Atlanta Soccer » NASL

Silverbacks say adiós to Pérez, welcome Nationally Ranked Conor

CMartz — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:38:11 +0000

On Thursday the Atlanta Silverbacks made the news official that Mexican midfielder Mario Pérez would be leaving the team and returning to the Mexican Primera Division. Wednesday night, during the Silverbacks’ 2-1 victory over Montreal, the annual free-for-all known as the Primera Division draft was taking place in Playa del Carmen, just south of Cancun.

Pérez’s rights were transferred from Necaxa to Estudiantes Tecos, a team located in the Guadalajara suburb of Zapopan. Pérez will be returning to Mexico where he has not played in a league match since suiting up for Atlas on March 20, 2010.

The Mexican defender started the 2011 season with the Silverbacks and made an immediate impact. As one of the more experienced players on a young team, Pérez brought stability to the back line and his forays forward were one of the team’s best attacking options. His three assists lead Atlanta this season, and Pérez also contributed a goal in the Silverbacks’ 2-1 loss to Fort Lauderdale on April 23.

Pérez will be unavailable for Sunday’s match against FC Tampa Bay, as he has already left the team to return to Mexico and sort out the details of his transfer.

To help combat the loss of Pérez, the Atlanta front office announced on Friday the signing of Real Salt Lake forward and Star Kick spokesman Conor Chinn.

Chinn had not played for Real Salt Lake this season but did play in nine games for the New York Red Bulls in 2010, five in MLS play and four in the U.S. Open Cup, where he scored three goals.

He will also be rejoining his former college teammate, Silverbacks defender Tyler Ruthven. The two played together at the Univesity of San Francisco in 2006.

Chinn is well-known to many viewers of Fox Soccer Channel as “Nationally Ranked Conor” in a commercial for Star Kick. Chinn has also used the alias of “Amateur Player Guillermo Ortiz” in a Spanish-language version of the commercial.

The newest Atlanta Silverback will not be joining the team in time for Sunday’s game at FC Tampa Bay but looks to be ready to hit the field for his new team before the head to Puerto Rico on June 19.

Silverbacks Defeat Impact 2-1 For First Win Of Season

CMartz — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 10:58:32 +0000

It was a long time coming, but the Atlanta Silverbacks finally won their first game of the season Wednesday night, defeating the Montreal Impact 2-1 in front of 2,880 at Atlanta Silverbacks Park.

The home side took the lead in the 13th minute when Mario Perez found himself along the end line to the left of Montreal goalkeeper Bill Gaudette. Perez played the ball back to Raphael Cox at the top of the box who coolly slotted his shot past the veteran goalkeeper to put Atlanta up 1-0 early.

Cox’s goal snapped a goalless streak for the Silverbacks that ended at 508 minutes of play. In addition, it gave Atlanta their first lead at any point of any game this season, a lead they would double just over 20 minutes later.

Jordan Davis, Raphael Cox and Matt Horth celebrate with Silverbacks fans after Cox's 13th-minute goal on Wednesday night.

In the 34th minute, Gaudette received a back pass from a defender and attempted to clear the ball. Raphael Cox, however, was pressuring the Montreal keeper and forced him into an error. Cox deflected the ball towards the end line and managed to keep it in play. As he dribbled in along the end line and with Gaudette guarding his near post, Cox crossed the ball along the ground across the mouth of the goal to a streaking Matt Horth who merely had to tap the ball into the empty net for his second goal of the season.

After scoring just three goals in their first nine games, Atlanta found themselves with a two-goal advantage a little more than a third of the way into the game, sending the fans into a wild celebration.

Montreal would strike back just before halftime. Impact midfielder Idriss Ech Chergui sent in a cross from the right side. The cross found the head of Mignane Diouf inside the six-yard box and the Montreal forward headed it off the underside of the crossbar and into the net, cutting the lead to 2-1.

Both teams struggled the put many shots on goal in the second half until late. Zurab Tsiskaridze attempted a shot in the 85th minute that floated over Atlanta goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer and glanced off the crossbar and out of play.

After Impact midfielder Antonio Ribeiro was sent off in the 89th minute for a second yellow card, Ciaran O’Brien and Moussa Toure both forced Gaudette into action with a couple of long-range shots that the Montreal keeper was able to push away.

The three points moved the Silverbacks to five on the season through 10 games. Montreal remains just ahead of Atlanta in the NASL standings with eight points from nine matches.

The win was the first for the Silverbacks since defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps in Atlanta on August 5, 2008. Atlanta now travels to Florida where they will face FC Tampa Bay at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday night.

495 Minutes

CMartz — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 16:40:55 +0000

These kind of celebrations have been few and far between for Mario Perez (center) and the rest of the Atlanta Silverbacks this season.

495 minutes. Five and a half games. That’s how long it has been since the Atlanta Silverbacks scored a goal. Last night’s 2-0 loss at home to the NSC Minnesota Stars extended this streak into June, a streak that began in April and continued through all four games in May.

