NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



Birmingham Legion FC

Legion FC's Eli Crognale Named to USL Championship's Team of the Week

August 18, 2020 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Birmingham Legion FC News Release


BIRMINGHAM, AL - The USL Championship announced the Team of the Week Presented by Cleer Audio for Week 8 of the 2020 regular season on Tuesday, and Legion FC midfielder Eli Crognale earned a spot in the starting lineup.

Crognale, 22, won nine out of ten duels, tallied five interceptions, made one key pass, and completed 21 of his 27 attempted passes in Legion FC's 2-0 win over North Carolina FC on August 15. The midfielder has impressed in his 400+ minutes of play to kick off his rookie season, providing quality as both a starter and coming off the bench. Crognale's efforts on both ends of the pitch in Legion FC's 1-1 draw with the Charlotte Independence and 2-0 victory over NCFC has cemented his role as an important piece in Tom Soehn's side.

The Championship's Player of the Week is selected by the USL National Media Panel, which is made up of representatives from each media market in the Championship.

USL Championship Team of the Week - Week 8

GK - Evan Newton, Indy Eleven: Newton recorded a three-save shutout - the 50th in the regular season in his Championship career - that included a crucial penalty kick save in a 1-0 win against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.

D - Darnell King, Phoenix Rising FC: King scored once and had two shots on goal among four shots overall, made two interceptions and recoveries and completed 23 of 30 passes in Rising FC's 2-0 win against San Diego Loyal SC.

D - Ashkanov Apollon, Sacramento Republic FC: Appolon helped Republic FC claim back-to-back victories on the week as he recorded 16 recoveries, won 12 of 20 duels and complete 49 of 57 passes against Reno 1868 FC and Tacoma Defiance.

D - Austin Yearwood, New Mexico United: Yearwood put in a solid defensive shift as New Mexico earned a shutout win on the road in Colorado Springs, winning 5 of 7 duels, completing 46 of 56 passes and two tackles and two clearances.

M - Eli Crognale, Birmingham Legion FC: Crognale put in a strong two-way performance in Legion FC's victory against North Carolina FC, winning 9 of 10 duels, recording five interceptions and six recoveries while recording one key pass and completing 21 of 27 passes overall.

M - Aodhan Quinn, Orange County SC: Quinn scored in both games as OCSC took victories against San Diego Loyal SC and Las Vegas Lights FC while completing 95 of 119 passes across the two contests.

M - Zeiko Lewis, Charleston Battery: Lewis scored twice, including a stoppage-time winner to cap a three-goal comeback, while also recording four chances created and completing 28 of 38 passes overall against Atlanta United 2.

M - Xavier Baez, Austin Bold FC: Baez recorded a remarkable goal as part of an overall performance that saw him complete 30 of 35 passes, record one key pass, win 4 of 7 duels and make eight recoveries in a road draw with San Antonio FC.

F - Dane Kelly, Charlotte Independence: Kelly scored twice in two games, completed 23 of 29 passes and put five of his nine shots across the games on target as the Independence took four points over the week.

F - Dariusz Formella, Sacramento Republic FC: Formella recorded a pair of goals in Republic FC's victory against Tacoma Defiance, and was strong as well in Sacramento's win against Reno 1868 FC as he recorded five chances created and completed 26 of 34 passes over the two contests.

F - Corey Hertzog, Reno 1868 FC: Hertzog struck twice in 1868 FC's victory against the Portland Timbers 2 to move into third place all-time in the Championship with 65 goals, and completed 16 of 19 passes and one key pass in the 5-2 victory.

Bench: Frederick Due (OC), Danny Barrera (HFD), Malik Johnson (TBR), Nick Ross (ELP), Russell Cicerone (STL), Cameron Iwasa (SAC), Cameron Lancaster (LOU) (via USL Championship)

The squad is back at BBVA Field, after a deserved full week of rest, next Saturday, August 22 at 6:30PM versus rivals Memphis 901 FC. Get tickets at bhmlegion.com/tickets, by emailing tickets@bhmlegion.com, or by calling the Legion FC Ticket Office at 205-791-7145.

Check out the Birmingham Legion FC Statistics

• Discuss this story on the United Soccer League Championship message board...

United Soccer League Championship Stories from August 18, 2020


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.

OurSports Central