Birmingham Legion FC Unable to Keep Pace in Louisville Loss

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USL Birmingham Legion FC

Birmingham Legion FC Unable to Keep Pace in Louisville Loss

June 14, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Birmingham Legion FC News Release


Birmingham Legion FC's Erik Centeno and Louisville City FC's Amadou Dia in action
Birmingham Legion FC's Erik Centeno and Louisville City FC's Amadou Dia in action
(Birmingham Legion FC)

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.

Check out the Birmingham Legion FC Statistics




Images from this story

Birmingham Legion FC's Erik Centeno and Louisville City FC's Amadou Dia in action
Birmingham Legion FC's Erik Centeno and Louisville City FC's Amadou Dia in action
   



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