It wasn’t always pretty, but Birmingham Legion showed fight to claim their first win of the Mark Briggs era. It was also their first on the road, and their first against an Eastern Conference foe this season.
Birmingham struggled in the first period and could easily have gone into the break trailing by more than one. But an increased second-half tempo saw the Three Sparks tie the game early after the restart before taking the lead with 15 minutes to go.
Unlike their previous trip to Florida earlier this month, the Black and Gold were able to see out the game to secure just their second USL Championship win of the season.
Miami entered the game as the form team, and it showed. The hosts fired the first warning shot just six minutes into the encounter with a header wide and dominated proceedings against a lethargic Legion side.
Legion weren’t helped by an enforced substitution just 11 minutes into the game. A Miami player clattered into Moses Mensah after falling over the ball, and the left back was unable to continue. Dawson McCartney, just back from an injury himself, came on in his place.
Matt van Oekel kept the scores level with a good save in the 21st minute and Tiago Suárez came up with a big block 10 minutes later. The opening goal was coming though, and neither player could prevent it in the 39th minute.
Suárez misjudged his jump on a Miami corner to leave Fransisco Bonfiglio open. The striker headed the ball back across goal and into the ground, and the bounce took it beyond a diving van Oekel.
The goal forced Legion to play from behind, something they’ve had to do at some point in every league game this season.
Briggs undoubtedly got into his team at halftime, because the players emerged with a compltetely different energy. Three minutes after the restart, it paid off.
Enzo Martínez sent McCartney down the left wing, and the first half-sub put in a perfect first-time cut-back cross for Tyler Pasher. The Canadian hit it first time, and a slight deflection on the shot helped it past Miami’s Bill Hamid.
The former US national goalkeeper came up big moments later to deny Legion the go-ahead. Martínez found himself through on goal for a one-on-one only for the shotstopper to deny him in the 49th. In the 50th, the Uruguayan took a shot from distance and Hamid got the slightest of touches to turn it onto the post.
Five minutes into the second half, and it was suddenly all-Legion.
Ronaldo Damus got his first chance of the game just shy of the hour mark but his deflected shot looped just wide of the post. The Haitian could not miss with his next attempt 15 minutes later, and his sixth goal of the season gave Birmingham the lead.
After Tyler Pasher cut inside and let one fly in the 74th minute, Hamid looked to have made a comfortable save. The goalkeeper failed to keep control of the ball, however, and dropped it as he fell to the ground. Damus had followed the play and had the easiest of finishes to put his team 2-1 up.
Overturning a deficit to lead 2-1 with 15′ to go in Florida will not have been a new experience for this Birmingham team, who did the exact same thing 21 days ago against Tampa Bay Rowdies. But whereas a late goal ruined Briggs’ first game for the club that day, there was to be no such drama this time as the head coach claimed the first win of his Legion tenure.
That isn’t to say Miami didn’t come close. Van Oekel saved an Olympico attempt at his near post in the 81st, and Miami had a penalty shout five minutes later. But the referee rightfully waved play on, and Preston Tabort Etaka nearly iced the game on the counter. The substitute raced into the Miami box but could not get the ball out of his feet for a shot.
Miami gave Birmingham a final fright in the second minute of stoppage time when a header sailed just over the bar. It was the last big chance as the Three Sparks won 2-1.
With the win, Birmingham moved up to eighth in the Easter Conference, above Miami on goal difference. However, the Florida team have a game in hand.
Next up for the Three Sparks is a USL Jägermeister Cup game at 7:30 p.m. May 31 in Tulsa. Indy Eleven defeated One Knox tonight to go top of Group 3 with six points from two games, and Birmingham will need the win in Oklahoma to tie things back up.
They will then return home to host Indy Eleven in a USL Championship game at 7 p.m. June 4.
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