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USL Birmingham Legion FC

Match Preview: Legion FC V. Charlotte Independence

July 26, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Birmingham Legion FC News Release


MATCH INFO:

Birmingham Legion FC vs. Charlotte Independence

Saturday, July 27 - 7:00PM CT Kickoff - BBVA Field, Birmingham, AL

Watch - My 68, ESPN+

Legion FC looks to ride the momentum from a two-game winning streak into Saturday's contest against one of the hottest teams in the league, the Charlotte Independence. The first time these two teams faced off, Charlotte ran away with it, but this time around BHM are ready for the opportunity to even the score.

Head Coach Tom Soehn said, "I can see the excitement in our guys' eyes that we've got payback to give. I think we're in a much better place coming into the game."

When asked what to look out for when playing the Independence, Soehn said, "they have a couple key elements - they counter really fast, Enzo provides a spark as their #10, and they have speed on the flanks, so we're going to have to account for that and make sure we're buttoned up for that. But we also know they have some vulnerabilities, and we've been able to highlight those so now it's up to us to execute and find those weaknesses."

Charlotte Independence currently sits in 10th place in the USL Championship Eastern Conference standings - the last playoff spot. The team is one of the hottest in the league, having not lost since June 2, a run of eight matches where they picked up points.

The Independence's struggles this season have come on the road, where they are 0-8-3. As a team they have scored 26 goals this season and given up 31 but on the road that ratio is 8:16. Dominic Oduro leads the team in goals, with six, but Enzo Martinez is the engine of the attack, leading the team in assists (6), shots (37), and chances created (41).

Forward JJ Williams is looking forward to the contest. When asked how the team is preparing in training, he said, "We've done a lot of scouting and they're a good team. Especially since they're a few points ahead of us in the table, so a win against them would be really good for us to get back in the race."

"That's a team that's going to punish you. Earlier in the year when we played, we talked about how turnovers were a big thing - you're going to struggle if you have that. So, playing through pressure is going to be a big thing, but also not forcing it if it's not on. Come up to me and [#7] Brian [Wright] and we're going to deal with it and get out of that pressure a little bit easier. I think we're going to match up well and hopefully get a result."

#9 Chandler Hoffman ruptured his PCL on July 13 and is out the remainder of the season. #17 Gael Mabiala is the only other player unavailable for selection, as he recovers from an ankle sprain, per the UAB Medicine injury report. All four of Legion FC's loanee's, #7 Brian Wright, Williams, #21 Zach Herivaux, and #27 Eddie Opoku are all in Birmingham and available to play.

BHM heads to Canada next week as the squad hits the road again to play at Ottawa on Friday, August 2 at 6:00PM CT. Follow @bhmlegion on Twitter for live game updates, and watch live on ESPN+.

The next Legion FC home game takes place on Saturday, August 17 at BBVA Field versus fellow USL Championship expansion side Memphis 901 FC at 7:00PM. Tickets are available at bhmlegion.com/tickets or by calling the Legion FC Ticket Office at 205-600-4635.

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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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