Early Goal Not Enough as Legion FC Falls to Indy Eleven
USL Birmingham Legion FC

Early Goal Not Enough as Legion FC Falls to Indy Eleven

Published on September 21, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Birmingham Legion FC News Release


Birmingham Legion FC with possession vs. Indy Eleven
Birmingham Legion FC with possession vs. Indy Eleven
(Birmingham Legion FC)

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - For the second time in a week, Birmingham Legion FC saw an early lead slip away as the Three Sparks dropped a 2-1 road contest to Indy Eleven on Sunday afternoon at Michael A. Carroll Stadium.

"We stopped doing the things that put us in front and that's why we lost again," Legion FC coach Mark Briggs said. "Why that keeps happening, that's for me to figure out, but this can't keep happening."

Midfielder Peter-Lee Vassell scored on a free kick in the 12th minute for his first goal with Birmingham in three matches. However, the second half woes struck Legion FC once again with Indy grabbing goals from Edward Kizza and Ben Ofeimu to claim the three points in a match that pitted a pair of teams fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive.

It marks the fourth time in the last five matches that Legion FC was unable to see out a victory after scoring the first goal, as the club looks for its first USL Championship victory since July.

"We just have got to keep going," explained Briggs. "That's too many points that we've thrown away from winning positions"

Making his second consecutive start, Vassell lined up his shot from just outside the box on the left side of the pitch after defender Jackson Travis drew a foul. The 27-year-old Jamaican unleashed a right-footed curler that beat a diving Indy Eleven goalkeeper Luke Pruter at the near post.

It was Vassell's ninth career goal as a professional and it had Legion FC going into the locker room at halftime with a 1-0 advantage.

The home side though would even things up nine minutes into the second half with Edward Kizza tapping in a pass Aodhan Quinn. Then, six minutes later, Indy's Ben Ofeimu was able to head home the go-ahead goal from a free kick in the 60th minute.

"They had no chances in the first half," noted Briggs. "We were stopping crosses and defending well, while putting them under pressure by putting balls in behind which allowed us to play in their half. In the second half, we started allowing them to put balls in the box and stopped defending. It gave them momentum."

It was the third and final shot on target from either side in the match as Legion FC made wholesale changes with Stephen Turnbull, Sebastian Tregarthen, Preston Tabort Etaka and Tyler Pasher, returning after a four-match injury absence, all coming on in the final 20 minutes to search for the equalizer that ultimately never came.

Possession between the two sides was nearly even with Indy having the slight advantage at 51.2%, while Legion FC drew six total corners to Indy's zero in the match.

USL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHDAY 25 1ST HALF 2ND HALF FINAL

BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC (4W-11L-10D | 22 PTS) 1 0 1

INDY ELEVEN (8W-12L-5D | 29 PTS) 0 2 2

LINEUPS

BHM: Delgado - GK, Daley (Tregarthen 72'), Kavita - C, Paterson, Hamouda, Travis (Turnbull 72'), McIllhatton (Pasher 72'), Vassell, McCartney (Rufe 59'), Martinez (Tabort Etaka 78'), Damus

IND: Pruter - GK, Zalinsky (White 65'), Musa, Ofeimu, Schaefer, Lindley, Murphy, Quinn - C (O'Brien 90+3'), Kizza (Rendon 77'), Williams (Collier 77'), Blake

GOALS

BHM: Vassell 12'

IND: Kizza 54'; Ofeimu 60'

DISCIPLINE

BHM: Travis (Yellow) 33'; Turnbull (Yellow) 90+3'

IND:

NEXT UP

With five matches remaining, Birmingham Legion FC remains on the road as it will travel to face San Antonio FC for a 7:30 p.m. CT kickoff on Saturday, September 27. The squad then returns to Protective Stadium to begin October with a match against North Carolina FC on the first. Kickoff for that Wednesday match is set for 7:00 p.m. CT with tickets available. Birmingham concludes its 2025 home schedule against Miami FC on October 19.

Check out the Birmingham Legion FC Statistics

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Images from this story

Birmingham Legion FC battles Indy Eleven
Birmingham Legion FC battles Indy Eleven
 Birmingham Legion FC with possession vs. Indy Eleven
Birmingham Legion FC with possession vs. Indy Eleven
  



United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 21, 2025


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