Birmingham Legion went all the way to the 10th spot kick of a penalty shootout before finally dispatching the Chattanooga Red Wolves in their return to USL Cup action.
The Three Sparks were frustrated by a solid Red Wolves defence for much of the game and struggled to get any real momentum going. A 67th-minute opener was undone 10 minutes later by a Chattanooga equaliser, and the two teams combined to miss five of 10 spot kick attempts before Legion finally won the shootout 3-2.
Trevor McMullen got a surprise start in goal, only the second of his professional career, but had little to do for the first 20 minutes of the game. As many expected coming into the game, Birmingham dominated possession but struggled for openings against a well-organised Red Wolves defense.
The Three Sparks’ best chance came in the 10th minute as Peter-Lee Vassell tested Ricardo Jerez off a free-kick. The Jamaican international tried his chance a second time barely a minute later, but sent his daisy-cutter just wide of the post.
Ronaldo Damus got the only other chance of note with a headed attempt over the bar in an opening 20 minutes that saw Legion repeatedly frustrated by Chattanooga’s low block.
Then, shortly after the 20-minute mark, the Red Wolves showed they possessed an attacking threat as well.
Keegan Hughes had to make a last-ditch slide tackle to block a shot in the 24th minute. Three minutes later, McMullen needed to make his first intervention to claim a looping ball in the box. In the 40th, a front-post run ended with a Chattanooga shot poked just wide of the young goalkeeper’s near post.
With the game deadlocked at the break, Jay Heaps opted to make one change by bringing Leo Duru on for Amir Daley at right back. But rather than reassert dominance, Legion had to defend for quite some time after the restart.
McMullen was called into action in the 64th minute to deny a Matt Bentley header, and then again one minute later. The second time, a defensive miscue was responsible for the chance as Bentley managed a shot from very close range. Thankfully for the Three Sparks, he did not get the necessary connection and McMullen was able to catch it in his top corner.
But just as Chattanooga seemed to be taking the ascendency, Legion struck.
Sebastián Saucedo came onto the pitch in the 61st minute and needed just six minutes to get on the scoresheet. Gevork Diarbian ran down the right side and sent a dangerous low cross into the box. It somehow evaded multiple players of both teams before reaching Saucedo at the back post. The forward’s shot was touched by a Red Wolves defender, but not enough to prevent the opener.
After scoring a crucial goal in last season’s USL Cup campaign, it was only Saucedo’s second conversion in Black and Gold. For a player who has struggled for fitness for much of his time in the Magic City, he will hope it can kickstart a return to form.
However, the lead lasted just 10 minutes.
In the 77th minute, the Red Wolves ran down the left flank and sent in a cross of their own. McMullen looked to intercept it but could only graze the ball, and Grayson Mercer followed in to tap it into an open net.
Neither side created any big chances following the equaliser, ensuring Legion had to face a penalty shootout for the second consecutive USL Cup game.
After seeing their team miss three of four attempts against San Antonio, the Three Sparks fans would hardly have been confident heading into the shootout. Thankfully for them, Chattanooga decided to be even worse.
The Red Wolves’ first two penalties went off frame, though Tyler Pasher’s attempt was saved to limit the advantage. Dawson McCartney got the first successful penalty, and McMullen saved the next Chattanooga one at full stretch to consolidate the advantage.
Saucedo put his team 2-0 up in the shootout to put Legion on the brink, but two converted spot kicks either side of a saved Keegan Hughes attempt meant it came down to the 10th penalty. Serge Ngoma, subbed on in the 89th minute, stepped up to seal the bonus point.
Birmingham will return home with two points, but players will likely be disappointed with the display. The team seemed to lack energy or urgency for much of the encounter and could easily have lost to a team they had previously defeated at all three attempts.
Following San Antonio’s 1-0 win over One Knox in a simultaneous Group 3 game, the Texas team moved top of the standings and already two points ahead of the Three Sparks. Though there are two more games to go, both at home for Legion, overtaking SAFC is looking a tall mountain to climb.
Birmingham will look to forget another frustrating result when they return to league play next week. The Black and Gold travel to a winless Monterey Bay in the hopes of finally kickstarting their season.
Their next cup game will come on June 9, when the Three Sparks host Corpus Christie at Protective Stadium.
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