Silverbacks Men Claim Four Points From Two Games - by Taylor Peyton

Coming off a disappointing loss against Myrtle Beach the Silverbacks had 2 games in 3 days, and 2 chances to erase the memories of that loss. The first game was on Friday, June 10 against FC Carolina Discoveries, and the second one was Sunday, June 12 against Carolina Railhawks NPSL.

The game ended 2-2 but it was tough to swallow because both goals that the Silverbacks conceded were most likely avoidable if not for big defensive mistakes that left Bryce Billington without a chance on both occasions, as Carolina’s Daniel Revivo shot the ball past him. However the Silverbacks did not go down without a fight as Joao Johanning Mora scored two goals of his own.

Image by Dave Williamson

Perhaps a draw against the Discoveries was the most deserved outcome, and possibly it was a wake up call for the Silverbacks. When the Railhawks were in town it was a difference performance. The Railhawks still scored first with defender Chase Rhodes applying the finishing touch, however  it wasn’t anywhere near as shocking as the goals conceded on Friday were. The Silverbacks equalized in the 73rd minute as Johanning scored yet again. After scoring three goals in two games Johanning brought his goal tally up to four, which was enough to overtake Pedro Polaz as Atlanta's top scorer.  

Image by Dave Williamson

In the 77th minute Avery Shepherd scored the Silverbacks' second goal, which ended up being the game winner. The final score was 2-1. Shepherd, used three times as a substitute this season, scored his first Silverbacks goal by controlling a pass from a Johanning with his chest and rifled the shot past the Carolina keeper. Prior to playing for the Silverbacks this year Avery Shepherd finished his college career at Clayton State University in Morrow. As a Laker, Shepherd scored 23 goals in 34 games over 2 years. When you look at his college statistics it’s no surprise that he came up big for the Silverbacks on Sunday night and there’s reason to believe he can't score again during the season.

Image by Dave Williamson

At the other end of the pitch, Bryce Billington put in another stellar performance between the sticks.  From my point of view, the Silverbacks have yet to come across a goalkeeper this season that ended up stealing points from them. Billington on the other hand, has stolen a few points from other teams this season. Between being a part of the team last year as the third choice goalkeeper in the NASL, and his performances in the NPSL this season Billington has become a fan favorite.

Image by Dave Williamson

As of the time I’m writing this, the Silverbacks sit second in the South Atlantic Conference. Myrtle Beach Mutiny are ahead of them by two points with a game in hand. Their game in hand is June 15th against Carolina Railhawks NPSL. If the Mutiny drop points it is possible for the Silverbacks to take control of first place if they also do their job by beating Tobacco Road FC. Later this week, look for a more detailed performance of both the Men’s game against Tobacco Road, and the Women’s game against Memphis Lobos this coming Saturday.

Mutiny Halts Silverbacks Title Charge - By Taylor Peyton

In somewhat controversial fashion, the Silverbacks fell 2-1 to Myrtle Beach Mutiny on Saturday night. After taking the lead off an own goal, the visitors got a lucky break when the Silverbacks had a goal ruled offside just before halftime, a decision many people in the stands disagreed with. In the second half, Atlanta would equalize on a goal scored by who else but Pedro Polaz. At this point, there are three things certain in life: death, taxes, and Pedro Polaz scoring a goal.

Images by Rich von Biberstien

The teams were then as equal on the scoreboard as they seemed to be throughout the game. Both teams were well prepared and were passing the ball around very nicely when they had possession of the ball. Things got a bit chippy in the middle of the second half, and the end result was a red card for Gabriel Obatola.

Having ten men in a fairly evenly matched game usually doesn't end well and unfortunately for the Silverbacks, the Mutiny broke through in the 84th minute on a goal by Askel Juul (the NPSL website says his name is Richard, but the Mutiny twitter account says different). After scoring his goal, Juul decided to jog over to the Atlanta Ultras and put his finger to his lips telling them to “shh.”

Opposing players celebrating directly in front of our fans didn’t seem to happen too often during the NASL era, at least from what I saw. I recall last year seeing a video of a Railhawks player taking a bow in front of Westside 109, after scoring one of the luckiest goals I’ve ever seen no less, but most of them were smart enough to just embrace their teammates and jog back to the other side of the field for the kickoff. As you can imagine this action was not taken too kindly to by the Ultras. There was a lot of double angry birds and booing, and when the other fans in the stadium realized what Juul was doing, they joined in with the booing too.

