Atlanta Travels to Edmonton for Week 8 Clash

May 23, 2015 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Atlanta Silverbacks News Release


ATLANTA - The Atlanta Silverbacks (1-5-1, 8 points) travel to Clarke Field to take on FC Edmonton (1-2-3, 5 points) for their first matchup during the 2015 NASL Spring Season on Sunday (4 p.m., ESPN3).

The Silverbacks, currently sitting fifth in the table, are only one point behind Minnesota United, who occupy the last playoff position at the moment. Atlanta needs a win over Edmonton in order to keep itself toward the top of the table.

It won't be easy.

FC Edmonton has a high-flying attack. They are tied with the New York Cosmos with a league-high 11 goals, even though they have played one game less than the star-studded Cosmos. At 1.83 goals per game, the Eddies attacking trio of Lance Laing, Tomi Ameobi and Sainey Nyassi have been lethal. This attack will have a tough challenge in the Silverbacks, though.

If there's one thing Silverbacks coach Gary Smith has instilled in his team, it's defense. They've listened, too. Atlanta is also tied with the league-leading Cosmos after only giving up five goals so in seven games. While the team has turned Silverbacks Park into a fortress, they've been even stingier on the road, conceding only 0.67 goals per game when playing away. By comparison, the league average is 1.37 goals per game. Unfortunately, the Silverbacks' only loss, a 1-0 game to Minnesota, happened in Blaine, Minn.

While the Eddies' attack is certainly one of the best in the league, their defense is not. The team was outstanding last season, giving up 28 goals in 27 games. So far, this season, the team has conceded 15 goals in only six matches. More than half of those goals were conceded at Clarke Field, too.

A reason for such a lackluster defensive display could come down to the fact that the Eddies will have played seven games through the month of May. Participation in the Amway Canadian Championship has forced Edmonton to rest some of its starters during some of the NASL regular season matches. Its last game in the ACC was a 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on May 20. After playing the last game of the week against Atlanta, it will play the first game the following week against the Ottawa Fury.

While the Eddies haven't been all that great defensively, the Silverbacks have been about has equally ineffective offensively. The team spent the majority of the Spring Season on its heels, scoring only five goals in seven games. That trend could be about to change, though, as midfielder Hans Denissen looks ready to see more action.

Denissen made his first start in the Silverbacks' last game against Jacksonville Armada FC. It didn't take long for Denissen to get involved, either. The Dutchman scored in the 1st minute after a nice bit of passing with forward Jamie Chavez. The team was sorely missing someone in the middle of the park that could connect everything together.

From the beginning of the season, fans have been waiting to see the high-powered attack they had hoped for with each signing. Smith's team is that much closer now, with the return of some talented individuals. Denissen isn't the only one making a return of sorts. Both Kyle Porter, a Canadian international, and Dominic Oppong both spent time with FC Edmonton. They'll have to put familiarity aside as they fight their former team's attack to bring home three points.

No matter the outcome, it's sure to be a good game as the NASL's best attack takes on the league's best defense. The Silverbacks, struggling with a lack of depth due to injuries in the beginning, now have all the pieces to put together a run in the second half of the Spring Season. Bringing home a win from a defensively-weak, fatigued Edmonton team could be enough to kickstart their ascent up the table.



North American Soccer League Stories from May 23, 2015


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