Professional soccer in Alabama took a giant leap forward on Sunday.

Even though Birmingham Legion FC lost the preseason friendly 4-0 against 2018 MLS Cup Champions Atlanta United, the club and fans alike were very pleased with their new home — Protective Stadium.

Great Atmosphere

Legion FC Head Coach Tommy Soehn summed up the team’s the experience at the new venue:

“Today was great,” Soehn said after the match. “You know, I love our fans, I’ve always said that. They’re fantastic. And our supporters groups were all out in numbers. Today was an awesome experience. It’s not often you get Atlanta United to come visit you. And our fans, it made for a really cool atmosphere… Obviously, we faced Atlanta which is no easy game to play against. They’ve been in season a lot longer than we have and it showed tonight. But for us it’s a great experience, shows what we need to work on, but ultimately it gave our fans a taste of what this place is going to be like.”

Attendance numbers were not announced, but according to the Legion FC match recap after the game a “record crowd enjoyed the picturesque day.”

Scenes From the Match with Atlanta United

Here are photos of the game by The Bama Buzz photographer Jacob Blankenship.

Next up: Tampa Bay Rowdies

Legion FC’s next game will be their regular season home opener against two-time Eastern Conference Champs Tampa Bay Rowdies at Protective Stadium on Sunday, March 13 at 4:00pm. The game will be nationally televised, on ESPN2.

Tickets are available at bhmlegion.com/tickets.

For all club news and updates fans are encouraged to follow @bhmlegion on social media, sign up for the Legion FC Newsletter, and keep an eye on bhmlegion.com and the Legion FC app. Download the Legion FC app today on Apple or Android, and sync our 2022 schedule to your calendar HERE.