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Silverbacks Blow Two-Goal Halftime Lead, Fall to Rowdies 3-2

July 12, 2014 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Atlanta Silverbacks News Release


St. Petersburg, Fla. "" The Atlanta Silverbacks threw away a two-goal halftime lead and fell to the Tampa Bay Rowdies, 3-2, in the NASL Fall Season Opener at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla. Rowdies forward Georgi Hristov struck in second-half stoppage time with a header from a corner kick, sealing all three points for the home side. First-half goals from midfielder Junior Burgos and forward Deon McCaulay looked to have the Silverbacks in a comfortable position, but forward Casey Townsend and Hristov (twice) earned the Rowdies a last-gasp victory.

Coming off a 3-1 loss to the Chicago Fire in the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals, the Silverbacks featured a few notable changes to the lineup. Defender Borfor Carr and forward Jaime Chavez started after sitting out Wednesday's game against the Fire, while defenders Abdul Bangura and Mitch Garcia were handed rare starts in place of Mike Randolph and the departed Beto Navarro.

Despite playing a game against Major League Soccer (MLS) opposition just a few days ago, the Silverbacks were the ones that got off to a brighter start in Tampa Bay. Burgos nearly connected with McCaulay in the 12th minute, with the Belizean front man firing just over the bar with a sliding effort.

Burgos and McCaulay were the Silverbacks' shining stars in the first half, and they started to show it in the 27th minute. The hosts failed to pressure Burgos through the midfield, allowing the San Francisco, Calif. native to unleash a 25-yard rocket past Rowdies goalkeeper Matt Pickens for a 1-0 Silverbacks lead.

After the Rowdies tested Silverbacks goalkeeper Derby Carrillo on a pair of occasions midway through the first half, it was McCaulay's turn to beat Pickens. In the 42nd minute, midfielder Jesus Gonzalez floated a pass over the top of the Rowdies defense, giving McCaulay the chance to dribble into the box and fire a low shot through Pickens' legs and into the net for a 2-0 advantage.

The Rowdies nearly pulled one back in first-half stoppage time when defender Takuya Yamada saw his point-blank header cleared off the line by Garcia. It was the best chance of the half for the Rowdies, who felt desperately unlucky not to find the net on that play.

The Silverbacks picked up where they left off after halftime, looking like the more dangerous side. Chavez stung the palms of Pickens with a hard shot early in the second half, continuing his side's strong performance.

After that moment, though, the Silverbacks looked a bit shakier, and in the 58th minute, they were picking the ball out of their net. A poor line of communication between Carr and Carrillo allowed Townsend to pounce on a loose ball and poke it in from close range to cut the Silverbacks' lead in half at 2-1.

The Rowdies played confidently after that goal, and they quickly grabbed the equalizer through Hristov. Carrillo was again involved, seeing his clearance fall right to the Bulgarian in the penalty area, allowing him to fire it into an open net to tie the game at 2-2.

Until substitute midfielder Kwadwo Poku nearly grabbed the go-ahead goal for the Silverbacks in the 88th minute, it was all Rowdies. Carrillo was forced to make a few big saves as the Silverbacks tried to get out of Al Lang Stadium with a draw.

The Silverbacks weren't able to hold the result, though, as Hristov struck again. Last year's NASL MVP has been a thorn in the Silverbacks' side since joining the league, and nothing changed on Saturday night. The Rowdies forward powered a diving header past Carrillo in stoppage time to give the Rowdies the perfect start to their NASL Fall Season campaign.

Technical Director Eric Wynalda's side now returns home to Atlanta for a pair of home games against FC Edmonton and Minnesota United FC on July 19 and 26 respectively. To purchase tickets, call 404-969-4900 or visit atlantasilverbacksfc.com.

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