Even Bigger Than the ’96 Olympics
In an age of screens, streams, and constantly being connected, there have never been more eyes on a football pitch than there will be on June 7th, 2023. Across 11 matches, both men and women’s Olympic matches, 431,273 came to Birmingham to watch soccer. Between the livestream and in-person attendance, over 56,586 people watched the Birmingham Legion FC vs Charlotte FC match. That is more than all but one match in that 1996 Olympics, the United States vs Argentina match.
56,586 people did not watch the United States. 56,586 people did not watch Brazil, Argentina, England, or France. 56,586 people watched a second division team from Birmingham, Alabama take on a brand new MLS squad, Charlotte FC, that has been massively struggling to find its footing in a tournament with 16 teams still left.
On June 7th, Birmingham Legion FC will be taking on a football club owned by David Beckham and is in connection with Leonel Messi to join the club. On June 7th, Birmingham Legion FC is hosting Club Internacional de FΓΊtbol Miami to have the right to play in the Semi-Finals of the oldest soccer tournament in America, The US Open Cup. Completely uncharted grounds for a team from Alabama.
But that is not even the most important portion of the day.
Birmingham Legion WFC’s First Home Match Ever
At 3:30pm, Legion’s Women club will be taking on the reigning USL W League champions, South Georgia Tormenta in their first ever home match. Head Coach Tommy Soehn is even attending the match, granted, his daughter plays for the club.
When asked if he would attend the match, he laughed a little and said, “Absolutely!” He went on to say, “… I’m really excited about [the WFC match]. It shows that we are heading in the right direction as a club. […] We continue to make strides so that everybody has something in the club to enjoy. I’m real proud that we have [a women’s club].”
The fact of the matter is that this Legion WFC is not just a new toy, they’re REALLY good. They’re the only team in the USL W League South Central Division who are still undefeated (2-0-1). Isabel Smith, Norah Roller, Jasmine Greene, and Mac Titus have been standouts for the club, and deserve respect and will command it on Wednesday.
Inter Miami CF
Stop me if you’ve heard these names before: Josef Martinez, Deandre Yedlin, Victor Ulloa, David Beckham. Not a bad list. These are just some of the guys that headline this Inter Miami CF squad, but this is likely the easiest team Legion could have faced.
Sitting dead last in the Eastern Conference and struggling for any form of success, Inter Miami CF is looking for anything to latch on to. That said, somethings need to be let go in order to move forward, and that was head coach Phil Neville. Neville was fired just days before the Open Cup match up with Birmingham, looking to either get ahead of the eventual loss that Inter would take to the 3 Sparks, or trying anything to motivate the players to a victory.
Even so, Legion are taking on a wounded team who is in the middle of a tough stretch of matches where Coach Soehn said himself that he has “zero sympathy” for the South Beach Squad. What does that mean for the 3 Sparks? Either Inter Miami CF will completely collapse, or Legion are going to get the best effort out of Miami that any team will see all year.
Even so, Captain Phanuel Kavita and Alex Crognale gave me some insight into these matches. I straight up asked if there was fear in the locker room of the “higher level” team, and Phanuel said straight up, “Yes.” Alex said, “You know the lower level team has nothing to lose, everything to gain, and you have the exact opposite.” That is Inter Miami. That is David Beckham’s club. Nothing to gain, everything to lose.
They fear Birmingham Legion. Now it’s time for 13,000+ to become Miami’s living nightmare.
Buy your tickets HERE.
Hammering Down 
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