The top spot of the South Atlantic Conference was at stake. As you can imagine with a few controversial decisions against the Silverbacks from the refs, as well as, the little bit of arrogance from the Mutiny, this loss was a bit hard to swallow. But as the old saying goes, “onward and upward!” Both Silverbacks teams are in action this Friday at Silverbacks Park in what is bound to be a fun doubleheader evening. The Women’s team starts it off against Gulf Coast Texans at 5 pm. The Texans are coming off a win 2-1 over Chattanooga last Saturday and sit third in the Southeast Conference with four points. Gulf Coast has been dealt a pretty rough hand because after Friday’s game in Atlanta, they have a home game against Memphis on Saturday. Yes, you read that right. They play two games in as many days, and to add insult to injury, they are against the second place team and the first place team. There are several possible outcomes that can come from this weekend’s games. The best case scenario is that the Silverbacks beat Gulf Coast, who then go on to beat Memphis the next day; this would put the Silverbacks at the top of the conference with a game in hand.

Images by Dave Williamson

The second part of the doubleheader is the men taking on FC Carolina Discoveries, who currently sit in 5th place with 5 points. Their only win came against the Georgia Revolution on May 25th. Their joint top scorers are Adam Brundle and Achille Obougou with two goals each. Their last game was a 3-1 loss to Carolina Railhawks NPSL on June 2nd. The games taking place are tremendous opportunities for both Silverbacks teams. Myrtle Beach is also in action on Friday in Durham against Tobacco Road FC, and if they lose that could open the door for the Silverbacks.

A good crowd was on hand at Silverbacks Park on Saturday for the men’s home opener, and it would be great to keep that going on Friday. If you can, try to make it in time to watch both games because regardless of whether they win or lose, both of our teams know how to put on a good show.

Mama, The Silverbacks Are Coming Home - By Taylor Peyton

The home opener is finally upon us. The Silverbacks take on Myrtle Beach Mutiny in yet another battle for first place in the South Atlantic Conference. Both teams have 7 points this season after two wins and one draw each.

Myrtle Beach Mutiny were in action on Thursday against the Georgia Revolution and one-upped the Silverbacks by winning 4-0 in Conyers. The goals came from Kieran Geldenhuys, Richard Juul, and two from Jon Ibarrondo who became the Mutiny’s leading scorer on the season with three goals in total. This scoreline brought the Mutiny’s goal difference to +6, which is two better than the Silverbacks’ +4.

The Silverbacks have not played since their May 24 win over Carolina Railhawks NPSL. Kemar Brown, who was injured in the US Open Cup game against Reading United, has been training and seems to have fully recovered in time for the home opener like he said he would. We will find out in a timely manner if he is in the starting lineup. A few names that seem to be locked into every starting lineup as long as they are available for selection include Abu Tommy, Pedro Polaz, Johanning, and Gabriel Obatola. These four players have started every game so far for the Silverbacks. Douglas Diwa has played in all three games but didn’t come onto the field until the 80th minute against the Georgia Revolution.

It could be said that it’s too early in the season to be jumping to any conclusions, but believe it or not the halfway point of the season fast approaching. After June 10th every team in the South Atlantic Conference will have played five of their ten games. Right now it seems that the Silverbacks and Mutiny have been the two most consistent teams, they have both shown that they are capable of winning whether it be beautiful or ugly.

If there is a winner on Saturday between the Silverbacks and Mutiny, they will gain the high ground over their opponent, and if their consistency is sustained they could possibly start to run away with first place. Trust me when I say I’m not trying to hype this game up for no reason apart from just generating excitement. With the short schedule of the NPSL, every game really matters. It’s exciting but also a bit nerve racking at times. It is definitely still too early to say this game could make or break the Silverbacks’ season, especially since there will be a second game between these two teams. Stakes are still pretty high nonetheless.

When it is all said and done on Saturday, the Silverbacks will be chasing Myrtle Beach for the South Atlantic Conference crown, or they can look in their rear view mirror and see every other team in the conference chasing them. Make your way to Silverbacks Park on Saturday, find a seat that you like, and be in that seat at 7:30 when the game kicks off. Trust me; you don’t want to miss this.

Story of SIlverbacks Success - by Taylor Peyton

It was a busy four days for both senior Silverbacks teams. Busy, but also relatively successful. The Silverbacks women had their first game this past Saturday against Chattanooga FC at Atlanta Silverbacks Park. They can best be described a well coached, well organized, talented team. Evidence of this is the 4 goals they scored in the second half to win 4-0. Scoring 4 goals alone is impressive, but the way the goals were scored made it even more impressive. The goals mainly involved great team play ending with seemingly impossible shots finding their way into the net. Between the fantastic goals and the brilliant defensive performance it truly was a sight to behold. It seemed like every time Chattanooga had a free kick, the ball never got past the wall. It was a fantastic game and if you can make it to a women’s game by all means, go! Maybe if they can draw a big enough crowd, the staff at Silverbacks Park will turn on the scoreboard and use more than one speaker for the sound system (they should be doing that regardless, but that’s a story for another day).

