The Footy Scenes in the Scenic City
I’m writing this Away Day article and it’s an interesting situation. I’m moving! So, I need to move into my new apartment and then drive all the way to East Ridge before the match starts. We’ll see how that works out…
If you have seen my other “Away Day” article I did for Louisville City FC, I was able to tour the city, try food, and then review the in-stadium experience. I’m not sure yet if I’ll get to East Ridge in time to do all of the pre-game stuff, but we will soon find out!
Coffee Spots Around Town
So, I am a massive fiend for a good coffee shop. Luckily, I was able to hit two shops before leaving the Scenic City. The first was my personal favorite, Rembrandt’s. This one is in the heart of Chattanooga and was just beautiful early in the morning.
Also, get the Firebird. The sandwich is INSANELY good. 10/10, you NEED to go.
The second was The Local of East Ridge, which was only about ten minutes from CHI Memorial Stadium. The vibes were good, the coffee was solid, and it’s perfect for any Away Day fan who is weary from the road.
CHI Memorial Stadium
The stadium itself was enough to make every Legion fan dream. The stadium is a 4,000 seater stadium that is expanding to 5,500, just barely bigger than BBVA (now PNC) Field. They are also working to build up townhomes and restaurants around the stadium, which townhomes already being constructed. If I’m Legion ownership (who was in attendance last night…), I would be taking LOTS of notes on how to build the stadium. My only request, but it somewhere downtown Birmingham, not a surrounding city.
The Match
Because the match was not livestreamed, I have all the videos! Want to see the 4 goals? I got you. The biggest shock of the night? Birmingham’s Own Grayson Dupont found himself as the most hated man in Chattanooga. The amount of booing that he received in the first half was comical. Until he eventually got sent off, I’m sure he was absolutely loving every moment of it.
Speaking of Grayson, his stepover and touch to the touchline is what created this goal for Juan Agudelo, who opens up his scoring for the season.
This goal was far from a tap in as Juan Agudelo had to slide and go 5 Hole on the Red Wolves keeper in order to give Legion the lead with the final kick of the half.
The second half started FAST, as I didn’t even have time to get my second camera set up. That’s just the speed of Collin Smith, who took advantage of his speed and rocketed one to the top left corner to double the lead for Birmingham.
To get that 3-0 lead, Prosper got into a dangerous position to force the entire Chattanooga backline to converge on him, as we all know of that legendary left boot.
Would believe that at this point that Legion were DOWN A MAN? Me neither. This team continued to pile on the pressure and play like they were a man up, which is an interesting trend that has plagued League One this last year. Teams are just better down a man. Weird. Anyway, Juan took his touch and got his shot off without a second dribble.
My main take away from this goal? It was really nice to see Juan enjoying the game. Obviously we saw him smile last year, but it was mostly after the match with his daughter. After this second goal, we saw him smile and have look like he was enjoying the game again. It was just nice to see. Oh, and it was a ROCKET.
The final goal of the night I celebrated instead of filming. The knuckle on this ball was absolutely disgusting by Diba Nwegbo, who scored his first ever professional goal. It was unreal how nasty this goal was.
You can see from this angle that the ball was going straight at the keeper and just… swerved. It was like seeing Shohei Ohtani’s slider in the World Baseball Classic. It just didn’t make sense how it could move like that. Just absolutely disgusting.
The one goal conceded, I was unable to get a video of. Here’s the facts, though. It was unsavable. Lombardi unleashed a full volley rocket that was slicing away from Spangenberg. We all wanted the clean sheet, but absolutely NOBODY was saving that ball. Keep your head up, Trev.
The Magic City Kit
The first ever Hammering Down kit is out NOW! The inspiration for The Magic City kit is in the name: The Magic City. There are three locations highlighted on the map. Rickwood Field, the oldest active baseball park in the United States and home of the Birmingham Black Barons. Legion Field, original home of the Iron Bowl and host of several soccer matches in the 1996 Olympics. Protective Stadium, the home of Birmingham Legion FC and the 2022 World Games. These locations have changed United States sports forever, and they here in our backyard. Overlooking the Magic City is Vulcan himself, standing tall over our beautiful city.
You can pre-order NOW using THIS LINK!
Patreon
I want to thank my Patrons who helped fund the trip up to Chattanooga and allowed me to share these videos with you all! If you want access to EVERY GOAL I FILM or EXCLUSIVE content, check out the Patreon!
- Ben Mims
- Clay Grisetti
- Dillan Reed
- Matt Allison
- Matt Ennis
- Paul Hoffman
- Ray Methvin
- Sandy Lester
- Scot Lee
- Simon Iles
- Steven Benton
- Trent Webb
- Tyler Payne
- Zach Ferris
Hammering Down 
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