Some losses sting more than others. Dropping points at home, against rivals Birmingham Legion FC, is something no fan wants to experience. And this match truly was a battle, a back-and-forth slugfest between these regional competitors who went blow for blow throughout the 90 minutes. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t the team’s day, and Memphis fell 4-2 at home against Birmingham.
This clash is always one that fans put on their calendar, the build-up to each contest seeing some light, and some not so light, ribbing between the fan bases online. For those regularly outside soccer circles, there’s a saying that “form goes out the window” during a “derby” (a match between local rivals), so previous results and logic need not apply when trying to predict the outcome. It’s hard to bet against Memphis this season, but lest we forget, Birmingham are also a top team in the Eastern Conference.
Before the match, the commentators speculated that this game could be a shoot-out, and that’s exactly what happened. Memphis got the fun started early, going ahead thanks to a name that should be familiar on the score sheet from the past couple of weeks. Midfielder Leston Paul played a ball into the box, and Phillip Goodrum’s dummy allowed Luiz Fernando to take a sweet first touch into space and slot home his left-footed shot to put Memphis up 1-0 in the 18th minute.
Unfortunately, some uncertainty began to creep into Memphis’ game. We started seeing uncharacteristic mistakes on the defensive side, with players perhaps a little tired after the midweek trip to Albuquerque. Birmingham tied up the game after Anderson Asiedu drew a sloppy foul in Memphis’ box, with former USMNT forward Juan Agudelo equalizing from the spot in the 28th minute. Just a couple minutes later, Patrick Seagrist had to intervene with a headed clearance off the line to prevent Memphis going behind. But 901 FC did eventually fall behind from a corner kick just before halftime, and shortly into the second half, Birmingham extended their lead to 3-1 when Marlon Santos pounced on Rece Buckmaster’s mistake at the back and shot past Trey Muse.
Memphis did pull a goal back in the 61st minute, when Goodrum’s shot ricocheted off Jeremy Kelly and into the back of the net. But while pushing forward for an equalizer, Memphis conceded again, Birmingham restoring their two-goal cushion and seeing out the game for a 4-2 win.
It’s a disappointing loss for sure, but no cause for panic. On the balance of play, Saturday’s match was pretty even. 901 FC held 59 percent possession, taking 15 shots (10 in the box) to Birmingham’s 17 (11 in the box), and forcing the Legion into almost three times as many defensive clearances. The key differences came in just a few instances when Memphis’ concentration levels dropped, with a small number of mistakes being punished by the Legion attack. It’s not the kind of thing we see from 901 FC every week, and it’s something that coach Ben Pirmann will be quick to stamp out.
Despite the loss, Memphis emerged from the weekend holding down second place in the Eastern Conference standings on 51 points. And that top spot is still within touching distance, with frontrunners Louisville City FC sitting on 55 points, albeit having played one less game.
The playoffs surely beckon, and as it stands, Memphis can go toe to toe with any opponent they match up against. Next up are Loudoun United FC at AutoZone Park on Wednesday, August 31st. Loudoun currently sit 10th in the Eastern Conference standings and present a good opportunity for Memphis to get back to winning ways.
