Silverbacks Head North of the Border
May 24, 2015 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
Atlanta Silverbacks News Release
Atlanta Silverbacks in Action
(Atlanta Silverbacks)
Five things to watch:
1. Atlanta puts league-best defensive record on the line
It's a running theme for the Silverbacks defensive unit to be the focus, and against an Edmonton attack that entered Week 8 tied for the league lead with a scoring output of 11 goals, the trend continues Sunday. Atlanta has largely taken care of business against potent challengers in the defensive third -- a clean sheet against New York and holding Jacksonville and Minnesota to a goal each. No opponent has managed multiple goals against the Silverbacks, but Sunday afternoon will be another outing against a squad known for high-scoring contests.
Only four NASL players have already scored at least three goals, and Edmonton has two of them: forward Tomi Ameobi and midfielder Ritchie Jones. Jamaican midfielder Lance Laing, tied at the top of NASL with three assists, has two goals of his own and earned a place on the Reggae Boyz's preliminary roster for their guest appearance in this summer's Copa America. Laing, along with Sainey Nyassi, will be a threat from the Edmonton wing and match up with Atlanta's energetic full backs, Paul Black and Kyle Miller. Last weekend, Daryl Fordyce also joined the goal-scoring action with two opportunistic finishes against the Scorpions that almost held earned a result.
2. Leaky Edmonton defense could let Atlanta back into attacking groove
Edmonton's offense generates a lot of goals, but the success hasn't held up at the other end of the field for the Eddies, which have the league's worst defensive record after letting in 15 goals in six matches. Because they haven't held a single clean sheet during NASL or Canadian Championship play, it will either be a perfect chance for the Silverbacks attackers to find a rhythm or for Edmonton's defense to prove doubters wrong.
Less than 30 seconds into Atlanta's match against Jacksonville, Silverbacks No. 10 Hans Denissen scored his first NASL goal since 2013. A sign of progress, Denissen's quick finish ended a scoreless run for the Atlanta attack that dated back to the Carolina game in mid-April and showed the Dutch playmaker could be due for a resurgence if he's feeling healthy and confident. Atlanta head coach Gary Smith still has options in attack -- the Jacksonville game was one of the first times he really shuffled his deck of attacking cards -- and Sunday has potential for a breakthrough similar to the 2-1 RailHawks game.
3. Clarke Field could be the toughest place to visit in the league
No road contest in NASL will test the Silverbacks more from a geographical and logistical standpoint than the 2,000-plus mile journey from Atlanta to the heart of Alberta. Isolated from most of the clubs in the league, traveling to Edmonton is a challenge even for the closest team, Minnesota United FC, but especially difficult for southeastern teams like the Silverbacks.
Most of the time, the taxing requirements on visitors combine with Edmonton's relentless attack to give the hosts a good chance to earn at least a point. Until losing 3-1 to the San Antonio Scorpions last week, Edmonton had pushed its home unbeaten run in the league to 10 matches, including a 2-1 victory over the Silverbacks in last year's Fall Season finale. Two consecutive losses on the home pitch -- against the Scorpions and midweek against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the domestic cup -- show the Eddies are vulnerable at Clarke Field, but that won't make it any easier on the Silverbacks this weekend.
4. Cup ties surround weekend game for both sides
U.S.-based NASL clubs make debuts into the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup next week for the competition's third round, and the Silverbacks will play on the road against Chattanooga FC of the NPSL less than 72 hours removed from Sunday's contest. Atlanta's rapid turnaround following Sunday's game will test the squad's mettle -- from Edmonton to Atlanta is a long haul by itself, and then factor in Wednesday's cup tie in Tennessee. It wouldn't be shocking to see one of the matches -- probably in Chattanooga -- feature some newer faces to preserve the squad's legs as the Silverbacks begin the season's second competition. Atlanta will be comforted by the fact that the Spring Season bye weekend awaits once the Open Cup trip is complete.
