Morning News from Jay Heaps

If you’re not aware, club president Jay Heaps frequently appears on Friday editions of The Morning Blend on Birmingham Mountain Radio (107.3FM), hosted by Scott Register and Will Lochamy. Scott (Twitter handle: @RegsCoffeeHouse) in particular is a huge promoter of the Legion, possibly the biggest in local media.

Today Jay had two big news items to reveal. First, the Legion’s home opener against the Tampa Bay Rowdies will be televised nationally on ESPN2. He also suggested that the game could be moved to ESPN itself if ticket sales are strong enough. That obviously is even more of an incentive to get your family and friends to buy tickets (I am of course assuming that regular readers have already bought their season tickets). Some of you may be aware that Anderson Asiedu wants to see 20,000 in the stands (he said this in an interview on Kaylor Hodges’ Hammering Down podcast – a must listen for all Three Sparks fans). Don’t let him down.

The second item was a new signing announcement. He had teased this yesterday, and some were perhaps anticipating a big name. Well, that might eventually come to be, as the signee is more of an investment for the future than an immediate impact player. He is Matthew Corcoran. Matthew is just over a month shy of his sixteenth birthday. In comparison, Jaden Servania was already well over 18 when he signed with the team.

Corcoran, a Texas native, is a product of the FC Dallas academy system. That system is the gold standard in US youth soccer development, and helped develop Birmingham’s own Chris Richards and Tanner Tessman who both play in top tier European leagues and with the USMNT. FCD also has a reserve team, North Texas SC ( Jaden’s older brother Brandon, who is still with FC Dallas, played for them too). Until this year the team played in USL League One (it is now part of MLS Next Pro). Corcoran is already a pro, having made his debut with North Texas last April. He ultimately played twice for them last season.

His preferred position is holding midfielder, and he is widely considered to be the biggest prospect in his age group (he is also the first 2006 player to play pro). He has trained with the US U14 and U15 teams, and has reportedly been eyed by German clubs (he has trained over there as well). Mexican scouts have also taken notice.

He already has a Birmingham connection: his father Brian played for UAB.