Silverbacks Look To "Hammer The Hammers" - By Taylor Peyton

It’s been a long time coming, but the Silverbacks finally have a meaningful game on Saturday, May 6th as the Birmingham Hammers visit Silverbacks Park. This will be the first-ever meeting between the Silverbacks and Hammers. The Silverbacks did play the UAB Blazers in a few home and away friendlies during the NASL era when the grassroots formation of the Hammers was taking place, however.

This is the Hammers’ second season in the NPSL. Their first season was not the most successful, but they did manage to beat Memphis at home and spoil Nashville FC’s last ever game by defeating them 2-1 at Vanderbilt Stadium. The players returning from last year’s team such as Bradley Louis, Jack Ball, and Marietta's Gerard Barbero will be determined to improve on last year's 6th place finish in the Southeast Conference.

The Hammers have also added some talented new faces such as Pennsylvania's 2003 Gatorade Player Of The Year Dan DeMasters. DeMasters played his College Soccer for Villanova and has recently become a very successful High School Soccer Coach in Alabama. While Teaching Math at Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham, DeMasters had led the Eagles to Two consecutive State Championships in 2015, and 2016. Oak Mountain also won the National Championship in 2016. DeMaster’s Eagles have made it to the quarterfinals of the State playoffs this year as well. They will be taking Grissom High School the night before he is set to make his debut for the Hammers, if he does indeed travel with the team to Atlanta.

The Silverbacks will be looking to their big name players such as Mitch Garcia, Deon McCaulay, Taka, and Joao to help guide them to three points against Birmingham, but a few lesser-known Silverbacks players have brought themselves to the forefront in the months leading up to the season, and have the potential to have an enormous impact on Saturday's game. Ebrima Njie has been involved with the Silverbacks for a few years now, including playing a big part in the Reserves team in 2015 that qualified for the 2016 US Open Cup. He didn’t play too much last year but he played a part in many of the preseason games this year, and at the moment it is safe to assume that we will see some of him this season. Santi Loaiza is a young Colombian who is looking to jumpstart his career after not being given many opportunities at his former club Once Caldas. Santi provided an assist against the Latino All-Stars, and also scored a goal of his own against the Savannah Clovers.

This will also be Phoday Dolleh’s first game as the Silverbacks Head Coach. We know all about his eye for talent, and with 20 years of coaching under his belt, he is very much qualified for their job. It might take a few games to get a good reading on what direction Phoday leans towards with his tactics, but it’ll be fun for Silverbacks fans who are into that aspect of the game.

Saturday’s opener will be the first of the Silverbacks’ four games in seven days. SC United Bantams of the PDL will be coming on Wednesday for a first-round matchup in the US Open Cup, and then the Silverbacks will host Carolina United (formally Carolina Discoveries) at Silverbacks Park on Friday night, before taking on the Georgia Revolution in their new home in Henry County. Given the Silverbacks’ history in the US Open Cup, and the fact that this roster was built with the competition in mind, the importance of Wednesday’s game against SC United Bantams doesn’t need to be explained to anyone.

Between that game, and the three NPSL Regular season games, Seeing how the squad is rotated through all four games will be interesting, to say the least. In regards to Saturday’s game, it’s possible that some players will be rested for Wednesday’s game. It shouldn’t be anything too drastic, but it's worth keeping that game in mind if you notice any omissions of players that you think should be starting.

Like every game they play in the NPSL, the Silverbacks are expected to win on Saturday. The Hammers only played one last-minute preseason friendly, and their lack of preperation is something the Silverbacks could exploit throughout the game. Kickoff is set for 5 pm at Silverbacks Park. Have fun at the game if you can make it, stream it online if you can’t, and look for a summary of the game, as well as a preview of Wednesday’s game against SC United Bantams from Planet Of The Backs in the next few days.

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

Q & A With "The Furious Foreman" - By Taylor Peyton

The Furious Foreman (no relation to Eric Foreman) is the capo of Magic City Brigade, a supporters group for the Birmingham Hammers. The Foreman reached out to me on Twitter saying that he would be willing to do a Q & A session with me if I was interested. I took him up on his offer, drew up some questions, and emailed them to him. What you see below are his answers.

Q: Personally, I think the formation of the Hammers is one of more interesting stories in the region, and maybe even in the country. What can you tell me about the founders of the club?

A: The entire Board is made up of guys who care about growing the game at a grassroots level. From what I’ve seen, not a single Board Member has struck me as having a “get paid and leave” type of attitude; and that is refreshing to see.

