BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Birmingham Legion FC and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will square off in a rematch of the postseason game that never was a season ago when they meet on Sunday night at 6 p.m. ET at Protective Stadium in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2022 USL Championship Playoffs presented by Hisense.

No. 4-seed Birmingham advanced when the teams were scheduled to meet at this stage a season ago after multiple covered persons from the Hounds organization tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in a walkover. Legion FC enters its fourth consecutive postseason off a 3-1 victory last Wednesday night against Indy Eleven that saw Enzo Martinez record his 15th goal of the season to finish tied for eighth in the Championship at the end of his first year with the club. Martinez was also on the scoresheet when Birmingham squared off with the Hounds at Protective Stadium in September, when the hosts rallied from a halftime deficit to take a 2-1 victory when Sadik Balarabe provided the winner. With a balanced squad that tied for sixth in the Championship with 56 goals and tied for fifth with 11 shutouts, Legion FC is hoping to kick off its bid for postseason success in style on home turf.

No. 5-seed Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is also coming off an emphatic victory to close the regular season as it rallied for a 3-1 win against Oakland Roots SC before a sellout crowd at Highmark Stadium this past Saturday night. Russell Cicerone scored a goal and assist to lead the Hounds as the forward notched his 13th goal of the regular season to break a five-game run without finding the net that coincided with a five-game winless streak for the club. Back in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season – a run that coincides with Head Coach Bob Lilley’s arrival at the club prior to the 2018 campaign – the Hounds are looking for their first deep postseason run of that era. In prior years the furthest Pittsburgh has advanced has been the Conference Semifinals, but the Hounds won more games than it lost on the road in the regular season (7-6-4) and will hope to be a threat to Legion FC’s aspirations.

Opta Says

23 – Enzo Martinez’s 23 combined goals and assists (15 goals, 8 assists) were the most by a Legion FC player in a single season in club history and made him the first player to lead the club in both categories in a season.

38 – Pittsburgh’s 38 goals conceded in the regular season are the most by the Hounds during Head Coach Bob Lilley’s tenure, while the club’s +12-goal differential was the lowest over that same five-season span.

Players to Watch

Birmingham Legion FC – Jonathan Dean: The dynamic full back was the only outfield player to play every minute of the 2022 USL Championship season and is the club’s all-time leader with 15 regular-season assists in his career.

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – Kenardo Forbes: The Championship’s all-time assists leader notched his first 10-assists season this campaign and will be aiming to add to his seven postseason assists, a mark that also stands as the league record.

538.com Match Predictor: Birmingham Legion FC 62%, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC 38%