managed from 2019-204.

“We have to get our minds back and our bodies back,” Briggs said of the upcoming matches. “We have to rebuild our confidence and get moving forward.”

Kickoff for the June 18 match is set for 7:00 p.m. with tickets still available. Birmingham will then welcome Oakland Roots SC on Saturday, June 19. A free youth soccer clinic will be held prior to that match with more info and registration HERE.