Lower Alabama Report: August 27

Huntsville's unbeaten streak ends; Legion gets another draw

Birmingham Legion FC

Image credit: Birmingham Legion

Last weekend Birmingham played to a 1-1 draw vs Pittsburgh. Birmingham trotted out a new lineup that had Sam Shashoua in the midfield, with Preston Tabort-Etaka and Sebastian Tregarthen as forwards. That change comes after Tyler Pasher was injured midweek against Rhode Island, and it also saw Enzo Martinez start on the bench. The result was a speedy lineup that was built for fast counterattacks, and provided better control through the midfield (a problem area). Legion were the better side throughout the first half, and took a 1-0 lead into halftime (and could have easily been up 2-0). Bob Lilley made two changes at halftime, and then two more at about 60 minutes. The fresh look brought Pittsburgh more energy, and they got an equalizer in the 66th minute. Birmingham had the better chances for the remainder of the game, but couldn't get one in. The result was a 1-1 draw. Over the years, Tom Soehn was allergic to draws, and Legion's current tally of 8 is the most ever in a single season, with nine games still to go.

Next up is a road trip against Orange County on Saturday, August 30 at 9:00. This season has seen Legion beat El Paso and Sacramento in league play and Tulsa in the Jagermeister Cup - the top three teams from the West. On the other hand, they've lost to Oakland and Colorado Springs - two of the bottom teams in the West. And then they had a come-from-behind and blew-the-lead 3-3 draw against Phoenix - who sits squarely in the middle of the table. Orange County sits in eighth place in the West. They've been in very good form lately, and last week's loss ended a five game unbeaten streak. Notably, that loss was 0-1 to Tulsa, despite playing the bulk of the game with ten men. Midfielder Stephen Kelly was given a straight red in that match, and will be unavailable against Birmingham. That could prove to be crucial, as Legion may have finally found a productive setup for midfield, and are desperate for three points. This is a game that must win.

Huntsville City FC

Image credit: Huntsville City

Last weekend saw Huntsville's undefeated run end at six games. On the road to face Chattanooga for the third time this season, Huntsville fell short, losing 0-1. CFC has Huntsville's number, and they account for three of HCFC'S five losses for the entire season.

Huntsville's other nearby rival is Atlanta United 2, and they'll be facing them on the road on Saturday, August 30 at 7:30 Eastern time. This will be their third meeting, and the first two meetings saw HCFC win one, and the other was a draw (ATL won the shootout). Atlanta is at the bottom end of the table while Huntsville is in second place. The boys in blue should be favored here, but Atlanta tends to play close games and they are a dangerous opponent. I expect it to be tight, but look for Huntsville to take control in the first half and hold on for three points.

UPSL

The schedules are out for the UPSL Premier division for Fall. Coverage will begin next week (games start on September 6), but there's a notable absence. It had been reported that Fountain City FC merged with UMA FC; Fountain had a disappointing Spring season, while UMA was strong, and made the playoffs. At this point, they're MIA, which leaves FC Columbus Elite and FC Birmingham as the only teams to cover in Premier. The division 1 schedule hasn't been released yet, so I'll be keeping an eye out to see if that's where they've landed for Fall.