NASL FC Edmonton

Down to 10-men again, Eddies fight back for a 1-1 draw

Published on June 8, 2013 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
FC Edmonton News Release


ATLANTA, Ga. - It was an all-too-familiar script the Eddies followed on Saturday as they took on the Atlanta Silverbacks in Georgia.

The visitors found it hard to find offense early on but held the home team to just as few chances.

Edmonton's Lance Laing was perhaps the most dangerous in the first 20 minutes. The defender sent a ball in off a free kick in the fourth minute but Silverbacks keeper Eric Ati was able to get to the ball before forward Daryl Fordyce.

Eddie Edward, on the other side of the Eddies backline, put another cross in two minutes later. Fordyce was able to head the ball from the far post, back into the box but it was cleared easily by the Silverbacks defender.

Atlanta had a chance of their own off a free kick in the 10th minute but a good ball in was whistled down because of a foul in the box.

In the 17th minute, Laing sent another ball into the six-yard box. Captain Albert Watson attacked the cross and was run over by Ati but the call went the Silverbacks' way.

Lance Parker in the Edmonton goal had to make his first save in the 18th minute. The keeper was forced to dive to his left and pushed the ball away.

In the 31st minute, once again, the Eddies found themselves down to 10-men as Chris Nurse received his second yellow of the first 45 and was forced off the field.

Neither team was able to find a goal in the first half and the teams went into the locker rooms even at 0-0.

"We'll just have to defend like we have in the first 45. I don't think Atlanta got a shot until the 18th minute," Colin Miller said, regarding his team's first half performance. "I think we're playing well and we'll try to go on the attack in the second half."

The Eddies dodged a massive bullet less than a minute in to the second half. Atlanta's Brad Stisser looked to have scored but the goal was called off because of an offside.

Then the Eddies took over.

Despite being down to 10-men, Edmonton followed their coach's promise to attack and go for the three points.

But before any goal could be scored, Watson was taken down just outside his own 18-yard box by Atlanta's Danny Barrera. The captain had his two front teeth knocked out in the challenge but no foul was called on the play.

Ten-minutes later it was Atlanta who took the lead. Brad Stisser tapped in a cross from Mark Bloom from close range to make the score 1-0 for the Silverbacks.

The injury to their captain, who carried on despite the serious injury, seemed to spark the visitors.

In the 70th minute, Neil Hlavaty stepped up to a free kick from 35-yards out and hit a right-footed shot into the top-left corner of the net.

The score was tied 1-1 and the pressure persisted from the visitors.

Massimo Mirabelli came on for Robert Garrett and the midfielder looked dangerous crossing in balls and taking shots, forcing Ati into several saves.

The valiant effort by 10-men fell short once again in the end but coach Miller was clearly proud of his team's performance.

"This team is so full of character," he said. "Summed up by our captain, Albert Watson who had his two front teeth knocked out here and now he is on his way in an ambulance to get them put back in believe it or not and he continued to play throughout the match."

The Eddies were able to take home a 1-1 draw and keep themselves in the race for the Spring Season championship.

FC Edmonton now sits five points back of the league-leading Carolina RailHawks, the team that comes to Clarke next weekend for a Father's Day clash.

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