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Preview: Breakdown the #BattleFor1st Position by Position

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


ATLANTA DEFENSE vs. NEW YORK ATTACK

New York Cosmos forward Raúl's debut season in NASL comes to Atlanta as the Silverbacks defense prepares for a Saturday night showdown with the former Real Madrid star, part of a key battle to decide first place in the NASL Spring Season.

Keeping Raúl and the rest of the Cosmos attack off the scoreboard will be a challenge for the Silverbacks (1-0-2, 5 points), but it's a welcome one for a progressing Atlanta defensive unit that's only allowed one goal in open play through three unbeaten regular season matches. Only New York (1) has a better goals against record than Atlanta of clubs that have played three matches.

Though they're still developing in their first Silverbacks season, head coach Gary Smith's four starting defenders have participated in every minute of the 270 played. Center back Simon Mensing , the side's captain, partners with Rauwshan McKenzie in the middle, between right back Kyle Miller and left back Paul Black .

"With New York coming to town, it's a test for all of us individually and collectively," Mensing said. "But it's a test we're looking forward to."

Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese, Smith's counterpart, has lined his side up in a broadly 4-2-3-1 formation to this point, with Raúl playing behind striker Mads Stokkelien and Leo Fernandes and Walter Restrepo playing on the wings. New York's four goals - Raúl (1), Leo Fernandes (2), Marcos Senna (1) - place them right in the middle of the NASL goalscoring pack after three weeks of Spring Season action.

Raúl's lone Cosmos goal came in the second of his three starts game when he headed home a Walter Restrepo cross in a draw against Indy Eleven. Raúl didn't score in New York's 2-0 defeat of Tampa Bay last weekend, but the forward managed a full 90 minutes - something that may be even more important to the Cosmos after the 37-year-old has battled hamstring problems.

"There's no doubt in Raúl's ability and the career that he's had so far," Mensing said. "It's something that we'll be aware of, but that's something we're more than capable of handling."

Further forward than the withdrawn Raúl will be Mads Stokkelien, who is the Cosmos' tallest forward at 6-foot-2. Playing every minute so far, Stokkelien has yet to register a goal in his second season at the club, but the former Norwegian youth international and drew a handball penalty against Tampa Bay and scored 11 goals in all competitions for the Cosmos last season, including twice against the Silverbacks.

"You have to try and set a tone early to let them know you won't be bullied," McKenzie said.

In wide areas, Cosmos winger Walter Restrepo has earned three assists on the season, and on the opposite flank, Leo Fernandes, on loan from Philadelphia Union, has scored twice in his three starts, which puts him level with Silverbacks forward Shaka Bangura and four other players for the league lead. Restrepo, a mainstay in NASL with time in Fort Lauderdale and San Antonio since 2011, has been most involved in the Cosmos' goalscoring chances: Despite not scoring, the 2014 Best XI honoree assisted each of the three New York goals scored from open play, and it was from his cross that Stokkelien earned Senna's penalty goal.

Similar to the threat RailHawks midfielder Tiyi Shipalane brought to the table last week, Restrepo and Fernandes will keep Miller and Black busy on the edge. Miller, who assisted Jon Okafor 's goal against Carolina, and frequent set-piece taker Black enjoy the attacking potential from their outside back spots, but picking their spots will be essential against the Cosmos.

"We'll definitely try to get forward," Miller said. "At the same time, we have to be aware of their attacking players and how they like to find those gaps and weaknesses."

Named alongside Silverbacks midfielder Alex Harlley as young player to watch in NASL this year, 23-year old Sebastian Guenzatti could also feature as a Cosmos substitute. Guenzatti was projected by some to start for the Cosmos this year, and the Uruguayan scored in the final match between the sides in 2014.

Lucky Mkosana, David Diosa, and Haji Wright - one of the stars of the U-17 U.S. men's national team - round out New York's attacking corps. Mksona came on twice as a substitute, replacing Raúl in stoppage time against Tampa Bay. Wright's New York signing brought the sought-after prospect further into the spotlight, but he hasn't appeared since inking his professional deal.

MIDFIELD vs. MIDFIELD

Silverbacks head coach Gary Smith and New York Cosmos boss Giovanni Savarese have both selected the same starting lineups throughout the clubs' respective first three weeks, giving a pretty clear indication of the matchups that will unfold Saturday night (7:30, ESPN3) when the sides compete for position at the top of the Spring Season table at Silverbacks Park.

Cosmos midfielders Marcos Senna and Danny Szetela both started for New York in Soccer Bowl 2013, and it was Senna's goal that helped the Cosmos lift the NASL trophy after defeating the Silverbacks. Though New York returns with familiar faces, Atlanta looks far different than even last season - much less the Soccer Bowl. In their fourth regular season game in Atlanta, Michael Reed and Dominic Oppong will likely match up with Senna and Szetela from the start, but there's a lot more going on in midfield areas than a simple two-on-two scenario.