Q: Looking at the players that have been confirmed for 2017 so far, who really excites you?

A: So many great guys playing this season! Starting off with #1 in the net and #1 in our hearts, Bradley Louis; returning players in Christian Adkins; Jack Ball; Gerard Barbero, Alec Daley, and Srdjan (Sergi) Djkovic. I’m excited to see how some of the new faces perform; especially Oliver Cylowski and Daniel DeMasters. Too many great players to narrow it down to just one.

Q: Last year was the Hammers first year in the NPSL, and they did manage two good wins against Memphis at home and on the road at Nashville, but ultimately finished last in the conference. Do you think they are in position to improve on that this year?

A: Absolutely. Last season we didn’t have the chemistry that Coach Koch and his staff bring this year. Having  a group of guys returning who were a part of that I-65 Cup Champion team against Nashville FC (RIP) I think they now understand how much this game means to the supporters, and are determined to put a better product on the pitch this year.

Q: Some Silverbacks fans aren't very keen on 5pm start times on Saturday nights, but how do you feel about it as a traveling fan?

A: Well, kicking off at 4pm/5pm is never ideal especially with the traffic issues Atlanta is currently facing. As a supporter, the kick off time doesn’t matter to me; all it means is more time to bake in the Southern Summer sun while supporting our Boys in Red.

Q: I was looking on the Hammers website and unless I missed something there were no preseason games played. Are you concerned the Hammers might not be as prepared for this game as they could be?

A:  It is a little concerning. The Hammers field more currently enrolled University athletic students than I think other NPSL clubs do, and I know that plays a role in the availability of players for preseason matches. At the end of the day; the game that matters is the one currently being played. It wouldn’t be that shocking to see the Silverbacks up 3-1 at half and the Hammers win 5-3.

Q: There are two friendlies scheduled for the end of May with youth teams of Atlanta United and Chivas. Do you think they'll help get the Hammers name out to people who initially missed the memo?

A: I think the matches against the ATLUTD and Chivas de Guadalajara academies will open the local interest of the club. There are some suburbs that may not know who the Hammers are; and I think those matches will peak their interest.

Q: Birmingham and Atlanta aren't very far from each other, so how many Hammers fans do you think will be making the trip?

A: It’s hard to say. I’d like to say we’re bringing close to 100, but realistically I hear murmurs of 30 or so fans.

Q: Lastly, is there anything else about the Hammers that you feel like people should know?

A: First off, I want to thank you or having me on as a guest. The Hammers are coming this year hungry and looking to make a name for ourselves. The Hammers don’t have any competitions in the US Open Cup, so look for our boy to give their all, every match. I also run a fan blog, www.bhamhammersblog.wordpress.com, feel free to check out my Season Preview: 2017. It’s been a pleasure.

The pleasure is all mine Foreman, safe travels to you and the rest of your crew on Saturday. Hopefully by the end of the game, the Silverbacks will be victorious, and you will well and truly be the "Furious" Foreman

Brace Yourself... Preseason Is Coming - By Taylor Peyton

The season is growing ever closer, and the Silverbacks are doing big things all across the board. The player signings have been fantastic, and the friendlies scheduled are very appealing to fans

Ricardo Oliveira and Kentaro “Taka” Takada are two players that are completely new to the Silverbacks. Oliveira played his College Soccer for Barton College and has some PDL experience with the Panama City Beach Pirates and seems to be very well liked because the news of his signing was met with responses saying that he is a good player and an even better person. Kentaro Takada made his name playing for Minnesota United, and St. Louis FC. Like Ricardo, he is very well liked by those who have seen him play. Judging by the acclaim of these two players by those who are familiar with them, there’s no reason to believe they won’t fit right in with the Silverbacks

The rest of the Silverbacks roster can best be described as a combination of the 2014 and the 2016 teams. Abdul Bangura, Avery Shepherd, Mitch Garcia, and Alex Harlley are the most recent former Silverbacks that have been confirmed for this season. It was pretty easy to figure out that Bangura and Shepherd would be coming back, maybe to an extent Garcia returning was predictable, but like Deon McCauley, the announcement of Alex Harlley was a very pleasant surprise for Silverbacks fans.
Harlley’s initial stint with the Silverbacks got off to a shaky start when he was sent off on his debut against Ft Lauderdale. Eric Wynalda’s faith in the Togolese winger allowed him to prove himself to be an exciting and useful player for the Silverbacks after that, despite the team finishing last in the NASL that season. Silverbacks fans had high hopes he could build on his flashes of brilliance in 2015, but he didn’t get much playing time under Gary Smith and was gone by July. He then joined the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and struggled to find his footing there, but in his second stint with the Silverbacks, he will surely get his chance to shine in the NPSL, and in the US Open Cup.

