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USL Birmingham Legion FC

Legion FC V. New York Red Bulls II - Wednesday, 7:00 Pm

October 15, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Birmingham Legion FC News Release


MATCH INFO:

Birmingham Legion FC vs New York Red Bulls II

Wednesday, October 16 - 7:00 PM Kickoff - BBVA Field, Birmingham, AL

Watch - My68, ESPN+

Legion FC looks to take a crucial step towards making the playoffs as the club plays host to New York Red Bulls II.

BHM has nine shutouts and has gone 8-3-4 in its last 15 matches but is still tied for the last spot in the postseason with two matches left. When asked about the playoff push, Head Coach Tommy Soehn said, "the whole season is a tale of different stories, right down to the end, where there's a couple playoff spots up for grabs. We talked a lot this week about how much it means for us, and the opportunity we have now that a couple teams have slipped up and given us a chance to take it. Everyone knows what's at stake, and hopefully now in front of the home crowd we can shore that up and make it a special moment."

New York currently sits in 5th place in the Eastern Conference standings and is still fighting for a top four finish and home first round playoff game. This match was postponed and rescheduled due to inclement weather on April 6, but the fixture at NY in May finished 5-0 for the home side.

Red Bulls lean on a top-tier attack, currently second in the league in goals for with 70, to help prop up an average defense that has allowed 42 goals this campaign. Midfielder Jared Stroud has been the attacking fulcrum for his team, and he's tenth in USL in goals (14), sixth in assists (9), and fourth in shots (79) and chances created (86). He's supported by midfielder Chris Lema, who leads the USL in chances created with 89, and by the team's second and third leading scorers, Tom Barlow (11) and Mathias Jorgensen (10).

When asked about the Red Bulls, Soehn said, "they high press quite a bit, and if you play into that you're going to be in trouble, because they do a really good job of it. So, we're going to have to look to bypass some lines and try to press them to force them into tough spots. We're at our best when we are forcing turnovers and creating chances from there."

Midfielder Daniel Johnson echoed his coach by saying, "from top to bottom, Red Bulls as a club has an incredible culture. Even if you look at the way that Red Bull Salzburg [in Austria] or Red Bull Leipzig [in Germany] play, it's a philosophy that they keep through their academy and up. They play narrow, they press hard, they press high, and they play at a really high tempo. They want to win the ball in tough areas, and they want to go, immediately."

"It's tough because the fact that every [Red Bulls] team does that means that guys come up or down and [the style of play] doesn't change. So, that's a big challenge because obviously with MLS affiliates you never know who they're bringing down. The lineups may change and preparing is a little difficult in terms of personnel, which is why I think a big part of this week is just focusing on us, and our game plan, and how we're going to approach it rather than trying to game plan for them, because you just never know."

#9 Chandler Hoffman (ruptured PCL), #13 Tyler Savitsky (groin), #16 Daigo Kobayashi (knee), #22 Mathieu Laurent (torn ACL), and #27 Eddie Opoku (ankle) remain out for Legion FC, per the VIVA Health injury report. No one on the Birmingham roster is unavailable for selection due to suspension, but #21 Zach Herivaux is on international duty and playing in the CONCACAF Nations League with the Haitian National Team.

Even with a couple key pieces still absent, and a top team in the East coming to town, Johnson feels confident in his squad. He explained that "we've grown immensely since April. It's night and day, and we're a completely different team. It's funny because by and large it'll be the same guys on the field, but we've been able to come together over the past few months, hit that unbeaten stretch after the July 4th break, cement our identity and figure out the type of team that we wanted to be, and carry that forward. We were still in the midst of figuring that out when we played [Red Bulls] in April, so I think if in any way shape or form they are expecting a similar team then they are in for a rude awakening."

For live game updates, follow along on Twitter @bhmlegion, or watch live on My68 or ESPN+.

Legion FC returns home for the final 2019 regular season match on Sunday, as the team takes on Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at 4:30 pm. Tickets are available at bhmlegion.com/tickets or by calling the Legion FC Ticket Office at 205-791-7145.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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