Here's what to expect in midfield areas in Saturday night's #BattleFor1st, presented by The Joint Chiropractic :

Yellow Submarine turned Cosmos green

It's an unavoidable truth that forwards will receive the majority of attention when compared to their more defensive counterparts. Raul's debut tour in the league will grab most headlines throughout his first trip through the states, but further back in the New York spine, former Villarreal central midfielder Marcos Senna remains as vital as ever for the Cosmos since signing in 2013. If Raul is now considered the star man, then Senna must at least be the screenwriter or producer of the Cosmos' film.

Make no mistake: Senna is still key for New York's efforts, at least until Raul's first tour of duty in NASL picks up more steam. Two Team of the Week mentions for Senna so far signify that the 38-year-old midfielder won't be going anywhere. For the Cosmos, Senna has much more freedom than he did for, say, the Spanish national team that won Euro 2008, and he relishes the role. Taking many of the team's set pieces and frequently making bursts forward with the work-rate of a much younger player, the Brazilian-born Senna can strike on his own, as evidenced by his Soccer Bowl match-winner at Silverbacks Park in 2013.

New York's versatile Danny Szetela

Senna's partner Danny Szetela recovered from a knee injury that threatened his career, joining the Cosmos in 2013 and becoming a useful partner to Senna in the center of the field. Szetela's versatility gives Senna enough freedom to dictate play where he's needed. When Senna gets involved high up the field in attack, Szetela can cover for him; When Senna drops deeper, Szetela can handle himself upfield. It looks like a double pivot at times, but the 27-year-old's willingness to defer to Senna and plug in where needed is an underrated asset for the Cosmos.

Budding Silverbacks pair in midfield

Countering Senna and Szetela will be Silverbacks central midfielders Reed and Oppong, who have started each of the Spring Season games, like their midfield opponents. Atlanta's pair, both newcomers for the Silverbacks, continue to grow in understanding with each other and have no problem doing the more defensive work in midfield while attacking players like Jonathan Okafor and Kyle Porter .

Reed's box-to-box ability that Smith spoke about when the midfielder first signed will be crucial here, especially if it can hit the Cosmos on a counter-attack or force some miscommunication. Though he hasn't scored in preseason or the Spring Season, Reed has displayed a few moments of skill - like a spin away from three Indy players in the opener - that indicate he's more than just a holding midfielder. Oppong's strength could also come into play if the Atlanta-New York matchup becomes as physical as the Carolina game did for the Silverbacks.

Raul dropping deep

New York's much-discussed attacker has the goalscoring pedigree of a prodigious No. 9, but a varied skillset allows him to drop deep to get more involved in build-up play than the average forward. Flooding the midfield provides an easier outlet for Senna and Szetela while striker Mads Stokkelien tries to occupy the other team's central defenders. A few times against the Rowdies, Raul created what could have been golden opportunities for his fellow Cosmos that didn't quite come off, but not for any fault of the Spaniard.

How will the Silverbacks deal with Raul's moves away from goal? A pursuing center back would leave Atlanta open at the back, and dedicating a midfielder to Raul frees up Senna or Szetela to create from deeper. Raul joining into midfield presents Smith with what will likely be his most intriguing strategic question to date in Atlanta.

Silverbacks wildcard: M/F Hans Denissen

Speaking of versatile, attack-minded players who blur the lines between midfielder and striker: Atlanta's Hans Denissen has now appeared in two consecutive games in his first Atlanta season and added a spark each time he took the field. Assuming a supersub role with 34 minutes played in the Silverbacks' last two matches, Denissen has replaced either Okafor or Shaka Bangura , slotting into the No. 10 role for Atlanta.

Along with his importance going forward, a Denissen appearance - whether from the bench or a start - would give Smith a natural counterpart to press New York's deepest-lying midfielder without giving Reed too much to deal with. Welcoming his former team (Denissen played for the Cosmos in 2014) to his new home, Denissen's calm confidence on the ball becomes an asset every team he enters the game.

Keep an eye out for: Cosmos CM Adam Moffat

The 28-year old Scottish midfielder has played for 25 percent of Major League Soccer's active clubs, before joining the Cosmos in early January after his latest spell at FC Dallas. Sparse playing time early on in his New York tenure might not insert him into the spotlight - but Moffat has enough experience, especially in North American soccer, that an impact would be no surprise whenever the time comes. Though Moffat hasn't surpassed the entrenched Szetela for a starting role, he could make a late appearance if New York decides for even more control in midfield.

With one substitute appearance each on the season, players like Andres Flores and the versatile Jimmy Mulligan also may play a role from the bench in the Cosmos midfield.

