By Timothy Belin
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - March 12, 2025
Birmingham Legion FC did not have the start they wanted in front of their local fans last Saturday, dropping the season opener 1-3 to Loudoun United FC. While they will get a chance to set things right with a second consecutive home game this Sunday, hosting Louisville City SC at 3:30 p.m., the task is a tall one.
Louisville City were the runaway regular-season champions of last season’s USL Championship, winning 24 out of 34 games, and they’ve started the new campaign by defeating Charleston Battery, the 2024 regular-season runners-up.
With that in mind, here’s a few things to look out for that could determine the Legion’s chances of success in Sunday’s game.
One of the more glaring takeaways from Saturday’s game against Loudoun was that the midfield did not work. Though no team wants to rely on a single player, one of the likely reasons was the absence of Legion star Enzo Martinez through suspension.
Dawson McCartney and Kobe Hernandez-Foster started as the pivots in a 4-2-3-1, with new signing Roman Torres ahead of them as the 10, but the trio failed to really put their foot on the ball, retain possession and evade the Loudoun press.
With way too many turnovers in the middle of the park, Legion heard coach Tom Soehn reacted by switching the personnel around. Torres dropped deeper, McCartney moved out wide and Danny Trejo came in from left wing to play centrally, almost as a support striker. This structure remained in the second half, with Lucca Dourado taking up Trejo’s role following his halftime substitution.
With Martinez capable of playing either as one of the two deeper midfielders or in the 10 role, Soehn has several options available to him to reintegrate his star man. While Torres’ second-half injury might force the coach’s hand as to who comes out, the exact positioning of the starting midfielders remains to be seen.
But regardless where he is asked to play, Martinez’s return can only be a positive for a midfield that seemed to lack a player willing to step up and take control.
“He brings a calmness on the ball, he wants the ball,” Jake Rufe, Legion’s only goalscorer of the 2025 campaign so far, said. “Enzo’s going to bring Enzo’s fire next weekend, and some calmness on the ball, so looking forward to getting him back in.”
Following the offseason departure of Alex Crognale, one of the big questions heading into 2025 was who would partner Phanuel Kavita at the heart of the Legion's defense. With AJ Paterson out injured, the battle seemed to be between loan-signing Tiago Suarez, trialist-turned-signee Ethan Kos or 16-year-old Ramiz Hamouda. Soehn opted for the latter, trusting the recent USYNT U17 international player with the start.
“He’s been showing well,” Soehn said about his decision to start the teenager. “He was with the national team, and obviously some of the games weren’t the toughest, but we saw in training that he’s doing well.”
While none of the defense covered itself in glory, Hamoudacertainly did not look out of place despite his age. He made one key goal-saving block early on when the scores where still level, andgenerally looked composed in possession and assured in his defending despite the game going against his team. He completed more passes than anybody else in Legion colors at 51 and also achieved two tackles and seven clearances.
Hamouda could be an easy target to replace if Soehn wants to try something new in the hope of shoring up his defense, but it would not be due to any faults on the young centerback’s part. But if the coach were to trust him again, Hamouda will only grow from the experience, and Legion could soon have a real rising star on their hands.
Danny Trejo’s signing is considered by some to be the biggest get in Legion history, and was undoubtedly Birmingham’s marquee acquisition this offseason. So when the forward did not emerge for the second half, there was a mix of consternation and disappointment among the fans.
Soehn revealed after the game that the substitution was enforced, with Trejo picking up a concussion in the game’s first half. That leaves him a doubt for this weekend’s game, depending on the medical staff’s assessment of his situation. While Trejo failed to make a meaningful impact in his first official game for the Black and Gold, there is no doubting his talent, and his absence would make it all the harder for the Legion to emerge with anything from Sunday’s matchup.
If Trejo is fit and available, the question turns to the forward line’s ability to function together. Trejo and Ronaldo Damus were both big-name signings ahead of the season, but throwing two new signings in at the same time can lead to growing pains, as the Loudoun game showed.
Rufe described the team’s forward play as “disjointed,” and the stats back that up. In his 45 minutes, Trejo completed just 5 passes. Damus barely surpassed him despite playing the full 90, completing nine, while Preston Tabort Etaka led the front three with 18. All three had woeful success rates in the opponent halves as well, with both Damus and Tabort Etaka missing half their pass attempts in Loudoun territory.
Soehn pointed to that inability to hold the ball up as a key reason for their defeat, and any repeat of those numbers will likely condemn the Three Sparks to another disappointment.
There was some confusion regarding Stephen Turnbull’s matchday status Saturday when Legion did not name the 26-year-old right-back among its starting XI or subs, but he still emerged for the warm-up with the rest of the team. As it turns out, his absence from official communications was a mistake, and Turnbull was very much part of the match day squad.
But though he was available, Turnbull did not see the field despite Legion’s poor showing. For a player acquired from Rhode Island FC for an undisclosed fee in January - the only transfer fee Legion paid this offseason - question marks remain as to why Soehndid not opt to use him. Asked if there was any injury concerns, Soehnpromptly dismissed the idea.
“No, he’s not injured,” Soehn said. “It was a coach’s decision.”
Turnbull had a stellar first season in the USL las year, playing 34 times as Rhode Island made the USL championship game. The decision is therefore a perplexing one, and should he once again fail to make his debut, whether from the start or the bench, against Louisville, it will only raise more questions.
5. Will the fans show up?
It’s no secret that Protective Stadium has not been the best home for the Legion since their 2022 move. With its 47,100-capacity, the stadium is never going to feel full, and getting as many bodies in through the gates is therefore vital to gaining any semblance of a home advantage.
Legion did its best to hype up the new season and get fans to show up against Loudoun, dubbing the opener “205 night” and planning events around it, but last season’s failures, late kickoff and college basketball likely contributed to several people staying home. Still, 4,273 Legion faithful did make the trip downtown, and they showed the impact they can have late on as a few refereeing decisions fired the home base up, which in turn energized the players.
With Sunday’s weather forecast - the game has already been moved due to severe weather warnings threatening the Birmingham area this Saturday - there could be fears of a further dip in attendance. Legion’s communications and marketing departments will therefore have to do their utmost to ensure fans are aware of the date change and encouraged to brave the potentially inclement weather to get behind the team.