By Timothy Belin
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - March 8, 2025
As Alabama-native Jake Rufe wheeled away in celebration after scoring Birmingham Legion’s first goal of the 2025 season just two minutes into the game, it looked like the perfect start for the Black and Gold. The rest of the game proved to be anything but.
“You have a dream start, and then we had just catastrophic goals that we gave up,” Tommy Soehn, Legion head coach, said. “Really lost the flow of the game as well. I don’t think we kept the ball well enough, stuff we worked on all week. Obviously you only get one chance for a home opener, and dropping it is so disappointing.”
While it took Birmingham just two minutes to take the lead - Rufe scoring a header off a perfect whipped in free-kick by debutant Roman Torres - it took Loudoun just two minutes to respond, netting their own header off a corner kick in the fourth minute.
From there on, the visitors dominated the game, and if not for a smart block by 16-year-old centerback Ramiz Hamouda in the 13th minute, they would soon have taken an early lead.
It was only delaying the inevitable, as Loudoun kept the Legion pinned back in their own half. The visitors found plenty of space down the flanks with both wing-backs pushing high in a 5-3-2 formation, while the Black and Gold struggled to retain possession, with too many turnovers in the midfield.
“Obviously it’s the first game, so I think we were a little nervous,” Soehn said. “There wasn’t enough composure. I talk about the poise, having guys who can put their foot on the ball and keep it. I thought Kobe [Hernandez-Foster] did a decent job of that, but we needed a little bit more of that.”
In the 33rd minute, Loudoun’s domination finally paid off. After Legion failed to clear their lines at the top of their box, goalkeeper Matt van Oekel made an excellent save to deny a powerful shot by Loudoun’s Keegan Tingey. Centerback Phanuel Kavita could not clear the rebound, however, and Abdellatif Aboukoura took full advantage with a sweetly struck volley into the top corner of the net.
Legion’s first shot on target since the opener came five minutes later as Dawson McCartney found himself through on goal, but Loudoun’s keeper got down well to save. It would prove to be his only save in a game where Birmingham did very little to threaten.
“Their forwards did a really good job of hold-up play, and our forwards didn’t,” Soehn said. “We have to find a way to get our forwards involved, whether it’s balls we play to them or the types of runs they make to connect.”
At the half, Legion trailed 1-2.
Marquee new signing Danny Trejo did not emerge with the team for the second half, with Lucca Dourado replacing him for his professional debut. A surprising decision at the time, Soehn revealed after the game that it was not a tactical choice, but rather a concussion sub after Trejo took a whack to the head.
The substitution did little to change the course of the evening as Loudoun got their third just five minutes into the second half, Zach Ryan poking in a low cross at the near post.
Things went from bad to worse five minutes later as Roman Torres went down with an apparent off-the ball injury and had to be replaced with Temi Ereku. Soehn could not provide any news on the injury in his post game comments, stating he needed to wait for Torres to be looked at by a doctor.
Birmingham got the ball higher up the field as the game wore on and Loudoun became content to sit with what they had, but the final pass or shot still eluded the Three Sparks.
“I think we were just a little disjointed,” Rufe said. “So lots to work on, but we’re gonna have our heads up.”
At the other end of the pitch, van Oekel came up clutch with two big saves to keep the score respectable, first punching a free-kick clear ahead of a lurking Loudoun forward, then sweeping out of his goal to steal the ball off another forward’s feet five minutes later.
Legion’s best chance to halve the deficit came in the 77th minute after Preston Tabort Etaka jinxed his way past a few players before drawing a foul in a dangerous position on the right side of the box, but Kobe Hernandez-Foster sent the subsequent free-kick over the bar.
As frustrations boiled over at times, Legion never really looked like getting back into the game. It finished 3-1 to the visitors, with the Black and Gold collecting more yellow cards, 3, than shots on target, 2.
The Legion will need to quickly address the flaws from their opening game if they are to stand a chance in their next encounter. The Black and Gold host Louisville City SC, last season’s regular season champions, next in another 7 p.m. Saturday kickoff at Protective Stadium. One source of hope for the Three Sparks will be the return of star-man Enzo Martinez, who missed today’s game after serving a suspension picked up in last year’s finale.
“We have to come back and prove that we’re a better team than we showed today,” Soehn said. “I think we did miss some of Enzo’s heart, he kind of drives the group a little bit, but you can’t be relying on one guy. Someone’s got to pick it up when he’s not in there.”
Next Legion FC home game is next Saturday, March 15th, 2025 at Protective Stadium.