The night following the women’s dominating performance the Men’s team were in Durham taking on Tobacco Road FC. Gabriel Obatola opened the scoring for the Silverbacks by scoring in the 44th minute. The Silverbacks were unable to score a second goal, which wasn’t too much of a problem until Tobacco Road were awarded a penalty late in the game, which was scored by  Ronnie Bouemboue.

The Silverbacks then found themselves in a head to head battle for first place with Carolina Railhwawks NPSL just two days later in Cary. With both teams level on 4 points but the Railhawks having a slightly better goal difference, the Silverbacks needed a win to bring themselves back to the top of the table. Just two minutes in, the man in form Pedro Polaz scored again to give Atlanta the lead. After that goal, the Silverbacks never looked back and went on to win 1-0.

The game was broadcast on Periscope by a Railhawks fan in attendance, and it was watched with great interest by many Silverbacks fans, as well as injured player Kemar Brown. A fan asked Kemar how long he would be out for, and Brown replied that he had just taken his boot off and that he hopes to be ready for the home opener June 4th against Myrtle Beach.

The men’s team have no games this weekend, but the home opener on June 4th is fast approaching so make sure your schedule is clear and you have your ticket ready because it’s bound to be fun. Meanwhile, the red hot Women’s team will be in action, traveling to Nashville to play FC Nashville Wolves. The Wolves fell 1-0 to Memphis Lobos at home last Saturday, perhaps Atlanta can keep their perfect record intact. Their next home game is June 10th against Gulf Coast Texans, which will be a doubleheader with the men’s team who will be playing FC Carolina Discoveries. If you can, make it to Silverbacks Park early on the 10th for the women’s game and see if they can deliver a convincing performance as they did against Chattanooga.

Backs With A Vengeance - by Taylor Peyton

Wednesday night, the Silverbacks were knocked out of the US Open Cup 2-0 by Reading United. The lack of scoring chances, subpar officiating, injuries picked up by a few players, and the fact that there would be no road trip to Chattanooga left Silverbacks fans with a terrible taste in their mouths.

While Silverbacks fans accepted that victory was not guaranteed, they did not expect to be left in the dust as they were that night. Two goals coming from Khori Bennett and Frantdzy Pierrot, as well as Atlanta’s lack of offense were enough to knock the Silverbacks out of the US Open Cup.

With the wound still fresh from US Open Cup elimination, there was a collective feeling amongst Silverbacks fans that the match against Georgia Revolution would be a tough game to win. They couldn’t have been more wrong as the Silverbacks went on to win 3-0 on the road in Conyers.

Westside 109, Atlanta Ultras, as well as, other fans spread out across the wooden bleachers opposite the benches arrived in Conyers to make the game a home game for the Backs. Thankfully, every Silverback fan at RYSA Soccerplex was rewarded for their short drive out to Conyers with a dominating performance.

Image by ASFCTrust

Image by ASFCTrust

Mitch Garcia scored the first goal with a brilliant free kick that ended up in the net at the left post, just out of the keeper’s reach. Johanning scored the second goal after a brilliant delivery from Pedro Polaz. Johanning only had to tap it in and with it, the Silverbacks had their brace. The Silverbacks turned on the style for the third goal. Great team play and a breathtaking backheel pass gave Pedro a glorious opportunity to make it 3-0, sealing up a team hat-trick.

Image by Dave Williamson 

Image by Dave Williamson 

Shortly after the fulltime whistle, a few Silverbacks fans and myself had a short talk with the Revs’ new owner. He insisted that the Revolution do have a good team despite the result. He said he would love to establish a tournament with the Silverbacks, the Revolution, Peachtree City MOBA, and Tormenta FC all participating. He also had very high praise for the Silverbacks. He said he had no idea what happened to the Silverbacks in Reading, but the team he saw Saturday night was completely different. He even went on to say the Silverbacks could “end up winning the (South Atlantic) conference” if they continue to play like this.

The Silverbacks are off to a flying start in league play, however it is only one game. Being able to continue playing like they did in Conyers on Saturday night is of the utmost importance and will go a long way towards that potential South Atlantic Conference win. The next opponent in our path is Tobacco Road FC who started their season with a 2-2 draw against Myrtle Beach Mutiny. Tobacco Road FC will also have Georgia Revolution visiting them on Friday, before playing the Silverbacks on Sunday. The Silverbacks also play the Carolina Railhawks NPSL just two days after playing Tobacco Road in Durham. This makes it a bit more interesting all around. How will the squads be rotated for both teams? How much will fatigue come into play? Will being away from home negatively affect the Silverbacks? There are many questions surrounding this road trip for the Silverbacks that will be answered in due time.

