Welcome to Birmingham Sports Media’s midseason review of Birmingham Legion FC.

We’ve made it past the halfway point of the season, which means it’s time to take stock of the team. So far in 2025, 28 players have featured in a Birmingham Legion matchday squad.

Over the course of the week, we’ll dive into each one’s performances to date while also looking ahead at the remainder of the season.

Today, it’s time for the midfielders.

Previous instalments:

• Goalkeepers
• Defenders

For this section, we will be looking at the six players capable of playing in the 3-4-3’s two central midfield slots.

Sam McIllhaton

Signed five games into the season, Sam McIllhaton had the odd experience of joining a club only days before the head coach that signed him lost his job.

Despite the chaos, he immediately made his Birmingham Legion debut, going the full 90 and doing well as the Three Sparks claimed their first win of 2025.

He remained a fairly regular and reliable presence at the base of the at-the-time 4-1-4-1 until his red card expulsion against Rhode Island. As if in reaction to that one incident, the club signed another new defensive midfielder, Edwin Laszo, the following week. McIllhaton has struggled to see the pitch since, doing so mostly as a substitute.

If Laszo is to be taken as the kind of defensive midfielder that Briggs wants, McIllhaton could be in trouble. The Australian is a tidy player who’s shown good positional sense and passing range, but he is not a destroyer type midfielder like the Colombian.

As a result, it’s unclear where McIllhaton fits in the current system. With a change to a 3-4-3, central midfield slots have become even more limited, and Laszo’s one-man wrecking ball role even more defined.

None of this is to say McIllhaton is a bad player, it’s more a question of being the wrong fit.

The Australian boasts the highest pass success in the final third and creates 1.28 goalscoring chances per 90 minutes, but he’s neither as incisive as Kobe Hernández-Foster nor as direct and dangerous as Enzo Martínez. Though he’s one of the best players on the team at regaining possession (doing so 4.70 times per 90), Edwin Laszo does it better and more often (6.82 per 90).

McIllhaton looks best suited to being a regista — a type of deep-lying playmaker who sits in front of the defense, organizes play and sets the tempo. Unfortunately for him, that role is absent in the Briggs system. The Englishman relies on his three centerbacks to progress the ball instead.

As a result, the Australian finds himself a jack of all trades and master of none. He can do everything the other midfielders do, a lot of it better than many teammates, but none of it as well as the specialist in each category.

In essence, McIllhaton finds himself the victim of his transfer’s timing, having joined a club weeks before it reinvented its identity. While he is a more than serviceable player who will no doubt have plenty of useful cameos throughout the season, it’s hard to see him earning a starting role any time soon. He can be a real asset as a second-half substitute to shut down a game, but his long-term potential at the club might be limited.

Season stats: 11 appearances, 5 starts, 1 red card.

Kobe Hernández-Foster

After playing nearly every minute of his inaugural season for Birmingham Legion in 2024, Kobe Hernández-Foster has faced a tougher fight for his spot this time around.

The young midfielder started the season as a near ever-present once again, but following the addition of two new midfielders to the squad and the shift to a 3-4-3, a formation with one less central midfield slot than before, things have gotten tougher.

Despite earning rave reviews from Mark Briggs for his role in the dramatic win over Sacramento Republic, KHF has seen just 89 minutes in the five games since.

Originally brought up as a centerback, Hernández-Foster definitely has the defensive acumen to play in a two-man pivot, but it is through his forward-thinking play that he has shone brightest this season. His left-foot can deliver a wicked set-piece delivery (averaging just under one successful cross per game), as seen at Detroit early in the season. He is also not afraid to take on shots himself, averaging just under two per 90 minutes.

His passing is where he excels, often serving as the team’s metronome when on the pitch. His 918 touches this season are second only to Jake Rufe despite significantly more limited game time, with his average of 71.10 per 90 ranking second only to Ramiz Hamouda. The same goes for passes, both total and successful. Hernández-Foster has attempted 735 passes already this season (roughly 57 per game) while maintaining an accuracy of 83.81%.

Most importantly when it comes to the attack, KHF consistently delivers forward passes. He ranks third in chances created, and 238 of his passes have gone into final third. His 18.43 passes per 90 in the final third is the most on the team, and even then he still maintains a 71.21% success rate, the third highest amongst Legion players.

Despite these impressive stats, Hernández-Foster did not come off the bench in the last three Legion games, after featuring in 17 of the previous 18 games. Like McIllhaton, one could wonder if the shift in system has not reduced the need for a player of his skills given that is ostensibly when his playing time decreased.

