A big Wednesday
Legion 2 loses to Asheville City by a touchdown
It was a busy Wednesday for Lower Alabama, plus a big match-up in TLFC.
The first goal of many for Asheville City
Birmingham Legion 2 vs Asheville City SC
These two teams came into the night undefeated, with Asheville City yet to concede a goal. Legion were in first place in the division on points, but Asheville has a game in hand.
Asheville got on the board in the third minute off a set piece (shown above), and never looked back. The vast majority of the game was played Birmingham's defensive half of the field, although they did manage a handful of chances. Asheville was up 2-0 quickly, and there were hopes they might escape into halftime only down two goals. But Asheville City got one more in the 45th minute.
The ball is headed over the wall for another goal, from a set piece (second half)
The second half started with another bang for Asheville, with them scoring again quickly. As I've seen them do in other games, they made some substitutions to roll out fresh legs and continue their assault. By the end, they would have 7 goals to Legion's nil.
Asheville is relentless on the attack, and pressing the ball. They have a ton of speed, are crisp with their passes, and are quick to punish mistakes. All while using a deep beach to wear people down. That was Birmingham's only shot at them for the season. They'll have to regroup and get their heads back on straight for a Saturday road game against Dothan United.
The result drops Legion to third place on 13 points, and raises Asheville City to first place on 15 points.
Montgomery United vs Tennessee SC
Montgomery was hosting the other undefeated team in the division, Tennessee SC. In their first meeting, Tennessee scored two late goals to get a draw against Montgomery, stealing crucial points.
Image credit: Montgomery United
Montgomery introduced a new kit for the night, and called for fans to hit the stands in black for a blackout. The two teams went into halftime locked up at 1-1.
Image credit: Screencap from Sportsengine
The second half continued to be a hard-fought contest, and it looked like the game might end in another draw. Not so fast. A desperate service into the box by Tennessee saw a collision between a Tenn player and a Montgomery player. A penalty was awarded, and the shooter sent the GK the wrong way to get the win for Tennessee, 2-1.
The result freezes Montgomery on 4 points in sixth place, while Tennessee climbs to second place on 14 points.
Columbus United vs East Atlanta FC
Image credit: Columbus United
Columbus United has played very well so far this season, without much to show for it in the table. Tonight's opponent was East Atlanta, who got a late start to the season, and have had a tough go so far. That being said, they came in fresh off of a 3-2 win over Apotheos. Columbus put together their best effort of the season, leading 2-0 ar halftime. In the second half, they added two more goals - four goals from four different players - handing East Atlanta a hard defeat.
The win puts Columbus on 8 points (still in fifth place), while East Atlanta is in eighth place with 3 points.
Atlanta United 2 vs Huntsville City FC
Image credit: Atlanta United 2
These two rivals ran the undercard with an early kickoff. The stats show this was a close match, with Huntsville having their typical edge in possession. There was just one goal, a PK by Christian Koffi in first half stoppage time. It was enough to pull out a 1-0 win for HCFC, pushing them back up to third place in the NextPro East.
WPSL - Pensacola FC vs Union 10
Image credit: Pensacola FC
I don't have any details, other than the final score. Union 10 kept it close, but fell to Pensacola 0-2.
Elsewhere, in The League for Clubs
Image credit: TLfC
It wasn't a match-up of Lower Alabama teams, but still a powerhouse match in the region. Pensacola got a crucial win over Tallahassee 2-0, on the road.