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USL Birmingham Legion FC

Stoppage-Time Heroics from Jonny 'Hotlinks' Dean Seals 2-1 Win at Indy Eleven

July 24, 2021 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Birmingham Legion FC News Release


Birmingham Legion FC goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg
Birmingham Legion FC goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg
(Birmingham Legion FC)

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Legion FC pull off the road sweep over Central Division foes Indy Eleven with a 2-1 win thanks to a stoppage-time goal by right back Jonny Dean, who also assisted the other second half goal, scored by midfielder Prosper Kasim in the 54th minute.

After a bye week and some well-deserved time off, Legion FC came out pressing the issue in the first half, finishing off the half that Head Coach Tommy Soehn called "one of the best we've played" with an edge in possession, and eight to one lead in shots, and general control of the match despite, the 0-0 score line.

Prosper Kasim, who finished the game with the most shots by a player on either team with five, opened the scoring early in the second half with a left-footed strike that found the bottom corner of the net in the 54th minute. Dean got to the edge of the box on the right and slipped a pass to Kasim at the top of the area where the Ghanaian opened up and set himself up perfectly with a first touch that erased a defender before burying the shot.

Indy took the majority of possession for the rest of the contest, probing for an equalizer, and found one in the 77th minute when midfielder Ayoze swung in a cross from the left that found substitute forward Jordan Hamilton. Unfortunately for Legion FC defender Phanuel Kavita and goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg, who seemed to have that far post covered, the header from Hamilton skipped off of Kavita and in for an own goal. In his first start of the season, Spangenberg ended the match with three saves, including one huge, diving save late in the second half.

Legion FC continued pressing into extra time, when substitute forward Neco Brett got onto the ball in the box and had a shot that was blocked. Dean then pounced on the rebound and unleashed a missile first time into the back of the net to earn his side the victory.

"I think I was able to bring attacking moments tonight because we played well in possession as a team which allowed me time to get in higher positions," said Dean. "I picked my moments to go and fortunately tonight it paid off. The goal happened pretty fast to be honest, I was in the right spot and laid it off to Neco [Brett] and then fortunately it popped back out to me and in my head, I said 'I'm going to hit this' and luckily I struck it well and it went in."

Coach Soehn was pleased with his team's performance, and glad the effort shown throughout lead to the three points earned at the end.

"I think it's just more of the same, and make sure we don't change what were doing," said Soehn when asked about the message at halftime. "I think the guys did a pretty good job up until the first goal, and then we put so much into getting the goal that it kind of felt like we lost our legs a little bit and they [Indy Eleven] started to take more control. But this group can grind, and when it's time, they stepped it up again, got one back, and grabbed a really important three points to follow up a really good performance.

"Today was the usual Jonny [Dean], putting in the effort. He's never short on that. Today, the way the system went, he was able to come from deeper spots and run at people, and that's when Jonny's at his best. Credit to him, he was able to put a name on one, and finished off the other one."

Box Score:

1st Half 2nd Half

IND 0 1

BHM 0 2

Goals:

BHM -54' - #10 Prosper Kasim (assisted by #24 Jonny Dean) VIDEO

IND - 77' - OG (Phanuel Kavita)

BHM - 90+1' - #24 Jonny Dean VIDEO

Starting Lineups:

IND - 4-2-3-1 - #13 Eric Dick; #19 Rece Buckmaster (63' - #10 Gordon Wild), #20 Karl Ouimette, #3 AJ Cochran, #2 Patrick Seagrist; #6 Jeremiah Gutjahr (63' - #22 Jordan Hamilton), #5 Jared Timmer; #17 Nick Moon, #27 Nicky Law, #7 Ayoze © (86' - #98 Peter-Lee Vassell); #29 Manuel Arteaga

BHM - 4-4-2 - #18 Trevor Spangenberg; #24 Jonny Dean, #21 Alex Crognale, #3 Phanuel Kavita ©, #7 Ryan James; #27 Thomas Vancaeyezeele, #6 Anderson Asiedu, #5 Mikey Lopez, #10 Prosper Kasim (60' - #12 Eli Crognale); #23 JJ Williams, #17 Jaden Servania (73' - #11 Neco Brett)

Stats: Legion FC Match Center

Legion FC will be back at BBVA Field next weekend to face Atlanta United 2 on Saturday, July 31 at 6:30PM, and then back again midweek on Wednesday, August 4, at 7:00PM.

Everybody Wins on Wednesdays with Legion FC, and that includes on August 4th! Join us for one-dollar hotdogs, two-dollar beers, and a post-game firework show. Contact the Legion FC Ticket Office at 205-600-4635 or tickets@bhmlegion.com with any questions.

Check out the Birmingham Legion FC Statistics




Images from this story

Jonny Dean of Birmingham Legion FC (right)
Jonny Dean of Birmingham Legion FC (right)
 Mikey Lopez of Birmingham Legion FC
Mikey Lopez of Birmingham Legion FC
 Birmingham Legion FC goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg
Birmingham Legion FC goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg



United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 24, 2021


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