Not since Willie Hunt’s goal in first-half stoppage time on April 30 in Tampa have the Silverbacks hit the back of the net. Two goals from defenders, one from a forward. In total, three goals in nine games played this season.

It’s not surprising when one looks at the NASL table and sees Atlanta languishing at the bottom with just two points from nine games when you take this into account: The Atlanta Silverbacks have not led at any point of any game this season. Nine games, 810 minutes played, ZERO minutes leading a game.

One can point to the fact that Atlanta has also allowed the most goals of any team in the NASL, 15 in nine games. There have been points dropped due to goalkeeping errors, most notably in the first month of the season.

But none of these arguments can hold a candle to the simple fact that this team simply cannot put the ball in the back of the net. Imagine if the Silverbacks could get a lead. How confident would the players be and would the defense tighten knowing they’re not chasing the game as they have been all season?

As much credit as the Atlanta front office deserves for putting a team together in five months, the inaction shown this far into the season is bordering on criminal. It has been shown time and time again that the roster in its current shape and form is incapable of competing in the NASL this season.

It is one thing for the front office to preach patience and player development while at the same time asking fans to continue to shell out money in this economy to support a clearly inferior product.

Jose Manuel Abundis is in his first season as a professional head coach, these players have never played together, many of the players are lacking in professional experience, this roster was put together in a short period of time, Junior Sandoval’s injury took away the team’s best attacking option. The excuses are numerous and all have merit, but they are just that, excuses.

It has been made abundantly clear that the current roster isn’t capable of generating the goals to make this team competitive, and it is also clear that there will not be any big signings to come in and save the team. If the team is going to continue with their “player-development” mantra, they should look to the NPSL Southeast Division.

These players have already been playing for months, can be brought in for little money, and in some cases already have their international clearance. Tornubari Nyonebue of the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves has already trained with the Silverbacks first team and could provide a different option up front, as his speedy, physical style of play is something Atlanta is lacking.

Other players of note that are in the immediate area and have stood out are Chris Ochieng of Chattanooga F.C. and Jamal Harewood of the Georgia Revolution. Both are big, athletic target forwards who have shown well for their teams in the NPSL.

One of the questions I raised at the news when the Silverbacks announced their return last November was whether the team would actually be competitive or if they were merely coming along for the ride to complete an eight-team league mandated by the United States Soccer Federation in order for the NASL to receive sanctioning.

Nine games into the season and it appears the latter to be the case. It has already been a frustrating season for both the Silverbacks and their supporters, and unless changes are made soon, it will continue to be an even longer season.

NASL D2 Sanctioning in Question

Scott — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:26:14 +0000

The NASL is facing a major setback in their mission to become USSF Sanctioned for 2011. Word first started to come out early Friday (1/21) when Brian Quarstad, of Inside Minnesota Soccer (IMS), reported that the USSF was concerned with Sanctioning of D2 PRO Soccer for 2011. The NASL shortly after release a statement confirming the report that that USSF had indeed withdrawn their provisional sanctioning of NASL. In that statement they also emphasized their commitment to securing Division 2 status at the USSF Annual General Meeting held on February 11 – 12, 2011.

Aaron Davidson, CEO of the NASL, commented, “We have invested a lot of time, energy and resources over the past four years to establish a proper team-owned and governed professional second division soccer league and separate ourselves from the instability and annual team turnover of USL, the former second division. The USSF and the soccer community have realized that it’s time once and for all to launch a new second division with higher standards which finally ensure the stability, growth and prosperity of second division soccer in North America. We are prepared to respond to the USSF’s concerns and look forward to delivering on our commitments to our teams and fans to re-launch second division as the NASL in 2011.”

IMS later spoke with U.S. Soccer’s Neil Buethe late Friday afternoon. Buethe said there where issues regarding ownership and organizational details to make sure the league was prepared to start the season, which is less than 3 months away.

“The biggest hurdle was really some of the financial requirements. An unstable league or team can damage the market place and the sport overall if teams fold or have financial issues.” said Buethe.

The NASL is comprised of 8 teams that will play in 2011 including: Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina, FC Edmonton, FC Tampa Bay, Miami FC, Montreal Impact, NSC Minnesota Stars, and the Puerto Rico Islanders . Aaron Davidson, CEO of the NASL and president of Miami FC has worked with several struggling teams to ensure they have the financial capital necessary to operate this year under the more stringent USSF D2 Standards. You may remember reading a previous post when Traffic Sports announced they would take part ownership in the Atlanta Silverbacks. At the end of 2010 the NASL announced that the league would purchase the NSC Minnesota Stars while looking for a new long-term owner. Reports have also emerged that the previous owners of the Carolina Railhawks have dissolved their organization and either the NASL &/or Traffic Sports could be taking over as early as this week. However, those plans could be placed on hold in light of the recent developments.