While Laszo and Enzo Martínez, the two first-choices in that midfield pivot, bring unique skills that we will get into later, KHF should not be discounted. While he may not have the one’s defensive strength or the other’s goal scoring threat, his passing range can still be a crucial weapon, especially against an opponent that might prefer to bunker down.

Hernández-Foster still has a definite role to play on this team, even if it is just bit-part for now. Still only 23, the former US youth international also has plenty of time to add attributes to his game that Briggs might want from his midfield pivot. With Martínez not getting any younger, Hernández-Foster’s chance will likely come to show that his unique skillset can prove just as valuable to the Three Sparks.

Season stats: 17 appearances, 13 starts, 1 assist, 2 yellow cards, 1 clean sheet.

Edwin Laszo

When Mark Briggs brought Edwin Laszo in as his first signing, he made it very clear why. According to Legion’s new head coach, the Colombian had ran the game both times his Tulsa team had faced Briggs’ Sacramento.

Since joining the Legion, he might not have reached quite those levels, but he has provided something the team lacked before his arrival. He has been a defensive destroyer the likes of which Legion’s leaky defense sorely needed.

It is therefore no shock he has started every single game since his arrival.

The role has been even further exacerbated recently with the shift to a two-man pivot, with Enzo Martínez usually roaming far up the pitch. This leaves Laszo solely responsible for shielding the defense, something he has shown tremendous ability to do.

The Colombian currently regains possession at a rate of 6.82 times per 90 minutes. The closest outfield player is Preston Tabort Etaka with 5.07.

He also wins 1.61 tackles per 90 minutes, boasting a 76.20% success rate, achieves 1.10 interceptions per 90 and wins 6.62 duels per 90. All three stats put him in the team’s top three in the respective category.

Laszo’s strength is a great attribute in retaining possession as well, giving him the ability to shrug off opponents to glide past them when needed. As a result, he boasts a perhaps surprisingly high dribble success rate at 63.16%, once again the third best on the team.

Where things fall apart for the Colombian, however, is anything in the opponent’s third. Laszo’s accuracy when passing in that area of the pitch is a woeful 57.17%, with the defensive midfielder often trying too hard to make things happen on his own.

Especially when the team goes behind, he has been known to try the million-dollar pass or take a speculative shot from distance in a fruitless attempt to get back his team back in the game.

While the intention is commendable, the result not so much.

Of his nine shot attempts to date, only one (the “assist” for Damus against Louisville) was on target. More often than not, whether trying to get an assist or a goal, Laszo has instead been giving the ball straight to the opposition.

The good news is that this is entirely fixable. Laszo can work on being more patient and not forcing the opportunity, or the coaching team can restrict his license to even come into these forward situations. What’s for sure is that what he brings to the team defensively more than makes up for any offensive shortcomings.

The only other side he could stand to work on his giving up cheap fouls, with a team-leading 2.51 fouls conceded per 90. Nobody else reaches 2.

Season stats: 11 appearances, 11 starts, 1 assist, 4 yellow cards, 2 clean sheets.

Enzo Martínez

Birmingham Legion’s 34-year-old veteran is still going strong at the heart of the Three Sparks’ midfield.

After missing the opening game through suspension, Enzo Martínez has started 19 of the 20 games he’s been available so far. He has demonstrated versatility in doing so, lining up everywhere from defensive mid to both wings, and coming on as a false 9 in the one game he did not start.

But while his ability to cover a multitude of roles can come in handy, it’s also emblematic of a question surrounding the Uruguayan. What exactly is his best position?

Mark Briggs has stated unequivocally that he views his midfield general as a 10 (an attacking midfielder). The stats suggest he actually brings more to the defensive side of things.

His tireless running has Martínez commit over 20 tackles more than Legion’s second player in that category. And even though he concedes a fair number of fouls, he’s winning most of them. With a 82.22% tackle success rate, he wins more tackles per 90 minutes (2.10) than anybody else on the team.

On the flip side, his offensive stats are quite poor despite being deployed in advanced roles on multiple occasions. His final third passing accuracy is near identical to Laszo’s (57.57%), this despite attempting three passes fewer per 90 in that area of the pitch than the Colombian. And despite being considered a scoring threat (rightfully so as Legion’s second all-time goalscorer), his shot accuracy so far stands at a mere 14.29%.

Looking at his stats, it can be hard to understand what exactly Martínez brings to a team. And yet there is little doubt they perform better with him in it. You only had to ask players and coaches after the season opener against Loudoun, when the Uruguayan served his suspension, to hear them talk of the “fire” they lacked in his absence.