Help on the edge

Strong wing play from both teams also factors in midfield exchanges. We'll elaborate more upon the Silverbacks duo of Porter and Okafor (1 goal each) in the next positional breakdown, but with no trouble coming infield or switching between flanks, they give Atlanta chances to tinker as the game goes and can do more than just win 1-v-1 battles.

New York has found most its statistical productivity from wingers this season - Philadelphia Union loanee Leo Fernandes (2 goals) on the left, and Walter Restrepo (3 assists) on the right. To combat the Cosmos on the flanks, defensive duty from the Silverbacks attacking midfielders will be needed, as it was when they helped left back Paul Black mark Carolina's Tiyi Shipalane last weekend.

ATLANTA ATTACK vs. NEW YORK DEFENSE

Coming off the Silverbacks' first multi-goal performance of the Spring Season, the in-form New York Cosmos back line will test an Atlanta attacking corps that has eyes on putting together its first win over the Cosmos.

Through three games, the Silverbacks (1-0-2, 5 points) have scored four times, just above the current league average of 3.45. One goal each came from draws against Indy Eleven and Ottawa Fury FC, before Saturday night's 2-1 win over the Carolina RailHawks doubled the sum on the road at WakeMed Soccer Park.

For the Silverbacks to achieve something that's evaded the franchise during the entire modern era - a win against the New York Cosmos - they'll need to put the ball in the net against the league's stingiest defense, as the Cosmos have only surrendered a league-best one goal to date.

The #BattleFor1st kicks off at 7:30 on Saturday at Atlanta Silverbacks Park, presented by The Joint Chiropractic . Tickets are availble here .

Projected Cosmos Defensive Starters:

LB: Ayoze Perez #17

CB: Carlos Mendes #4

CB: Roversio #6

RB: Hunter Gorskie #3

GK: Jimmy Maurer #1

New York's veteran defensive unit does not have a ton of depth, but they've been in the Cosmos organization long enough to develop an understanding as a collective. Though more famous teammates like Senna and Raul play further up the pitch, the Cosmos defenders have been stout early. Roversio was named to the NASL Team of the Week for his defensive performance in the clean sheet against Tampa Bay.

In goal, Maurer, a St. Plus product from Lawrenceville, played for the Silverbacks in 2011 and now returns again with the Cosmos, playing behind their top-ranked defense.

Haven't appeared:

Samuel Caceres: On loan from Argentine club Nueva Chicago, the Paraguayan defender had visa troubles early but a Cosmos debut could be coming soon. At 6-feet, 180 pounds, Caceres has the physical stature to make an early impact when the he gets his chance.

Hunter Freeman: An injury has kept the Cosmos' 2014 player of the year from participating in the early parts of the season. He'll likely will miss the Atlanta game as well before returning to full training next week, according to reports of Cosmos head coach Giovanni Savarese's latest teleconference.

Silverbacks forwards

For all the slippery dribbling, pace, and elusiveness Shaka Bangura brings to the table, it was his instinctual finishes that put him as one of six NASL players already with two goals. Bangura's quickness could impact most greatly in counterattacks against the Cosmos, He's hard for opposition to dispossess, and the failed clearance on which he pounced for his blast against Carolina, which was a NASL Play of the Week nominee, occurred after his on-ball skill kept the move alive to dish the ball out to the wing.

Will the other forwards find a goal Saturday night? Neither Matt Horth nor Jaime Chavez have scored so far, despite close calls for both. Horth nearly snuck one through Romuald Peiser's legs against Ottawa, and Chavez would have tapped in a third against Carolina if he would've seen a bouncing rebound in his peripherals. It's still early enough in the Spring Season that getting the first goal could really boost a nice run. Will Saturday night be the night for either Chavez or Horth?

Chavez led the Club in scoring with 11 goals across all competitions last year, his first in Atlanta. During the first three games, however, he's been a substitute in Gary Smith's plans, usually replacing Horth midway through the second period. The arrangement works well, and a fresh Chavez entering the game in later stages can really trouble fatigued center backs. Both Horth and Chavez do have the size to create interesting physical matchups with Cosmos central defenders Mendes and Roversio.

Along with Horth and Bangura, wingers Kyle Porter and Jonathan Okafor essentially operate as forwards when the Silverbacks are in possession. Smith touched on the forward instincts of Porter and Okafor to media after the Carolina game when asked if he was surprised Okafor was able to get on the end of Kyle Miller 's second-half cross to double the Silverbacks' lead. With a goal each and frequent involvement in the first three matches, Atlanta's new wing players have adjusted well and could take another step against the Cosmos.

For tickets to the #BattleFor1st between the Silverbacks and Cosmos presented by The Joint Chiropractic - call the Silverbacks Ticket Office at 404-969-4900 (tel:404-969-4900).

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