October 3, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Birmingham Legion FC News Release
Birmingham Legion FC forward Stefano Pinho
(Birmingham Legion FC)
TAMPA, Fla. – For a second consecutive week, the top goal in USL Championship came from the boot of a Birmingham Legion FC player. Forward Stefano Pinho added to his elite scoring prowess last Saturday by finishing off a beautiful team goal to nab The Three Sparks a point with a 1-1 draw at Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. On Thursday, Pinho’s 79th minute equalizer was named USL Championship Goal of the Week for Week 30, as voted by the fans.
The award for the Brazilian striker comes just a week after his teammate Darwin Matheus earned the same honors for Week 29.
In desperate need of a result and trailing 1-0 with time winding down, the key sequence began from the back with defender Derek Dodson sending a line-breaking ball that just evaded a pair of Pittsburgh defenders and found the left-foot of Matheus, who one-timed it to Pinho. From there, the Legion FC 2024 scoring leader dribbled into the box before cutting inside on his left foot and, with mere inches of space, fired off a shot that beat the dive of Riverhounds goalkeeper Eric Dick for the goal.
“The ball that Derek played into Darwin was fantastic,” Birmingham coach Tom Soehn said of the goal immediately afterwards. “And then Darwin continued it and Pinho took his time to put in a good finish.”
The Goal of the Week award marks the first for Pinho in a Legion FC shirt. He was previously nominated back on Week 23 for his herculean scissor-kick goal in a 2-1 victory at Monterey Bay FC on August 10. This latest goal brings his total up to 8 in USL-C play this season and 12 across all competitions. It was also his second goal in Legion FC’s last four matches, having scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies on September 11.
Pinho and Legion FC return to Protective Stadium this Sunday to take on North Carolina FC for its second to last home match of the 2024 regular season. Kick-off for the special Fan Appreciation Night match is set for 5:00 p.m. CT.
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