Abdul Bangura missed 2016 with an injury, but he is still a household name amongst the Silverbacks fan base because of his longevity with the team, his leadership skills, and his defensive prowess. He has been with the Silverbacks since 2014 even wore the Captain’s armband on occasion while the Silverbacks were still in the NASL.

Avery Shepherd proved to be one of, if not the most clutch player for the Silverbacks last season. He always managed to score at the best possible times. The best example would be his winning goal against Tobacco Road in the Conference championship game. Now he’s back, and Silverbacks fans can only hope he continues to score big goals in big games like he did last season

After he had signed for the Railhawks, Silverbacks fan thought they had seen the last of Mitch Garcia. Carolina decided not keep him around in the end, sort of like how they decided not to keep the name Railhawks. So the Silverbacks captain from last season, as well as his deadly deliveries and free kicks, will be back in 2017. Shortly before it was confirmed by the club, Garcia hinted at a return to the Silverbacks on Instagram by posting a photo from last season with the caption “When you’re heading back to Atlanta for something much bigger this time.”
Along with player announcements, intriguing regional friendlies have been announced as well. The first of which come on April 1 against Dalton State College, in Dalton at the odd time of 11 am. It seems the game has produced at least a little bit of buzz in the area because the mayor of Dalton was amongst those who retweeted the Silverbacks’ announcement of the game. The following friendly against Savannah Clovers on April 22 was announced a while back, but it’s still exciting nonetheless.
A mid-season friendly against Peachtree City MOBA has also been announced for May 24  in Peachtree City. It is in between the Silverbacks games against New Orleans and Knoxville. There are also two post-season friendlies scheduled against Savannah Clovers and Lowcountry United from Charleston. The latter friendly taking place at Silverbacks Park.
If you aren’t already excited, the Silverbacks opponent in the first round of the US Open Cup will be announced on April 12. This roster is being built with a deep run in the Open Cup in mind, so there is the possibility that the Silverbacks can do something great in the US Open Cup.
Save the dates of all the friendlies, and make it to the ones that you can, but the most important thing is having your schedule clear for the home opener against Birmingham because that is when the fun will really start. Keep an eye on Silverbacks Social Media for news, keep an eye on Planet Of The Backs for Silverbacks reading material, and keep pounding your chest!

Silverbacks Roster Starting To Take Shape - By Taylor Peyton

It started with the announcement that Joao Johanning Mora had re-signed, and now “Player Announcement Season” is in full swing. Since the first announcement, the Silverbacks have confirmed at least three more members of their 2017 squad.

The Second player to be announced was Liberian Midfielder Abraham Lansana, who had a great 2016 with the Silverbacks after spending three years with Harnosand FF in the Swedish Second Division. Lansana served the Silverbacks well in the midfield last year, and will most definitely do the same this year. Unfortunately, the Silverbacks decided to repay Lansana for his services by using a picture of him holding a Silverbacks scarf with his eyes seemingly closed with the caption “Dreaming about Opening Day yet? Looks like he is!” I see what you did there Social Media guy (or girl, I’m not 100% sure), let’s just hope he keeps his eyes open on the pitch during the season.

Goalkeeper Ameth Kante signed, and it seems he will be the Silverbacks number 1 this year after backing up Bryce Billington in 2016. There hasn’t been any indication as to where Bryce Billington will be playing yet, but after a stellar 2016 season, as well as an excellent performance at the NPSL Showcase it seems that it will be somewhere in the USL, NASL, or possibly Europe. The Silverbacks, however, are in good hands with Kante. The Senegalese keeper started for Silverbacks in one game last year against Myrtle Beach Mutiny. In An interview with Senegalese website Wiwsport.com, Kante said that several European have contacted his agent to sign him, but he decided it was in his best interest to stay in Atlanta for another season.

The most recent announcement is also a former Silverbacks player, but he did not play for the Silverbacks in 2016, or 2015 for that matter. Belizean forward Deon McCaulay, whose claim to fame is being the joint top goalscorer in 2014 World Cup Qualifying with 11 goals, played for the Silverbacks in 2014 and scored 3 goals for them, including the lone goal in the 3-1 loss to Chicago Fire in the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup. Since leaving the Silverbacks, he returned to Belize and played for Verdes in the Premier League of Belize. McCaulay was the league’s top scorer for the 2015-16 Opening season with 10 goals and two hat-tricks. This announcement totally came out of the blue, and my initial reaction was jokingly asking “what year is it?”, but all jokes aside it’s an excellent signing that will boost the attack.

