USL CHAMPIONSHIP:Taking stock of Birmingham Legion's roster ahead of 2026
- Timothy Belin
- Feb 23
- 6 min read
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The Birmingham Legion archway at the Three Sparks’ Dunnavant Valley training facility
With less than three weeks to the season opener, Birmingham Legion are gearing up for the new USL Championship campaign.
The Three Sparks have made four key signings, one in each main positional group (goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward), while retaining just under half of last year’s roster with 13 players, putting them at a confirmed roster of 17.
That’s still one player short of a matchday squad, but with two other trialists officially confirmed and a few more spotted in the background of training and matchday photos, there’s no reason to panic just yet.
However, it does give us the opportunity to take stock of where things stand for last season’s Eastern Conference wooden spoon holder.
What we know
- Birmingham returned 13 members of their 2025 squad and, conveniently, those players cover all 11 positions from a starting XI. These returnees are Trevor McMullen, AJ Paterson, Phanuel Kavita, Ramiz Hamouda*, Amir Daley, Dawson McCartney, Samuel Shashoua, Peter-Lee Vassell, Sam McIllhatton, Sebastian Tregarthen, Tyler Pasher, Sebastián Saucedo and Ronaldo Damus. [*Hamouda gets an asterisk because the club later confirmed he would be departing for Werder Bremen, in Germany, once he turns 18 in May.
- Legion confirmed four new signings: Czech goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat, American centerback Bryce Washington, Ghanaian midfielder Seth Antwi and Jamaican striker Romario Williams.
- The club further confirmed two of its trialists; American goalkeeper Daniel Gagliardi and Ghanaian winger Alhassan Alhassan.
- That’s it for confirmed names, but a few other trialists have become known to the public through their participation in Legion’s first preseason friendly of the season at Chattanooga FC. Dan Floyd wrote a great recap of the outing and name dropped (with photo evidence) both Costa Rican midfielder Kadeem Cole and US/Armenian winger Gevork Diarbian as featuring for the Three Sparks. Kaylor Hodges then spotted Nico Brown in one of the matchday photos released by Chattanooga.
- Additionally, I have it on good sources that Temi Ereku is still at the club, though he is currently the only player from last season’s roster whose fate was never confirmed. The Nigerian midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan at Forward Madison, and it is unclear if he is still under contract or considered a trialist at this time.
- Finally, sport agency Tecce FC suggested that their client, Adam Aboohamidi, had earned a “pro invite” from Legion following open tryouts back in December. With no updates since, it is unknown if the former Lubbock Matadors (USL League Two) and University of Memphis winger is currently trying out with the club.
What that looks like
Based on Jay Heaps’ tactical preference back at New England Revolution, as well as Floyd’s report from Chattanooga, fans should expect the Black and Gold to line up in some form of 4-3-3 this season.
Sorting players into position with that formation in mind, a few things stand out.
The goalkeeping position is likely set. Koleilat will undoubtedly be the starter between the sticks after setting clean sheet records in the Canadian Premier League last season, and Trevor McMullen should be a capable understudy. If the club does not opt to sign Gagliardi, it sounds like there are a few other unnamed goalkeeping trialists taking part in preseason according to Floyd’s article.
Centerback looks similarly settled, with one big caveat. Once Hamouda leaves, there will be only one player backing up two positions. While the club may wait for that time to sign Hamouda’s replacement, it would probably be wiser to get someone now to blood in who can hit the ground running in June if needed. You’d usually want a fifth option back there as well, though Ereku did feature in that position while out on loan and could serve as that emergency option should he remain at the club.
One of the most glaring holes, when looking at the above graphic, is the fullback positions. While there is a solid starter in both positions, there is no real depth. Any injury to McCartney or Daley would currently require pulling someone else out of position to cover, making the squad weaker overall. Left-back could be particularly dicey once Hamouda leaves and with Paterson a likely starter at centerback. Signing an additional player in that position should therefore be one of the Three Sparks’ biggest priorities at the moment.
Midfield is harder to judge because of the uncertainty over Ereku and Cole’s potential signing. Should both be on the roster this season, it allows for two dedicated players per position, which is solid depth. However, I still maintain I would like to see the club sign a powerhouse midfielder who can bring a bit of strength and size to that central area. Other than Ereku at 6’1”, the other five options are all 5’11” and below, and midfield was a clear position of need in 2025. While Antwi is an exciting addition (I know nothing of Cole, so harder to judge his possible signing), another starting-caliber player could make a real difference to this team’s prospects.
The wings is the position most dependent on trial outcomes, with an impressive four named trialists in those two positions. With Alhassan being confirmed by the club, you would expect that they are fairly confident he will earn a contract, though the 20-year-old might still be quite raw. He featured sparsely for USL League One’s Chattanooga Red Wolves last season, so it’s hard to see him being ready for a big role in a higher league in 2026. If signed, expect him to be a project player rather than ready-made.
Brown and Diarbian are more experienced names, the first in USL League One and the latter in MLS Next Pro. I would be shocked if neither are signed to a professional contract and would not be surprised if it’s both. A five-man winger stable of Saucedo, Pasher, Tregarthen, Brown and Diarbian, potentially with Alhassan as a prospect, seems a very solid mix of players and playstyles. If one of those trialists isn’t signed I would however expect the club to go for an additional winger to make up for it.
Finally, striker seems similarly settled as goalkeeper. Following his solid output in a severely underperforming team last season, Damus will be expected to lead the line. Williams, a journeyman veteran who most recently plied his trade for Indy Eleven, is a more-than-capable backup and I’d have no qualms about him starting the odd game to provide Damus some rest. Saucedo can also play through the middle if needed, and even Pasher and Tregarthen got some time in more central roles during the course of last season.
Concluding thoughts
With just a few weeks to go before they open their season hosting the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Birmingham Legion should feel fairly good about their roster going into the season. All four new additions are either going straight into the starting XI and elevating the team’s level or providing genuine competition for that starter role, which will only make the player ahead of them better.
Another crucial aspect of the current roster is player age. A soccer player’s prime is generally considered to be reached between 27 and 31 years old. Half my expected starting XI fall in that range, with another four turning 27 in 2026. Only Daley (24 next week) and Kavita (32) are outside that scope. Even the confirmed subs are close, with Vassell and Washington falling in range, and McMullen (24 next week) and Tregarthen (25) just short.
Among the trialists, Gagliardi is 29, Brown is 27 and Cole will turn 27 in May.
If the club can sign a strong left-back to compete with McCartney, an additional backup centerback for depth and a central midfielder who can provide the size and power that area is lacking, the Three Sparks could be well set.
While nobody’s saying Birmingham Legion are going to compete with the Louisville and Charlestons just yet, there is at least some genuine reason for optimism in the Magic City after two seasons to forget.
Birmingham Legion begin the season with a home matchup vs Tampa Bay Rowdies at 7 p.m. March 7 at Protective Stadium. They’ll follow it up just four days later by welcoming Hartford Athletic at 11 a.m. March 11 as part of the club’s education day initiative. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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