There are also many questions surrounding the Women’s team. Right now, all we know about them is the players’ last names and first initials, and that part-owner and the Silverbacks all-time leading scorer Iggy Moleka is the head coach. Fortunately,  their first game is this coming Saturday against Chattanooga FC at Silverbacks Park. By the end of the game, all questions we have will be answered. Make sure to keep supporting YOUR Silverbacks, both men and women.

Image by Dave Williamson

Image by Dave Williamson

Atlanta Silverbacks vs Reading United: US Open Cup Preview - by Taylor Peyton

The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup is upon us once again. For the first time since 2008, the Silverbacks will play in the first round of the tournament. The team’s first competitive match of the season will take place on Wednesday, May 11 in Reading, Pennsylvania. Their opponent will be Reading United AC.

Founded in 1995 as the Reading Rage, Reading United AC plays in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the PDL. They are affiliated with Philadelphia Union of MLS and have been since the 2010 season. Reading United have seen some their former players go on to respectable careers in MLS whether it be with the Union or elsewhere. A good number of current MLS players such as Ray Gaddis, Andrew Wenger, C.J. Sapong, Luke Mulholland, and Deshorn Brown have played for Reading United in their younger days before going on to bigger and better things.

For a PDL team, it’s fair to say that Reading United have a certain prestige to them, not just because of the players they’ve had in the past, but also because of their record in the US Open Cup. They have qualified for the US Open Cup 10 times in their history, 8 of those appearances coming consecutively from 2009-2016, and have made it out of the first round every year since 2012. In what can only be described as their biggest accomplishment in the US Open Cup, Reading defeated USL club Harrisburg City Islander 1-0 in the second round of the tournament in 2013, their first victory over a professional team, and their only one to date. This 2013 upset led to the first of their two appearances in the third round, the second one coming in 2014 after beating GBFC Thunder of the NPSL in the second round. Both appearances ended in losses to New York Red Bulls in 2013, and Rochester Rhinos in extra time in 2014.

Reading United’s roster is solely composed of College players. It is an interesting roster because 11 of the 28 players on the roster come from foreign. 8 Countries and ten states are represented. 2 Reading players have ties to Georgia; University of Kentucky sophomore midfielder Tanner Hummel is from Kennesaw, and a forward from Cambridge, England named Jake Simpson is a Sophomore at Young Harris College.

It is the first competitive match of the season for both clubs; they will both begin league play May 14th on the road. The match will be streamed on Youtube by Reading, and there will be a watch party at Elder Tree in East Atlanta, come out if you want to watch with other Silverbacks fans.

Preseason Fun Minus the Sun - by Taylor Peyton

Saturday afternoon the Silverbacks played to a 2-2 draw with local amateur side Gladiadores FC. By preseason standards, the crowd at Silverbacks park was fairly decent. Members of Westside 109 and the Atlanta Ultras, as well as,other fans donned Silverbacks jerseys from seasons gone by came out to support the Silverbacks and their new players.

Gladiadores FC scored the first goal on a shot just outside of the 18 yard box when a ball fell to the Gladiadores player who let it fly into the net. The Silverbacks attack seemed a little bit out of sync at the start of the match, and it did not help the opposing goalie made several good saves in the first half. Towards the end of the first half, the Silverbacks attack woke up. The passing was very clean and wingers were providing great crosses to the attackers in the middle but they could not score before the break.

The Silverbacks attack continued to look sharp in the second half. Their first goal of the day came after a shot was stopped by the Gladiadores keeper but the rebound fell to a Silverbacks player that made no mistake. Gladiadores were not done scoring as a delivery from a set piece met the head of a Gladiadores player and went into the net to make it 2-1. In what could only be described as a Manuel Neuer impression gone horribly wrong, the Gladiadores keeper was well outside of his box played the ball, was dispossessed and immediately scored on.

After a steady pattern between no precipitation and a light rain, it really started to pour towards the end of the match, many fans came prepared with umbrellas but eventually it got to the point where they could no longer brave the storm and took off running. The Atlanta Ultras kept on singing and jumping around in the rain.

As the full time whistle sounded, the rain stopped and the sun was back out. After the players changed clothes they went over to thank the Ultras for sticking around and being in full voice despite the storm. The Ultras had one message for the players as they were making the rounds shaking hands with every fan they came across; “Do work in Reading boys! We want to play Chattanooga!”

Despite the goals conceded, and a few missed opportunities, the team looked pretty good from my point of view. The May 11th US Open Cup Match against Reading United is sure to be interesting. Make sure to come to Elder Tree Public House in East Atlanta to watch it with other Silverbacks fans.