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USL Birmingham Legion FC

Match Preview: Legion FC vs. Hartford Athletic

June 21, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Birmingham Legion FC News Release


Legion FC are back home again in USL Championship play for a match up at BBVA Field against Hartford Athletic on Saturday at 7:00PM CT. A tough run of games leaves the club a few spots below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference and pushing for a win to right the ship.

Head Coach Tommy Soehn said the team has been focusing on a couple keys for this game, explaining that, "We've got to possess the ball well. I think one of Hartford's assets is their set piece play. They've got a couple big guys that have scored goals for them, so one, it's not giving them set pieces where they can hurt you and two, spraying the ball around to make those big guys work hard. The more hard work they have to do, the more we'll open them up. So, we have to be patient with the buildup but also recognize that when we open them up that we can quick attack them."

"Getting a couple guys back, like Kyle (Fisher), helps a lot, but now we have to become harder to play against. We're trying to press a little bit higher, but we've got to find a lead, so that we open up teams instead of getting opened up because we're chasing games. Getting that first goal, especially this weekend, is going to be vital in how we start the game. It helps a lot that they replaced the turf, and the guys are excited to play at home."

Hartford Athletic are in a similar situation to Legion FC, and sit in 17th in the league table, on nine points. The start of the season was a struggle for Hartford, going winless in their first ten games, but have since only lost one of five, with two wins and two draws.

The Athletic are led in the attack by the 2013 USL Championship MVP, #9 Jose Angulo, whose three goals, two assists, and 22 shots all are tops on the team. Defender Sam de Wit also is the fulcrum at the back and leads the team in passes, tackles, interceptions, and blocks from his center back spot.

When asked about preparing for this week's opponent, #10 Prosper Kasim said, "Training has been good so far as we get prepared for our game on Saturday. Everyone's doing a good job working really hard and together to get a result. This is a game that we need to go all out, especially playing at home. I think we need to give our fans something. We've been training so hard to try and do whatever it takes to win at home."

For Legion FC, #4 Marcel Appiah (calf), #33 Kyle Culbertson (hamstring), and #88 Femi Hollinger-Janzen (adductor) are questionable to play due to injury, per the VIVA Health injury report. #11 JJ Williams has been recalled to MLS by the Columbus Crew, and #21 Zach Herivaux has joined the Haitian National Team on an international call-up for this summer's Gold Cup.

Follow @bhmlegion on Twitter for more info and live game updates, and watch live on ESPN+ HERE.

Legion FC hits the road again for a two-game road trip starting at Indy Eleven on Wednesday, June 26 at 7:00pm CT, and the match with air live on ESPN+. The squad then are back home for the whole month of July, starting against North Carolina FC on July 13. 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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