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Silverbacks Going for Two Wins in a Row against Ottawa on Saturday

May 2, 2014 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Atlanta Silverbacks News Release


Coming off an impressive 3-1 road win against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, the Atlanta Silverbacks return home to host NASL newcomers Ottawa Fury FC on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Atlanta Silverbacks Park.

Saturday's matchup presents the Silverbacks, last year's NASL Spring Season Champions, with a huge opportunity to shoot up the league standings. Eric Wynalda's club already passed three teams in the standings last weekend, and will look to continue ascending up the table against the Fury on Saturday night in Atlanta.

Despite outshooting their opponents in the first two games, the Silverbacks only found the net one time. In Tampa, however, the flood gates opened. Midfielder Junior Sandoval put the Silverbacks on top after just seven minutes, and forwards Jaime Chavez and Deon McCaulay added a goal each, earning the team a well-deserved three points.

"I was really pleased with the effort and resilience that our team showed last weekend. To be able to go to Tampa, one of the toughest places in our league to play, and come away with a result was absolutely fantastic," Wynalda said. "Hopefully we can continue our winning ways this Saturday in front of our home fans."

The Fury also grabbed their first win of the season last weekend, crushing the Carolina RailHawks, 4-0, at home. The Canadian side received a standout performance from their Brazilian forward, Oliver Minatel, who posted a hat-trick and earned NASL Player of the Week honors.

"Ottawa is very much like us, in that they got off to a rough start this season. We saw last weekend, however, that they're a side with a ton of quality." Wynalda said. "They beat Carolina emphatically, and we have to be wary of that as we prepare for Saturday."

What makes the Fury different than most opponents is that their roster is comprised mostly of players who are new to the NASL. The Silverbacks will be seeing many of these players for the first time, making the Fury a bit of a mysterious opponent.

Six Canadian players, all who are new to the NASL this year, started in the club's 4-0 win over the RailHawks, joining the likes of Minatel, Maykon (Brazil), Richie Ryan (Ireland), and Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Bosnia). The only familiar face in that group is Ubiparipovic, who has played against the Silverbacks as a member of both the Montreal Impact and Minnesota United FC.

Fury Head Coach Marc Dos Santos has coached at Atlanta Silverbacks Park before. The Canadian was in charge of the Montreal Impact during their only NASL season in 2011. Dos Santos didn't have good luck the last time he was in Atlanta, as his Impact side fell to the Silverbacks, 2-1.

The Silverbacks aren't exactly the easiest team to scout either. Wynalda's side experienced a lot of turnover from last season, giving a bunch of new faces an opportunity to make a name for themselves. The likes of Sandoval and Chavez are doing just that, combining for three goals over the last two games. Another player that has come out of nowhere is defender Edgar Espinoza, who has been rock solid in his first professional season.

After earning such an impressive result over the weekend, it would be hard to believe that Wynalda would change the lineup around much. Midfielder Blair Gavin made his Silverbacks debut in Tampa, and quickly made an argument for why he should be involved more often, posting two assists in the first half. Goalkeeper Eric Ati, who replaced the injured Derby Carrillo midway through the first half of the Tampa game, is in line to start his second straight home game.

Saturday's matchup will be the first ever meeting between the Silverbacks and Fury. Unlike the Silverbacks, the Fury have a mid-week game to play. They travel to Edmonton on Wednesday for the second leg of their Amway Canadian Championship match against FC Edmonton. The first leg finished 0-0. Following Wednesday's match, the Fury will then fly all the way to Atlanta, capping a long week of travel.

The Silverbacks and Fury will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, with parking opening for tailgating at 3 p.m. and stadium gates opening at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are still available through the box office at 404-969-4900.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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