Birmingham Legion FC created some international buzz after scoring two goals against Atlanta United over the weekend.

It’s not for the reason you’re thinking.

It was a bit surreal to witness Birmingham’s upstart soccer club play so well against Atlanta United of Major League Soccer on Saturday, but things really got bonkers after the match. Birmingham Legion FC lost 3-2 after a controversial goal in the 90th minute, but it was a viral video that people in England were talking about.

The video is of the Magic City Brigade, which is Birmingham Legion FC’s supporters’ group. After Birmingham Legion FC’s second goal against Atlanta, the supporters’ group began singing a celebratory song to the tune of “Walking in a Winter Wonderland.” The song was directed at fans of Atlanta United, who showed up in force to BBVA Field and were standing a few sections down the bleachers from the Magic City Brigade.

Birmingham Legion FC supporters’ group Magic City Brigade enjoying two goals against Atlanta United. #3Sparks pic.twitter.com/YuZ806IYem — Joseph Goodman (@JoeGoodmanJr) February 8, 2020

A portion of the song in the video:

“Over there it’s so quiet,

“Over here it’s a riot,

“Walking along,

“Singing a song,

“Walking in a Legion wonderland.”

It’s not exactly “Dixieland Delight” on a Saturday night, which would be Alabama’s proper equivalent to supporters’ chants in England, but it was fun all the same.

The quaintness and adorability of Birmingham Legion FC’s supporters’ group created some buzz across the pond. There were trolls, of course, but seasoned soccer fans in England and beyond were a bit enamored with the politeness and civility of Birmingham’s loyal fans. Hey, this is the Deep South. As the saying goes, it’s nice to have you in Birmingham.

Or, as Legion’s fans now say, it’s nice to beat you in Birmingham.

There were laughs, and deadpanned jokes, and funny English sayings that I don’t really understand.

“Limbs,” wrote one fan of Birmingham City FC.

No clue.

There was a call for a ban on American soccer by NATO.

The video went viral after a few soccer news accounts wrote about it. Advice from fans of the storied soccer club Birmingham City FC in Birmingham, England started rolling in. Hundreds of comments about Birmingham Legion FC then began popping up from Twitter accounts based out of England, and even as far away as New Zealand and Dubai.

“So our American cousins … we need to talk,” wrote one fan.

AL.com’s own reporter from Scotland, Christopher Harress, even had a good chuckle.

“Ugh, American soccer fans are way too wholesome,” Harress wrote. “And the songs [insert do not enter emoji.]”

It wasn’t all bad because something completely unexpected began to happen, a demonstration of the power of sports in the age of social media. Birmingham City FC fans in England started to throw their support behind Birmingham Legion FC in a big way. International partnerships were formed.

“Our social has blown up,” said Clayton Humphries, Legion FC’s director of communications and marketing. “We’ve gained over 1,000 followers in the last two days.”

“Up the Legion,” wrote Birmingham City FC fans one after another.

There have been purchase orders from Birmingham, England, for Legion FC merchandise. A Birmingham City FC supporter is sending me a shirt from England of their club.

Crazy as it sounds, BCFC supporters on Twitter then started to troll Birmingham Legion FC’s rival club, Memphis 901 FC. Fans of both Birmingham clubs started conversations about an exhibition match between the two teams.

“A friendly is not out of the question,” Birmingham Legion FC president Jay Heaps said, “but it would probably have to be in the summer during their preseason.”

If Birmingham Legion FC hosted Birmingham City FC in a friendly, would that be the first international derby in soccer history? What a legendary day that would be. Not sure if the lads from Birmingham, England, could handle our beer, though.

Birmingham Legion FC begins its regular season on March 15 with a home game against Charleston Battery. Expect to see some support from Birmingham Legion FC’s new friends in Birmingham, England.

Birmingham Legion FC forward Rudolf Mensah (14) scores a goal during the second half of the Atlanta United FC at Birmingham Legion FC pro soccer exhibition game, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020, at BBVA Compass Field in Birmingham, Ala. (Photo by Vasha Hunt)Vasha Hunt

MENSAH MADNESS

Birmingham Legion FC made some serious roster upgrades for Year Two of the club, and they were on display against Atlanta United in Birmingham’s preseason match. Legion FC only trailed Atlanta 1-0 at the break, which was a good result considering Atlanta started many of their first-team regulars and Birmingham Legion FC only had one week of training before the match.

Both teams played their reserves for most of the second half, and Birmingham tied the match with a goal from Rudolf Mensah that sent BBVA Field into a frenzy.

Mensah is an 18-year-old from Ghana and only arrived in the U.S. last week. His first goal in The States came against one of the biggest clubs in the country, and in dramatic fashion. Talk about a lifelong memory. Legion FC coach Tommy Soehn was a veteran talent scout for several MLS clubs before joining Birmingham Legion FC, and his expertise has paid dividends for the club.

Soehn and Legion FC team president Jay Heaps made a trip to Ghana in the offseason to scout players, and they signed Mensah from Ghanaian Premier League club Liberty Professionals FC.

With the addition of Mensah, Legion FC now has four Ghanian internationals on the squad. The others are midfielders Prosper Kasim, Anderson Asiedu and defender Razak Cromwell.

Kasim led Birmingham Legion FC in goals last season, and Asiedu is a pick up from Atlanta United who played college at UCLA. Cromwell played for Dreams FC in Ghana.

Soehn said the players from Ghana appreciate the opportunity to play for an American club.

“I think part of the reason I enjoy them is because when they come, they’ve got a lot more to fight for than your average Joe because they don’t have a whole lot to go back to, and you can’t teach that in some respects,” Soehn said. “And they’re always willing to learn. They come from really good environments, the clubs that we got them from are very good at identifying good kids, and when you give those kids a chance, lots of times they reward you with the effort that you just can’t imagine because their end all, be all is to stay here because they don’t want to go back to what they came from. And sometimes having that is more than any incentive they can have.”

Joseph Goodman is a columnist for the Alabama Media Group. He’s on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.