Birmingham Legion conceded a result-altering goal in the dying seconds of stoppage time for the third time in their last four games when they traveled to Indy Eleven.
The Three Sparks had fought back from a 1-0 deficit to take a surprise 2-1 lead in Indiana. Tyler Pasher and Romario Williams, both former Indy players, came up with the goals in a stadium where the hosts lost just once all season.
As the minutes ticked by, Legion survived scare after scare in search of only their fourth league win of the season. Three times in the final 10 minutes, Indy had the ball in the back of the net only for the assistant’s flag to call the play back. Jassem Koleilat took care of the rest, standing on his head at times to maintain his team’s slim lead.
But in the final minute of a minimum of eight added on, the dam finally broke. Bruno Rendon sent a ball in from wide that cannoned off the left post, and Dylan Sing was fortunate to see the ball bounce off his knee and into the back of the net.
With another two points dropped, Birmingham extend their lead in that category with a whopping 22 so far this season. For comparison, they’ve only held on to 18.
The game started as it would end for the Three Sparks: in nervy fashion.
Just six minutes into the contest, a cheap Legion turnover gifted Indy Eleven with the first chance of the game. Thankfully for the visitors, Koleilat was there to make himself big and save the one-on-one.
Three minutes later, the defense gave up a second easy ball while trying to play out of the back. This time, a well-timed tackle by Bryce Washington blocked the shot inside the box.
Birmingham didn’t have their first real opportunity until the 20th minute, when Peter-Lee Vassell took a shot on the turn but could not place it either side of the goalkeeper.
Within moments, Indy went down the other end and scored.
After several close brushes with goals, it was misfortune that eventually did it for Legion. The hosts took a shot from distance that seemed fairly straightforward for Koleilat to get to, only for a massive deflection off Washington to deflect it and wrongfoot his teammate.
To their credit, Birmingham responded well to the setback. Shortly after conceding, the Three Sparks took the ascendency and started putting the pressure on their hosts. It finally paid off in the 39th minute when Gevork Diarbian dribbled down the left, found Pasher, and the Canadian burst past his man before smashing it home.
The leveller should have given Birmingham a new lease of life heading into the break, but the second period started very similar to the first. Four minutes into it, yet another defensive turnover led to a chance and Koleilat save.
The Czech shotstopper made another great save in the 55th minute before Legion hit Indy against the run of play in the 66th. Peter-Lee Vassell, also a former Indy player, teed up Williams in the box and the forward scored his fourth in the last three games.
Jay Heaps made multiple changes in the immediate wake of the goal, notably taking off the in-form Williams as the Black and Gold looked to defend their lead.
As the game progressed, Birmingham retreated further and further into their own half, looking to hold what they had. In the 80th minute, it looked as though Indy had made them pay for the negative tactics with an equalizer, only for the assistant’s flag to come up for offside.
It was the first of many warning shots for the visitors.
Three minutes later, Koleilat pulled off the best save of the night to maintain the lead. The Legion keeper was already headed down for a save when a deflection sent the ball looping towards the top of the goal, but he somehow found the strength in his legs to propel himself back up and tip it over the bar.
Williams’ sub, Ronaldo Damus, had a golden opportunity to ice the game in the 93rd, but he was originally denied by a brilliant last-ditch tackle before sending his second attempt wide. Either side of the opportunity, Indy Eleven put the ball in the back of Birmingham’s net only for a foul to be called in the build up.
It looked like luck might finally be on Birmingham’s side as Indy launched the ball forward for one last chance, but instead the horror show that 2026 has been for the Magic City continued.
The Three Sparks have thrown leads away, conceded deep into stoppage time and found themselves utterly vulnerable to crosses into the box throughout the season. All three elements combined for Sing’s leveller with what would have been the final kick of the ball.
In a vacuum, a point away to Indy is nothing to be sniffed at. The hosts came into the game with seven wins, two draws and just one loss on home soil, while Birmingham travelled North off the back of three consecutive 3-2 defeats. But the manner of it will surely sting for a team that has made it a habit of dropping points in the worse possible ways.
Birmingham Legion will return home for a doubleheader in Shelby County next week. Both of the Three Sparks’ next two league games will be held at their Dunnavant Valley training facility rather than Protective Stadium, the first on September 12 and the second on the 16th.
The Three Sparks will hope that a smaller venue and hopefully better atmosphere as a result can carry them to much-needed wins, with time quickly slipping away in the season. With just nine league games to go, Legion currently sit 11 points adrift of the playoff line.
Birmingham Legion host Charleston Battery at 6 p.m. September 16 at Dunnavant Valley Fields.
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