Brooklyn, NY. (August 5th, 2026) – Brooklyn FC Men are back at home this weekend to take on Birmingham Legion. The match takes place on August 8th at 7:00 PM ET, streaming on ESPN+.
Brooklyn are returning to Maimonides Park after a 5-0 loss to Charleston Battery, their second loss in a row and will be looking to get back on track in this match. Before the two losses, Brooklyn FC were undefeated in three matches in all competitions and will hope to return to this form.
After making it to the playoffs in their first five years as a club, Birmingham have now missed the playoffs in the last two seasons. They currently sit in 11th in the Eastern Conference, one spot above Brooklyn in the table. The Legion’s goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat has been one of the best in the league this season, with the second most saves, 62, and the fourth best save percentage, 74.7%. The defense has not conceded many goals but the attack has not scored enough to push Birmingham into the top half of the conference. They are averaging just above a goal per game, which is the third lowest in the entire USL Championship. A player to keep an eye on is midfielder Gevork Diarbian. He has started every league game for the club this season and has created 27 chances, the most for the team.
Brooklyn need to bring the attack back to life after two games without scoring a goal. In both matches, the team created multiple chances but were unable to put them away, and a goal would have changed the momentum. Unfortunately, Brooklyn will be without their captain Tommy McNamara this match after he received a red card against Charleston. Other players will need to step up in his absence, particularly in midfield. Taimu Okiyoshi has been important in this area of the pitch since his return from injury and averages 5.4 recoveries per match, the most on the team. Midfielder CJ Olney Jr has continued to be a big part of the team, leading the way with 26 chances created. Last week also marked the return of defender Vuk Latinovich to the starting XI, who has the 98 clearances this season, the fifth most in the league.
Next up for Brooklyn FC is a trip to Sin City, as they take on the Las Vegas Lights on August 15th at 10:30 PM ET. After that they will return home for two matches to close out August. Brooklyn FC will take on the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on August 22nd and then Sporting JAX on August 29. Tickets are available on SeatGeek.
