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Thursday, May 4, 2017

Praiseworthy Preseason For Silverbacks - By Taylor Peyton

It was a relatively successful preseason for the Silverbacks. They won in all but one game, and many players new played very well. The home opener is this Saturday, May 6, and the Silverbacks should be well prepared.


Dalton State College
The Silverbacks preseason started on April Fools Day in Dalton, Georgia. The opponents were the Dalton State College Roadrunners. It was a fairly uneventful 1-1 draw for the Silverbacks with Omanovic Mojo scoring the Silverbacks lone goal after coming on for Abdul Bangura, who had picked up a minor injury. Apart from the goal the biggest event was the linesman reportedly telling Avery Shepherd to shut his *explicit* mouth, prompting an angry reaction from the Silverbacks

Team Photo before the game against Dalton State. Image by Dave Williamson

Son of Pitches FC
This game was part of the fan fest which although not very well-attended, was a fun time had by those who did go. As expected, the Silverbacks ran circles around them, winning 7-0. Taka, Shepherd, McCaulay, and Fernandes were amongst the scorers. The game was followed by the Silverbacks Front Office taking on the same Sons of Pitches team. This was a bit more of a fair fight, and it was fun to see the likes of Justin Hanover, Dave Williamson, Marco Zucchi, and Drew Dekutowski playing on the field.

Avery Shepherd scores a goal at Fan Fest. Image by Dave Williamson


Latino All Stars
Against one of their more formidable opponents in preseason, the Silverbacks went on to win 2-1. It was scoreless at halftime but second half goals from Avery Shepherd and Taka led the Silverbacks to a 2-0 lead. A penalty save by Thomas Hunter in the 74th minute helped the Silverbacks hold onto that lead. The Latino All Stars did manage to score a late consolation goal.


Savannah Clovers
In the first of a home and away series against the Clovers, the Silverbacks won 7-2. Deon McCauley, Santiago Loaiza, Abraham Lansana, Thierry Jules, and Avery Shepherd were listed as the goalscorers. Taka was credited with at least 3 assists. The two teams will meet again on August 19th in Savannah

Deon and Taka embrace after a goal. Image by Dave Williamson

Atlanta United
In this (mostly) closed door friendly in Marietta against the other team in town, the Silverbacks fought to a 0-0 draw. There was a small amount of controversy as Deon McCauley had a goal ruled offside, but Video Analysis Specialist Bert Leonard insisted that it was actually onside.

Silverbacks and Untied players battle in the air. Image by Dave Williamson


Life University
The Silverbacks capped off their preseason with a 5-1 win against Life University. The Silverbacks conceded a goal early but Thierry Jules then proceeded to steal the show, scoring 4 goals in the first half. The majority of the match was streamed on Periscope by a member of Westside 109 who was in attendance.

Jules scores one of his four goals against Life. Image by Dave Williamson


The results in these preseason games had to be very encouraging for Silverbacks fans. Now the time has come for them to pack the park on Saturday. Buy your tickets if you haven’t yet, keep an eye on Planet Of The Backs for a preview of the game against Birmingham, and get ready to have a blast on Saturday

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