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GAMEDAY REPORT: Early Goals Lift Legion FC past North Carolina

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 08/15/20, 10:34PM EDT

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Servania, Brett on target for visitors as they extend lead at top of Group G

CARY, N.C. – Birmingham Legion FC got first-half goals by Jaden Servania and Neco Brett in a 2-0 victory against North Carolina FC on Saturday night at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park to extend their lead at the top of Group G in the Championship.

Sitting seven points behind the group leaders when the night began, North Carolina created a chance inside the opening two minutes as a sharp shot by Robbie Kristo forced Birmingham goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel into action.

Birmingham grabbed the lead in the 18th minute, however, as Jaden Servania notched the first goal of his professional career. After Prosper Kasim played a lateral pass from the top-left side of the penalty area, the 19-year-old fired a central shot that took a small deflection off a defender on its way to finding the bottom-right corner of the net.

Legion FC quickly got another big chance to add to its lead as NCFC defender Sam Brotherton was whistled for a handball in the penalty area on a cross by Jacob Rufe from the right. Neco Brett stepped up to the spot for the visitors and shot low into the right corner of the net, sending NCFC goalkeeper Alex Tambakis the wrong way.

The visitors carried their lead to the halftime break as a weak header by Bolu Akinyode for Legion FC represented the only real scoring chance for both sides as the half wore on. North Carolina’s Conor Donovan had a chance to pull a goal back six minutes into the second half off a corner by Dre Fortune from the right, but his header went off target wide of the right post. Brotherton also had a header from a corner kick cleared to safety by Akinyode in the 67th minute.

As much as the hosts tried to find a way back into the game, it was Birmingham that created a clear chance to put the game away with 10 minutes to go. Brett played Kasim into the left side of the penalty area alone, but Kasim’s near-post finish was confidently dealt with by Tambakis.

North Carolina applied more late pressure, and Ben Speas tried to find a way home from a narrow angle on the left side with four minutes to go. Fortune also curled a shot from 25 yards just over the crossbar a minute later, while Nazmi Albadawi then provided a good threaded pass into the penalty area in the final minute only for Marios Lomis’ stretching finish to go wide of the left post. Legion FC was able to see out the remaining minutes, though, and evened the series between the teams this season.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Eli Crognale, Birmingham Legion FC – Crognale put in a strong two-way game in midfield for the visitors, winning 9 of 10 duels, recording five interceptions and six recoveries while recording one key pass and completing 21 of 27 passes overall.

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