Preview: Atlanta vs. Carolina

April 16, 2015 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Atlanta Silverbacks News Release


CARY, N.C. - Through seven matches - five preseason and the first two weeks of the NASL Spring Season - the Atlanta Silverbacks are unbeaten. Head coach Gary Smith's largely reformatted team, with 17 new faces, has opened the season with a pair of 1-all draws at home.

Match Day 3 offers a much stiffer challenge for Atlanta. The Silverbacks must travel to the Carolina RailHawks for an April 18 showdown with the top-of-the-table club. The RailHawks, one of the NASL's original eight along with Atlanta, is a formidable foe when playing at home.

Carolina is 37-10-8 all-time at WakeMed Soccer Park, having allowed just 63 goals since 2011. Cary is a fortress for the RailHawks, one that the Silverbacks have stolen a positive result from just three out of the teams' eight meetings.

The RailHawks also enter with a two-match unbeaten run after throttling Ottawa, 3-1, at home and drawing Edmonton, 1-1, on the road. With four goals to their account and three goalscorers, the RailHawks forward line may offer a challenge to Atlanta's new-look back four.

At the same time, Atlanta's fresh-faced defense - made up of fullbacks Paul Black and Kyle Miller and center backs Simon Mensing and Rauwshan McKenzie - has yet to allow a run-of-play goal. Indy earned a 94 th-minute penalty in the opener and Ottawa scored off what appeared to be a free-kick cross that was more on-frame than anyone seemed to expect.

Atlanta's two goals came from very different lead-up plays, with Shaka Bangura burying a rocket after a broken free kick left the ball at his feet against Indy. Kyle Porter scored last week against Ottawa after a silky sequence of passes climaxed in his equalizing tap-in touch.

The Silverbacks and RailHawks kickoff at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN3.

Atlanta will then return home to face a rematch of the 2013 Soccer Bowl against the New York Cosmos and Real Madrid legend Raul on April 25 at Atlanta Silverbacks Park.



North American Soccer League Stories from April 16, 2015


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