2023 Birmingham Legion FC

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The 2023 Birmingham Legion FC season was the 5th campaign for Birmingham Legion FC, representing Birmingham in the Eastern Conference of the United Soccer League's USL Championship division in 2023. It was the club's second year playing at home in Protective Stadium at the BJCC.

Tom Soehn returned for a 5th year as head coach of Birmingham Legion FC.

With a 14-16-4 record in its 34-game regular season, "Three Sparks" earned 46 points, finishing 7th in the eastern conference. The top 8 teams advanced to the playoffs. Legion defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the quarterfinal round, but fell to the Charleston Battery in the semifinals. Neco Brett was the team's top scorer, with 11 of Legion's 44 goals.

Roster

Record

Regular season (14W-16L-4D)

  • March 11: Legion FC 1 - Pittsburgh RiverHounds SC 1 at Protective Stadium
  • March 17: Legion FC 3 - FC Tulsa 2 at Protective Stadium
  • March 25: Legion FC 1 - Hartford Athletic 0 at Hartford, Connecticut
  • April 1: Legion FC 2 - Tampa Bay Rowdies 1 at St Petersburg, Florida
  • April 9: Phoenix Rising FC 2 - Legion FC 1 at Protective Stadium
  • April 15: Loudoun United FC 3 - Legion FC 0 at Leesburg, Virginia
  • April 22: Legion FC 2 - Orange County SC 1 at Irvine, California
  • April 30: Legion FC 3 - Hartford Athletic 2 at Protective Stadium
  • May 3: Miami FC 3 - Legion FC 1 at Miami, Florida
  • May 6: Oakland Roots SC 4 - Legion FC 1 at Protective Stadium
  • May 13: Pittsburgh RiverHounds 2 - Legion FC 0 at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • May 20: El Paso Locomotive FC 2 - Legion FC 1 at Protective Stadium
  • May 27: Detroit City FC 1 - Legion FC 0 at Hamtramck, Michigan
  • June 17: Legion FC 2 - Indy Eleven 1 at Protective Stadium
  • June 21: Legion FC 2 - Loudoun United 0 at Protective Stadium
  • July 1: San Antonio FC 3 - Legion FC 1 at San Antonio, Texas
  • July 8: Legion FC 3 - Las Vega Lights FC 3 at Las Vegas, Nevada
  • July 15: Legion FC 1 - Tampa Bay Rowdies 0 at Protective Stadium
  • July 22: Legion FC 2 - Louisville City FC 1 at Louisville, Kentucky
  • July 29: Charleston Batter 2 - Legion FC 1 at Protective Stadium
  • August 4: Colorado Springs Switchbacks 2 - Legion FC 1 at Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • August 9: Indy Eleven 4 - Legion FC - at Indianapolis, Indiana
  • August 12: Legion FC 1 - Sacramento Republic FC 1 at Protective Stadium
  • August 19: Legion FC 2 - Louisville City FC 0 at Protective Stadium
  • August 23: Legion FC 3 - FC Tulsa 1 at Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • August 27: Detroit City FC 3 - Legion FC 2 at Protective Stadium
  • September 3: San Diego Loyal FC 3 - Legion FC 0 at San Diego, California
  • September 10: Legion FC 1 - New Mexico United 0 at Protective Stadium
  • September 17: Rio Grande Valley Toros FC 1 - Legion FC 0 at Edinburg, Texas
  • September 20: Legion FC 1 - Memphis 901 FC 1 at Protective Stadium
  • September 23: Miami FC 2 - Legion FC 0 at Protective Stadium
  • September 30: Legion FC 2 - Memphis 901 FC 1 at Memphis, Tennessee
  • October 8: Legion FC 2 - Monterey Bay FC 0 at Protective Stadium
  • October 14: Charleston Battery 1 - Legion FC 0 at Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

USL Championship playoffs

  • Eastern Conference Quarterfinal, October 21: Legion FC 3 - Tampa Bay Rowdies 0 at St Petersburg, Florida
  • Eastern Conference Semifinal, October 28: Charleston Battery 2 - Legion FC 1 at Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

U.S. Open Cup

Legion FC beat the Chattanooga Red Wolves of USL League One 4-1 in the 2nd round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on April 5, 2023. They advanced through the 3rd round with a penalty-kick win over Chattanooga FC of the National Independent Soccer Association at the Alabama Soccer Stadium in Tuscaloosa on April 26.

In the round of 32, Legion faced its USLC Eastern Conference rival Memphis 901 FC at Protective Stadium on May 10 and came out with a 3-0 victory. On May 24 the club hosted its first match against a Major League Soccer opponent, facing Charlotte FC in the round of 16. Prosper Kasim scored in the 60th minute to give Birmingham a 1-0 victory.

18,418 fans came to Protective Stadium on June 7 for the quarter-final match against Inter Miami. The match ended with an 0-1 loss marked by a controversial no-call when Miami's Ian Fray kicked Tyler Pasher.

References

  • Goodman, Joseph (May 12, 2023) "History is here for Birmingham Legion FC against MLS club." AL.com
  • Goodman, Joseph (June 8, 2023) "The moment Birmingham fell in love with its soccer club." AL.com
  • Byington, Pat (June 8, 2023) "18K+ fans pack Protective Stadium despite Legion FC loss." Bham Now
  • Turrentine, Caleb (October 29, 2023) "Battery wins 2-1 as Legion again fall short of conference final." ABC3340.com
  • Turrentine, Caleb (December 10, 2023) "Soehn discusses Legion's returning core, offseason priorities, and hopes of soccer-specific stadium in Birmingham." ABC3340.com

External links

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