What to Watch for as LouCity Hosts Birmingham Legion FC

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USL Louisville City FC

What to Watch for as LouCity Hosts Birmingham Legion FC

June 13, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Louisville City FC News Release


Louisville City FC forward Ray Serrano
Louisville City FC forward Ray Serrano
(Louisville City FC, Credit: Chris Carter)

What's left to do after exacting revenge against the team that cut your dream season short? Complete a rare nine-point week.

That's the goal for first-place Louisville City FC (8-0-4, 28 points) as the boys in purple host Birmingham Legion FC (2-5-4, 10 points) to end a three-game, week-long home stand at Lynn Family Stadium. Kickoff between the two Eastern Conference foes is set for 8 p.m. Saturday.

LouCity won its first two games of the week, most recently by a 2-1 margin against Rhode Island FC, the team that upended No. 1 seed Louisville in the 2024 playoffs. Louisville also took down the Tampa Bay Rowdies last Saturday by a 2-1 score.

Birmingham sits outside the East's playoff positions in 10th place after failing to find any consistency in league play, earning points in back-to-back games just once this season. In fact, the club just earned its ninth (and 10th) points of the season on May 24, in a 2-1 win over Miami FC.

The Legion are on their second coach of the season after the club showed longtime boss Tom Soehn the door in April. Mark Briggs is now in charge, arriving to Alabama after eight successful seasons in the USL Championship, most recently with Sacramento Republic where he led the club to the U.S. Open Cup Final in 2019. Briggs won the 2017 Players' Shield with Real Monarchs.

A core of players remains with Birmingham, including veterans Enzo Martinez, Phanuel Kavita and Tyler Pasher. This season, Legion FC has relied on a newcomer, though: Ronaldo Damus has scored a team-high five goals. The 25-year-old Haitian international joined the club on loan from GIF Sundsvall of Sweden this year. He spent last season with Colorado Springs Switchbacks, where he won a USL Championship title.

Saturday's game is Nonprofit Night at Lynn Family Stadium with local organizations that drive positive change in our communities present on the stadium concourse starting when gates open at 6:30 p.m. For tickets and more information, visit LouCity.com/nonprofit.

Follow Along

- The game will air live locally on MyTV 58 and ESPN Louisville's AM 680/FM 105.7.

- If streaming, download the free WDRB+ app to watch the local feed in Louisville or ESPN+ for national coverage.

- For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter. Also, find the club at louisvillecityfc on Instagram and Louisville City FC on Facebook.

Story Lines...

Still undefeated: LouCity is now unbeaten in 12 USL Championship regular season games to start the year, the longest season-opening streak in club history. But, Louisville still has some work to do to catch its best-ever unbeaten run. Louisville City went 11-0-6 over 17 games in 2016.

Leveling up: After a career year in 2024, forward Ray Serrano is finding another level in 2025. The 23-year-old had a career-best eight goals last season. Now in his eighth pro campaign, Serrano has already scored five goals in league play, including goals in back-to-back games. He had the winner against Rhode Island in the 63rd minute.

Possession is not nine-tenths of the law: In 12 league games this year, LouCity has won the possession battle just three times and is winless in those games at 0-0-3. Meanwhile, when LouCity concedes more ball control to its opponents the club is 8-0-1. All time under Danny Cruz, LouCity is 44-12-12 in games in which it was out-possessed.

Until we meet again: Saturday will be LouCity's last home league game for more than a month. The boys in purple will hit the road for two games, then return home for a USL Jägermeister Cup game versus North Carolina FC on June 28. The next USL Championship regular season game in Butchertown will be on July 19, when FC Tulsa comes to town.

When I left you, I was but the learner: Danny Cruz played for Mark Briggs at Real Monarchs in 2017, then joined his coaching staff upon retirement. The pair have faced one another three times with Cruz holding the edge 2-1-0.

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Images from this story

Louisville City FC forward Ray Serrano
Louisville City FC forward Ray Serrano
(Chris Carter)		   



United Soccer League Championship Stories from June 13, 2025


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