Metros let points slip away in tie with Atlanta

Published on May 13, 2006 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Atlanta Silverbacks News Release


Nashville - The Nashville Metros built a 2-0 first half lead at their 2006 home opener on Saturday night but could not put the game away as the Atlanta Silverbacks stormed back with two late Damone Priestley goals to earn a 2-2 draw at Ezell Park Stadium.

The Metros (0-1-2, 2 points) nevertheless grabbed second place in the South Atlantic Division with their second consecutive tie. They trail the undefeated division-leading Carolina Dynamo (3-0-0, 9 points), who were playing the Central Florida Kraze on Saturday night in Orlando. The Dynamo will make their first-ever visit to Nashville at 7 p.m. next Saturday night.

The match marked the resumption in the Premier Development League of the series for the Willie B. Cup, a trophy awarded to the winner of the season series between the teams when they played against each other in United Soccer Leagues First Division from 2000-2002. After Saturday's tie, the series will be decided in the final two games of the season for both teams when Nashville visits Atlanta on July 20 and the Silverbacks return to Nashville on July 22.

The match Saturday night was one the Metros should have won, taking a 2-0 lead into the final 10 minutes of the match, outshooting the Silverbacks 9-7 and playing with more intensity and discipline than they showed in a two-game road trip to open the season last weekend.

The Metros misfired on a couple of solid scoring chances in the first five minutes of the match as both forwards Pasi Kinturi and Igor Stjepic had point-blank shots blocked by Atlanta defenders. The Metros survived a similar close call in the 27th minute, when goalkeeper Daryl Sattler got tied up in a knot of players in front of his goal on an Atlanta corner kick. As a bouncing ball trickled behind him, midfielder Daniel Payne made a great effort to clear it off the Nashville goal line and out of danger.

The Metros finally drew first blood in the 32nd minute following some nice ball movement just outside the Atlanta box. Finding a seam between two defenders, veteran Metros midfielder Mark Photivihok knifed into the box only to find the Atlanta defense collapsing hard on him. The former Father Ryan standout, now playing collegiately at Belmont, was taken down hard by Silverbacks defender Dame Walters to earn a penalty kick, which was buried into the left corner of the goal by Stjepic to give the Metros a 1-0 lead.

Nashville struck again just moments before halftime when Payne streaked down the left side on a counterattack that seemed to catch Atlanta napping. He dropped the ball off for Photivihok at the top of the box and his quick pass found all-time Metros scoring leader Pasi Kinturi sneaking behind the defense near the goal. Kinturi made a quick move to elude Silverbacks goalkeeper Jeremy Padgett and calmly slipped the ball into the net to give the Metros a 2-0 advantage.

The second half was evenly played and Nashville seemed content to hold the Silverbacks at bay until a flurry of late substitutions for both teams beginning in the 66th minute. Atlanta was able to step up its pressure on the Metros as the Nashville team seemed to lose some of its poise and organization.

The pressure began to pay dividends in the 80th minute when a Nashville defender was forced to foul an Atlanta attacker about 25 yards from the goal. An excellent free kick from Atlanta's John Drummond seemed to have eyes for the far post, where a diving Priestley was able to head it into the net to cut Nashville's lead in half.

The Silverbacks kept up their pressure into the final minute of the match when they built a nice attack on the left side. Keeping possession of the ball, they waited until Priestley found an opening on the left side, took a pass from Nick Wyatt and blasting it past Sattler to for the tying score.

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USL First Division Stories from May 13, 2006


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