Although the Open Cup third round will have to wait until next week, FC Edmonton already completed its domestic cup run in the Amway Canadian Championship last Wednesday, suffering a heartbreaking semifinal defeat after a Whitecaps goal in the 7th minute of injury time. Level on aggregate in the second leg, Edmonton looked like they were headed to extra time before the MLS side struck late. The Eddies will also follow the Atlanta game with a Friday game in Ottawa, so their grind will continue beyond the weekend.
5. Former Eddies back at Clarke Field
Two Silverbacks will have a slight homecoming Sunday afternoon in their return to Edmonton. Part of FC Edmonton's inaugural NASL season in 2011, Kyle Porter and Dominic Oppong played for the Eddies for two seasons and will come back to Clarke Field for the first time as an opponent Sunday. With 13 Atlanta starts between them, the former Eddies will likely be center stage when the Silverbacks take the field at the stadium the pair once called home.
"When a player goes back to play his former club, it's always a big moment," said Porter, who scored 12 total goals for the Eddies. "I respect the whole club over there, but it's business."
"Ever since I left, I've been keeping tabs on them, so I know what to expect," Oppong said.
Potential Red Bulls matchup revealed
A week before entering the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the third round against Chattanooga FC (7:30 p.m., May 27), the Silverbacks know exactly what to anticipate should they advance past the NPSL side for the second consecutive year. Two MLS sides fell victim to the Silverbacks during 2014's quarterfinal run, and Atlanta will have a similar chance if they can move on to the competition's fourth round.
The U.S. Soccer Federation announced fourth-round matchups Thursday night, pairing the Atlanta-Chattanooga tilt with the New York Red Bulls as the MLS Eastern Conference club enters the tournament. A potential fourth-round game against would take place Tuesday, June 16 -- the Tuesday after Atlanta's Spring Season comes to an end in Tampa -- at Red Bull Arena.
To catch a replay of fourth-round reveal, head over to 120 Sports to watch Kevin Egan and USOC commissioner Paul Marstaller announce the possible games and locations for the first possible clashes between NASL and MLS teams. Full third-round schedules and coverage for all the U.S. Open Cup action can be found at USSoccer.com.
First Team of the Week nod for defender Paul Black
Atlanta left back Paul Black became the third Silverbacks defender -- after Rauwshan McKenzie and Simon Mensing -- to earn recognition on the NASL's Team of the Week in the Spring Season. Black's first nomination comes on the heels of another convincing performance from the Atlanta back four, which held Jacksonville's productive attack to a single goal. Through seven games of Spring Season play, Black and the Silverbacks have allowed a league-best five goals (0.71 per game), despite facing stiff attacking competition.
Along with the Silverbacks' game against the Eddies on Sunday, Black also has his eye on another Atlanta team's results. The defender has carefully watched the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, in their first-ever Eastern Conference finals, since moving to the city in February. AtlantaSilverbacksFC.com caught up with the Englishman this week to discuss his budding interest in basketball and why he caught on to the Hawks so quickly after arriving stateside.
Elsewhere in Week 8
Ottawa Fury FC vs. Indy Eleven -- 3:00 p.m.
New York Cosmos vs. San Antonio Scorpions -- 7:00 p.m.
Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs. Carolina RailHawks -- 7:30 p.m.
Minnesota United FC vs. Jacksonville Armada FC -- 8:00 p.m.
Images from this story
• Discuss this story on the North American Soccer League message board...
North American Soccer League Stories from May 24, 2015
- Eddies Close out Spring Home Schedule with a Win over Atlanta - FC Edmonton
- Pair of 2nd Half Goals Come Up Short for Silverbacks - Atlanta Silverbacks
- Silverbacks Head North of the Border - Atlanta Silverbacks
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.
Other Recent Atlanta Silverbacks Stories
- Goal of the Year: Burgos Buries 2015 Honor
- Junior Delivers Team of the Week Performance in Finale
- Silverbacks Stall Fall Season Champions to Split Points
- Preview: Silverbacks to Close Regular Season vs. Ottawa
- Silverbacks Surge into Minnesota #MNUvATLâ=9A=BD
