Birmingham Legion FC returned home to BBVA Compass Stadium tonight and earned a 2-2 draw with Hartford Athletic in USL action.
Birmingham native Chandler Hoffman scored a first-half goal to tie the game at 1-all, and Mikey Lopez's goal early in the second half knotted the game at 2-all in the 51st minute. Neither team scored the rest of the way in a game delayed about an hour by lightning.
For Birmingham, the draw snapped a four-game losing streak, but Legion FC is still looking for its first victory since beating West Chester United on May 15 in a U.S. Open Cup game.
“I credit the guys for fighting back, we created tons of chances," Legion FC coach Tom Soehn said, "but we’ve got to start finishing our chances and put teams away.”
Hartford’s Harrison Swartz and Logan Gdula scored goals.
Watch Hoffman's goal:
“That was a special moment for me," Hoffman said."I’ve been wanting to score at home, and to be able to run in front of the Magic City Brigade and be able to kiss the badge here was just a special moment for me to score that kind of goal and to celebrate. It’s been a long time coming and I think tonight we showed with two up top how dangerous we can be.”
Watch Lopez’s goal:
Legion FC begins a two-game road trip starting at Indy Eleven on Wednesday at 7 p.m., and the match will be televised by ESPN+.