Four players don't make a full team, so there are bound to be more announcements made soon. Keep an eye on Planet Of The Backs for more analysis of player announcements, as well as an upcoming article regarding the Silverbacks Home and Away series against Savannah Clovers, as well as a breakdown of the Silverbacks possible US Open Cup opponents.

Joao Johanning Mora Returns To The Silverbacks - By Taylor Peyton

On February 23rd, the Silverbacks tweeted confirmation that explosive winger Joao Johanning Mora would be returning for this coming season. Joao, who started in all 8 games and scored 7 goals last season and was voted 2016 Player of the Year by Silverbacks fans.

Joao made a fantastic first impression to the fans that would later vote him as Player of the Year in the first game of the 2016 season against Georgia Revolution when he scored the second of three goals by the Silverbacks on the day. The good impressions continued throughout the season as he not only scored goals but consistently provided a creative spark and ran around opposing defenders like they were traffic cones. Joao was arguably at his best in two games against Carolina Discoveries and Carolina Railhawks NPSL when he scored a brace against the Discoveries, as well as a goal against the Railhawks. In the same game against the Railhawks, Joao also provided the assist on Avery Shepherd’s game-winning goal.

Image by Dave Williamson

After wrapping up the regular season with a Penalty that he both won and converted against Tobacco Road, another goal against the Revolution at home, and a goal against Myrtle Beach at Ashley Booth Stadium, Joao had scored a goal against every team in the South Atlantic Conference. If that wasn’t enough, he also scored a goal in that 4-0 thrashing of the Railhawks Reserves in Lawrenceville.

Simply put, Joao Johanning Mora is one of those players that has that “wow” factor to him because he’s always doing something that makes fans get out of their seats. It was only fitting that he be the first player to be officially announced for 2017. Player announcements starting to happen is another sign that the season is right around the corner. Keep an eye on Silverbacks social media for more announcements, as well as Planet Of The Backs for analysis of said announcements.

Image by Dave Williamson

Make Your Plans - The Schedule Is Here! - By Taylor Peyton

At 12 pm Eastern time, the Atlanta Silverbacks Tweeted a sharp looking photo containing the schedule. Now the speculation over and the planning can begin. All home games will be played on a Saturday apart from one Friday night game where the Silverbacks will be hosting FC Carolina Discoveries. Weekday away games include Knoxville Force on Thursday, June 8, and Birmingham Hammers on Thursday, June 22. Away games against Georgia Revolution, New Orleans Jesters, FC Carolina Discoveries, and Asheville City will be played on Saturdays.

The Season will start on May 6 at home against Birmingham, and also end at home on July 8 against Georgia Revolution. All Saturday home games will kick off at 5 pm, which may get very uncomfortable for fans and players alike, so my advice is to sit on the West side of the Park because you have a better chance of getting sufficient shading.

One way or another, all Silverbacks road games are possibly doable for fans. The Revolution are in the process of moving from Conyers to Henry County, but that’s still a very doable drive. New Orleans is a really, really long drive but many Silverbacks fans are chomping at the bit to make it to New Orleans, taking Amtrak could very well be an option for them. FC Carolina Discoveries play in Rock Hill, SC which is a relatively easy drive up I-85. Asheville is an even shorter drive than Rock Hill and depending on how you feel, you can take the scenic route through North Georgia. Yes, Birmingham away is on a Thursday night but it’s still a very easy drive, second only to Henry County regarding ease. So if you can, by all means, go. A Thursday night game in Knoxville, on the other hand, might prove to be difficult. But I personally will try to do it, and I’m sure I won’t be alone in my efforts. It’s only a 3.5-hour drive up 75, but it goes without saying that if you do wish to go, leave early because not only can 75 be a mess through midtown and Cobb County, but the split between 24 and 75 in Chattanooga can be very slow at times too.

Now that the Schedule is out preparations can begin for what is bound to be an exciting season. As of the time I’m writing this, ticket information has not come out. I would have liked to wait until it came out to publish this, but I have to go to my pesky day later, and I won’t be off until 11. However, a source has told me that season tickets will be somewhere near $70. The countdown to opening day is at 78 days. I have a few things planned to help tide Silverbacks fans over until the day comes, so stay tuned and #PoundYourChest because #WeAreAtlanta!