Rowdies vs. Silverbacks - Match Preview
June 21, 2013 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release
Tampa Bay Rowdies at Atlanta Silverbacks
2013 NASL Spring Season
Saturday, June 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Atlanta Silverbacks Park (3200 Atlanta Silverbacks Way, Atlanta, GA 30340)
The match can be seen live online via NASL on Ustream.
Follow us for live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesSoccer.
Records (W-T-L) Tampa Bay: 3-3-4, 12 points, 4th place Atlanta: 5-2-2, 17 points, 1st place
Series History Tampa Bay lost the only meeting in 2013, while leading the 2012 series 1-3-0 (W-T-L) as the Rowdies defeated Atlanta 3-2 on May 19 at Atlanta Silverback Park. Overall, the Rowdies have lost twice since their first meeting in 2011 and have posted a 3-4-2 overall record.
Last Meeting: The reigning NASL Champion Rowdies saw their two-goal advantage disappear in the second half, losing 4-3 to the Silverbacks at Al Lang Stadium on April 20, 2013. Three unanswered goals by Atlanta ended the Rowdies 14 game unbeaten streak at Al Lang Stadium.
Rowdies Notes: Tampa Bay is coming off its second straight league loss, dropping last Saturday's match 2-1 to the San Antonio Scorpions at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla. Scorpions' forward Blake Wagner scored the go-ahead goal in the 37th minute off an indirect free kick from six yards out. The Rowdies would level it up in the 80th minute after a goal by forward Carl Cort, but the Scorpions would regain the lead in the dying minutes thanks to substitute Hans Denissen.
On a positive note, Cort scored his first goal of the season last Saturday after spending most of the Spring Season recovering from a calf injury. Both midfielder Luke Mulholland and forward Georgi Hristov lead the team with four goals and three assists each. Mulholland on the other hand leads the league with 31 shots and 900 minutes, while Hristov is third in the league with 892 minutes. Rowdies goalkeeper Diego Restrepo is fourth in the league with 21 saves this season, playing seven matches.
Scouting Atlanta: The Silverbacks took advantage of Carolina's draw on Sunday and moved into first place after defeating the Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1-0 at Lockhart Stadium. Midfielder Richie Menjivar scored the lone goal off a penalty kick in the final moments of the match. With the win, Atlanta is now 5-2-2 this season with just three matches to be played.
Forward Ruben Luna is tied for second in the league with four goals, while Pedro Mendes has also been an offensive threat scoring three goals this season. Forward Danny Barrera's three assists are tied for fourth in the league, leading the Silverbacks to the top of the table.
Quotable: Rowdies Head Coach Ricky Hill "We know that our chances to win the Spring Season are slim after Saturday's loss, but we will go to Atlanta in search of the win as it may be crucial in the long run. Atlanta is a very talented team and April's match was an example of how dangerous they can be. Our defense must put forth an excellent performance on Saturday if we want to keep the shutout. We can't rely on scoring two or three goals each match to get the three points, and it all starts with not allowing any goals in our net."
Up Next: After the upcoming bye, the Rowdies' final match of the season is the traditional Fourth of July matchup against league rivals Ft. Lauderdale. The Strikers and Rowdies will face off on Thursday, July 4 at 6:30 p.m. ET at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg.
North American Soccer League Stories from June 21, 2013
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- Rowdies News: Week of June 17, 2013 - Tampa Bay Rowdies
- Rowdies vs. Silverbacks - Match Preview - Tampa Bay Rowdies
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