And that is essentially what Martínez adds. His contribution is not one you find in a stats sheet, but rather an unquantifiable energy, drive and passion. Even though his brief stint as the team’s captain is over, he still remains the heart of the team with his workrate at its center.

His versatility and willingness to play whatever role is needed, as well as his dark-arts ability to work a refereen and wind-up the opposition are just a bonus.

Season stats: 20 appearances, 19 starts, 1 goal, 2 assists, 4 yellow cards, 2 clean sheets.

Roman Torres

Full disclosure: Roman Torres is the Birmingham Legion player I find most confusing.

After joining on loan from Minnesota United, the 23-year-old went straight into the starting line-up and provided assists in his first two games for the club. Following Soehn’s dismissal, however, the young midfielder was relegated to the bench, making five substitute appearances after starting the first five.

Things have gotten even more dire for the loanee since then, with his very late appearance last Friday being not only his first minutes since June 4, but his first matchday squad since June 14.

This disappearing act is baffling for a player who put in some of the team’s best performances at a time when everything else seemed to be going wrong. Whether, like Turnbull earlier in the year, there is an undisclosed fitness issue or whether Mark Briggs simply does not rate the loanee is unclear, but what is certain is that his loan is turning into a season to forget.

And yet, his numbers show exactly the quality that made him such an integral part to the team’s early season.

A all-action midfielder, capable of playing as the deepest or most advance central operator, Torres actually leads the team in a number of categories.

The young midfielder trails only his counterpart Hernández-Foster for both touches per 90 amongst midfielders (66.33) and passes in the final third across the team (15.59), while also creating more chances per 90 (2.07) than anybody not named Tyler Pasher.

He also wins more fouls per 90 (3.19) than any of his teammates (Martínez is second with a “mere” 1.93) , which Torres takes further advantage of with his dangerous free-kick deliveries.

On defense, Torres is even more impressive. No player comes close to winning as many duels per 90 as his 8.27, with Stephen Turnbull and Edwin Laszo’s 6.65 and 6.62 the closest challengers. Those numbers are largely due to his impressive 61.97% success rate in the duel, second only to Tiago Suárez’s 68.32%. Despite his 5’11” frame, Torres’ numbers actually go up when looking only at aerial duels, leading all outfielders with an impressive 75% success rate.

Torres also averages more interceptions (1.32) and commits more tackles (2.82) per 90 than anybody on the team.

My opinion on the midfielder isn’t revisionist either, as I felt strongly about his performance levels well-before diving into the stats. So to see him play just over 100 minutes since Briggs’ arrival has been something of a shock.

I obviously don’t know his attitude, how he trains or if there’s any other reason to keep him out of the team at this time, but Torres is the one player I believe can offer much more to the team than is currently being asked of him.

As a loan player, he will almost certainly return to Minnesota United next season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go on to have the kind of career that makes Legion fans wonder why he never got more of a chance in the Magic City.

Season stats: 12 appearances, 5 starts, 2 assists, 3 yellow cards.

Temi Ereku

Just 21 years old, Temi Ereku has barely featured for Birmingham Legion this season. It therefore made a lot of sense when the club announce last week that he would be loaned to Forward Madison for the rest of the season.

Not much is known of the Nigerian midfielder given his limited appearances for the Three Sparks, but the loan suggests the club still rate him fairly highly. Matt Glaeser, Forward Madison’s head coach and technical director, is a longtime friend of Mark Briggs and his former assistant at each of his previous stops.

Glaeser revealed the two still talk on a weekly basis, so there are few better options for a loan player than to join the Wisconsin team. In Madison, Ereku will hopefully get some minutes while playing for someone with similar soccer views and expectations as his coach back home.

If he impresses, Briggs will be one of the first to hear about it.

With Lucca Dourado also on loan at Forward Madison, Legion fans might want to start tuning into USL League One games to keep a watch on their two youngsters. But they won’t have to wait long to see them in action regardless, with Madison coming to Birmingham next week for a USL Jägermeister Cup tie.

Season stats: 3 appearances, 1 start, 1 yellow card.

That’s it for Birmingham Legion’s defensive options. If you haven’t seen it, check out previous reviews of the Three Sparks’ goalkeepers and defenders. And check back in tomorrow as I dive into the team’s forward options.

In the meantime, follow Timothy Belin on Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook or Bluesky to stay up to date with Birmingham Legion coverage.