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Silverbacks Begin Three-Game Road Stretch in Fort Lauderdale Tonight

August 16, 2014 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Atlanta Silverbacks News Release


Atlanta, Ga. (August 16, 2014) - With the race to The Championship setting up to be leap-frog style, the Atlanta Silverbacks this weekend begin arguably their toughest stretch of the season.

The Silverbacks head to Fort Lauderdale Saturday (7:30 pm live on NASLlive.com; viewing party at the Elder Tree) for the first of three consecutive road games, entering the weekend four points behind the 4th place Strikers in the Combined standings, with a game in hand. And they'll be seeking to close the gap after dropping last week's home match to the NY Cosmos, 2-1.

"I thought we were possibly going to get three points here at home," Atlanta head coach Jason Smith told AtlantaSilverbacksFC.com this week. "We got reduced to ten men, so it's kind of a hard game to use as a gauge. But at the end of the day, now we have to make up some ground."

The Silverback led NY, 1-0, in the 20th minute before weather delayed the game for three and a half hours. Shortly after play resumed, the Silverbacks went down a man when midfielder Junior Sandoval was shown a red card following a foul. The Cosmos proceeded to score twice on the short-handed home side and left town with the victory.

"I expect to get three points all the time at home," Smith added as he looked ahead to Saturday's match in Florida. "And when we don't we have to make it up on the road. So, we need three points."

Atlanta has lost their last three encounters against the Strikers, including 4-0 at Lockhart Stadium on May 10 and 6-2 last October, also in Florida. On both occasions the Silverbacks surrendered goals after going down a man.

"You're supposed to forget games like that, but as a goalkeeper, especially, you always think about those games," said Silverbacks goalkeeper Eric Ati, who was in goal for both matches and has been named the starter for the weekend. "You try to learn from it and move on. It was a lack of concentration, as a team. They were sharper and wanted the game more."

Ati returns to goal for the first time since June 7, when he left the match against Indy Eleven with a right quadriceps strain. Atlanta had brought in former Silverbacks goalkeeper Joe Nasco on loan from MLS's Colorado Rapids for the last four games, however he was recalled by the Rapids this week.

"Eric's looked good, and he's going to have his chance," Smith said. "Right now he's healthy. Talking to (goalkeeper coach) Warren (Steemkamp), it's the best he's been playing yet."

Ati is also looking forward to reversing the recent outcomes against the Strikers.

"They've punished us the last two matches we've been there, so we have to go out there with a little fire in our belly, a chip on our shoulders," he said.

The Silverbacks will visit the San Antonio Scorpions next week (August 23) and then travel to face the Carolina Railhawks on August 30 before returning home to host Indy Eleven on September 6.

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