Silverbacks Leave for USL-1 Championship Match

Published on September 27, 2007 under USL First Division (USL-1)
Atlanta Silverbacks News Release


The Atlanta Silverbacks began their final road trip of the 2007 season on Thursday morning when the team departed for Seattle, Washington in search of the franchise's first USL First Division Championship. The Silverbacks will make their USL-1 Championship match debut on Saturday night against the Seattle Sounders at 10:00 pm EST. The game will be broadcast live on the Fox Soccer Channel from the Starfire Sports Entertainment Complex.

The Silverbacks (No.4) and the Sounders (No.1) met twice during the 2007 season with the 'Backs recording a 0-0 draw at home and 3-0 loss on the road. The Silverbacks, the highest scoring team in the league, will have to find a way to score on Saturday night in order to bring home the title.

The history of the USL-1 Championship could put either side with an advantage to win the title. For the Silverbacks, no regular season champion has gone on to win the title since the 1998 Rochester Rhinos, who were only the second team to accomplish the feat six years after the Colorado Foxes of 1992. For the Sounders, only one visiting team has captured the championship in the 16 single-game finals; last year, the Vancouver Whitecaps won the title at Rochester.

During the 2007 playoffs, both teams advanced to the final on penalty kicks; the Silverbacks did it on the road while the Sounders did it at home. The Silverbacks drew both away games at Rochester and Portland, with the Portland game going to double-overtime and penalty kicks. The Sounders won their first home game 1-0 with a penalty kick in the 90th minute; the Sounders lost their second home game 1-0, forcing the series to penalty kicks which the Sounders won 4-2 in penalty kicks.

Regardless of the regular season, the historical trends, or this year's playoff performances, Saturday night's match will be a battle between two very strong sides. The Silverbacks will be looking to capture their first title, while the Sounders will be looking to capture their fourth USL First Division title.

The Silverbacks will be up against the Sounders even before the championship match, on Friday afternoon either Daniel Antoniuk (Atlanta) or Sebastien Le Toux (Seattle) will be named the USL First Division's Most Valuable Player at the USL First Division Awards Banquet. David Hayes (Atlanta) is also up for USL First Division Defender of the Year; he is competing against Gabriel Gervais (Montreal) and Cameron Knowles (Portland).

DON'T MISS THE OFFICIAL WATCH PARTY ON SATURDAY NIGHT

The official Atlanta Silverbacks USL-1 Championship Watch Party will be held at Twain's Billiards and Tap in Decatur, GA. The party begins at 8:00 pm and will include live music, food and drink specials for Silverbacks fans, and the championship match! The live band will play from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm before the start of the match, at which time the audio on the televisions will be turned on for everyone to enjoy the game. Anyone under the age of 21 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED by a parent at all times during the event; anyone under 21 without a parent will not be allowed inside. You don't want to miss this exciting evening - WEAR YOUR SILVERBACKS GEAR TO SUPPORT YOUR TEAM - call 404.969.4900 for more information.

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USL First Division Stories from September 27, 2007


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