Crown Legacy Still Searching for First Win of 2025 After Shootout Loss to Huntsville City
Jamie Smith’s first MLS NEXT Pro goal wasn’t enough for Crown Legacy to get past frequent Achilles’ Heel Huntsville City FC
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Crown Legacy FC (0-1-3-1, 4 Points), Charlotte FC’s reserve team, can’t catch a break since their impressive win in the Medulin Cup.
Nimfasha Berchimas, the United States youth international who contributed 6 goals and 2 assists for the Legacy last year, has been out since early March due to foot surgery. Now, after four MLS NEXT Pro, matches, the team is yet to win a match outright.
On the bright side, the Legacy have only suffered one loss: a 0-1 result at home against Orlando City B in March. The defense has been strong. However, the Legacy’s offense is still having trouble creating chances and finding the net, and they’ve only made 11 of 15 shootout kicks, dropping points in two out of three shootouts so far.
On Sunday night at home in Matthews, the form that currently has Crown Legacy in 13th place in the Eastern Conference continued.
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Crown Legacy FC v. Huntsville City FC
Sunday, April 13
Mecklenburg County Sportsplex
Matthews, N.C.
Final Score: 1-1, (3-4)
Huntsville City FC wins in Penalties
Crown Legacy FC Goals
Jamie Smith 76’ (Assist: Sing)
Huntsville City FC Goals
Christian Koffi 30’ (Penalty)
Jake’s Player of the Match
Mikah Thomas
Moayad’s Player of the Match
Jamie Smith
Crown Legacy FC vs. Huntsville City FC
The Legacy lined up in a 4-4-1-1 formation against Nashville SC’s reserve club, serving their 2024 goals leader Dylan Sing as the lone striker up top with five midfielders, including Ferna Ferreira as central attacking midfielder (CAM).
Huntsville City FC (1-1-2-2, 7 Points) opted for a 4-2-3-1, playing with a double pivot. The team also featured a lone striker at the top of the formation: Gunnar Studenhofft, making his first start for Huntsville.
The game started off electric, with the ball barely staying on the ground. A series of headers and a cross by Blake Bowen of Huntsville caught Crown Legacy off guard, almost resulting in a 20-second goal by Christian Koffi, who’s striving to make a name for himself in his first season with the Boys in Blue.
In the 26th minute, on a Huntsville counterattack, it looked like the visitors were about to score their first of the night—but George Marks had other plans, making two back-to-back saves to keep the scoreline even at 0-0.
A series of poor touches by the Legacy led to another Huntsville attack. Koffi spread the play wide and got a shot off, but it was blocked. Another shot followed—blocked again. The center-back partnership of Jamie Smith, son of Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith, and homegrown player Jack Neeley kept their team alive until a dangerous cross by Huntsville’s Bowen caused an untimely error by Crown Legacy defender Luke Munson - an academy product in his first professional match - who committed a handball foul in the box while trying to clear it.
That 28th minute mistake led to a penalty, which Koffi buried past Marks, putting the visitors ahead 0-1 with 60 minutes of play left.
The pressure was on the Legacy, and Huntsville stayed relentless. Another attack led to Ethan O’Brien hitting the woodwork, with the rebound resulting in a goal that was ruled offsides. The Legacy were lucky to escape a 0-2 deficit in the first half.
Styles of Play
Crown Legacy prioritized deep-lying playmaking from their defenders, opting to play centrally for most of the game—likely a decision based on their formation, which relies heavily on a lone striker and an advanced CAM.
Huntsville, on the other hand, utilized the width of the pitch, whipping in crosses that gave the home side plenty of problems. This was evident again in the 40th minute, when another dangerous cross perturbed the Legacy into trouble—only for a referee’s whistle to relieve the pressure.
In the same minute, Crown Legacy responded to get their best chance of the night so far.
A long ball from Mikah Thomas - who played as a box to box fullback all night - made it to homegrown hero Brian Romero, who used his body well to fight off Huntsville defenders—but he couldn’t finish off the chance.
Right before the halftime whistle, Studenhofft fouled Smith, earning a yellow card.
Despite conceding in the first half, Crown Legacy maintained the same a strong defensive presence they’ve had all year, with the backline and their first team goalkeeper making crucial stops to keep the team in the match. In the last 15 minutes of the half, they picked up the tempo and created more chances, aiming to carry that energy into the second half, while Huntsville looked to extend their lead.
Smith Equalizes in the Second Half
The game held steady until the 62nd minute, when The Crown began utilizing the width of the Sportsplex pitch. They got a shot off that forced Huntsville keeper Xavier Valdez out of hiding.
Throughout the second half, The Crown appeared to be testing Valdez more, delivering crosses and applying pressure. Romero dropped deeper and sent in a stellar ball that forced Valdez off his line to punch it clear—right to Legacy substitute Andrej Subotić, whose powerful volley was saved.
A poor giveaway by the Huntsville defense led to a shot by Emmanuel Uchegbu in his Crown Legacy debut, but again, Valdez was there.
Crown Legacy coach Gary Dicker turned up the heat in the 68th minute, substituting defender Munson for more of an attacking option in Barzee Blama.
As the game progressed, it became clear that the Legacy’s biggest threats were coming from Romero’s crosses. In the 75th minute, one such delivery narrowly missed a connection. Seconds after, a foul on the sideline led to a Crown free kick.
Legacy’s 2024 leader in goal contributions, Aron John, mishit the set piece, which Huntsville failed to clear effectively. A clever header pass from Sing found Smith, who slotted home the equalizer in the 76th minute.
Smith’s goal - his first since joining the Legacy earlier this year - was well-deserved after saving his side multiple times in the first half with strong defensive play.
After the equalizer, the intensity remained high. A flurry of crosses, corners, and one final counterattack by the Legacy fizzled out due to a heavy touch. As the 90th minute approached, both sides chased a winner, anticipating penalties.
In the 89th minute, The Crown had another chance—a free header from a set piece went over the bar. The drama continued.
In added time, a deep ball to the near post nearly found Sing, but he couldn’t control it.
Penalties Prove Too Much for Legacy
The final moments of regulation belonged to Crown Legacy, but they couldn’t capitalize - taking the match to penalties.
If you remember the first-ever MLS NEXT Pro match for Crown Legacy at the Sportsplex, this was deja vu as both sides went to penalties in that match as well.
Penalty Shootout
Huntsville City FC wins on penalties, 3-4
Crown Legacy FC Goalkeeper
George Marks
Huntsville City FC Goalkeeper
Xavier Valdez
Jack Neeley for Crown Legacy FC
Buried! 1–0
Gio Miglietti for Huntsville City FC
Misses over the bar! 1–0
Aron John (CLFC)
Scores! 2–0
Zach Barrett (HCFC)
Rockets it in. 2–1
Jack Sarkos (CLFC)
Saved by Valdez! 2–1
Ethan O’Brien (HCFC)
Calm finish, bottom corner. 2–2
Andrej Subotić (CLFC)
Sends it wide! 2-2
Real Gill (HCFC)
The Trinidad and Tobago native scores. 2–3
Jamie Smith (CLFC)
The hero steps up again... and scores! 3–3
Bowen (HCFC)
Converts under pressure. 3–4, Huntsville win.
Both Crown players who failed to convert - Sarkos and Subotić - came off the bench, with the result being despite a solid defensive effort and Smith’s goal, Legacy drew and dropped the extra point - with the same 3-4 shootout result the teams had in their first meeting at the Sportsplex.
Crown Legacy look to bounce back, take the positives, review the negatives, and bring a fresh approach as they face independent club Chattanooga FC on Saturday.
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