Silverbacks Set to Play U.S. U-23 National Team

Published on March 13, 2012 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Atlanta Silverbacks News Release


ATLANTA (March 13, 2012) - The Atlanta Silverbacks will play a closed-door scrimmage against the U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team on March 18 at 6 p.m. at Lipscomb University in Nashville, the club announced Tuesday.

"It's a tremendous opportunity for our team to play against such a high-quality opponent that features players from professional leagues all over the world," said Silverbacks Head Coach Alex Pineda Chac�n. "The scrimmage will be a great test for our team, and it will show us where we are in our preparations for the upcoming NASL season."

The U-23s are coached by Caleb Porter, who led the University of Akron men's team to the NCAA national title in 2010. The scrimmage comes just four days before the U.S. kicks off the 2012 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament at LP Field in Nashville, and many of the players who will feature against the Silverbacks on March 18 will be representing the country as a part of that qualifying squad.

The United States named their 19-man qualifying roster yesterday, and it includes players like Freddy Adu (Philadelphia Union), Brek Shea (FC Dallas), Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls), and Atlanta area native Sean Johnson (Chicago Fire).

The Silverbacks will enter Sunday's scrimmage in Nashville with three preseason games under their belt. The club is 2-0 to start the preseason, winning 2-0 over UAB and 1-0 over the Charleston Battery of the USL. The Silverbacks are set to host another preseason game against Mercer University on Saturday, March 17 at 4 p.m. at Atlanta Silverbacks Park. All preseason home games are free to the public.

The team begins the 2012 season on April 7 at home against the NASL's new expansion team, the San Antonio Scorpions. To purchase tickets, visit atlantasilverbacks.com or call 404-969-4900.

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