The NASL continues to move forward and provide the USSF with what it believes are the necessary requirements. IMS quoted Davidson as saying,

“We’ve provided the federation with what we believe was the missing information. We feel we live up to the standards of second division as they were set forth in October. The Federation now have over $6 million in letters of credit that are joint and several for a league who runs budgets around $2 million a team. Traffic is involved with three of the teams, the league is involved with Minnesota and Montreal stands on its own. That means there are three teams left this season that don’t have Traffic or Montreal behind them. If all three teams were to default immediately, you would still have enough money amongst the collective group to run all three of those teams for an entire season.”

At the end of the day I personally think NASL will be sanctioned as Division 2 for 2011. The USSF stepped in for 2010 to make sure things worked out and that the games would be played. I believe the USSF needed to flex some muscle to show the NASL that they were serious and probably to resolve the finance issue to their liking.

Brian Quarstad at www.insidemnsoccer.com has done a fantastic job of breaking and following this story. You may remember him from the 2010 Best Blog nomination he received from US Soccer. If you’re looking for more detail then check out his site and follow him on twitter (@MinnesotaSoccer) for the latest on what’s happening.

What do you think will happen with NASL in 2011? Do you think attendance would change significantly for the Silverbacks if they were playing in D3 or unsanctioned?

Atlanta Silverbacks to Return?

Scott — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 17:25:44 +0000

Back in July I posted that the Silverbacks had no intentions of returning in 2011. This was based off a conversation I had with someone who had first-hand knowledge of the organizations plans…at that time. It was supported as NASL.com removed the Silverbacks’ icon and ceased mentioning Atlanta as an expansion city as they previously had done in written communications. Atlanta was also excluded from the NASL’s original submission for Division 2 status as recently as September 28th, 2010.

However, during the NASL’s Annual General Meeting two additional teams for the 2011 season have been approved – The Atlanta Silverbacks and NSC Minnesota Stars. Aaron Davidson CEO of the NASL said, “We were encouraged by fans to return second division soccer to Atlanta after a two season hiatus”. Copy of the full release is below.

The NASL now waits to hear from the USSF Board of Directors to see if their submission has been accepted. The USSF has a meeting scheduled on November 21 in Toronto, Canada in which the decision could be made. The NASL application also includes San Antonio (2012) and a team to be announced later (2013) in the submission. This would give the NASL the USSF required 8 teams and account for Montreal’s spot once they join MLS in 2012. The 8 teams submitted to play in 2011 are: Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, FC Edmonton, FC Tampa Bay, Montreal Impact, Miami FC Blues, NSC Minnesota Stars, and the Puerto Rico Islanders.

Was Atlanta’s CEO Soccer Cabinet somehow involved in an effort to increase Atlanta’s chances of being a World Cup host city? Do you think MLS’s commitment to New York, not Atlanta, as the 20th team made re-entry more appealing?

Full Press Release Below

North American Soccer League Concludes Successful AGM and Finalizes USSF Application

Teams in Minnesota and Atlanta Added for 2011 Season

November 10, 2010 — The North American Soccer League (“NASL”) recently concluded its 2010 Annual General Meeting held in Miami, Florida on November 7th and 8th. The meeting was highlighted by the approval of two additional teams for the 2011 season – the NSC Minnesota Stars and the Atlanta Silverbacks – and their inclusion in the application to the United States Soccer Federation for sanctioning as a Division II league. The completed application, which was originally submitted with six teams on September 28, 2010, was submitted to the Federation immediately following the conclusion of the meeting.

The application also includes San Antonio (which will commence play in 2012) and an additional team to be announced (which will commence play in 2013). The NASL is looking forward to favorable consideration of the application by the Board of Directors of the USSF at its meeting on November 21 in Toronto, Canada.

“This is an exciting time for the NASL as it nears the finish line in its two year quest for second division sanctioning from the USSF. We were encouraged by fans to return second division soccer to Atlanta after a two season hiatus and are thrilled that over twenty years of continuous professional play in Minnesota will continue in 2011 and beyond ” said Aaron Davidson CEO of the NASL.

Club owners and general managers will continue working on developing the schedule for the 2011 season over the coming weeks. The NASL plans to release the opening weekend schedule of games later this month.

The North American Soccer League (NASL) was established in November 2009. The NASL member teams include: Atlanta Silverbacks (resuming play in 2011 and 2022 FIFA World Cup ™ Bid City), Carolina RailHawks, FC Baltimore( 2022 FIFA World Cup ™ Bid City) , FC Edmonton, Miami FC (2022 FIFA World Cup ™ Bid City), NSC Minnesota Stars, Montreal Impact (joining MLS in 2012), Puerto Rico Islanders, Rochester Rhinos, San Antonio (beginning play in 2012), AC St. Louis, FC Tampa Bay (2022 FIFA World Cup ™ Bid City) and Vancouver Whitecaps FC (joining MLS in 2011). The NASL has applied to the United States Soccer Federation for sanctioning as an independent second division league starting in the 2011.

NASL logo shows Atlanta 2011

Scott — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:29:35 +0000

UPDATE July 2010: see more recent post

Today @NASLofficial went live on Twitter. Their profile image includes nine team logo’s and a tenth “ATLANTA 2011″ but without the Silverbacks logo. I know many people have wondered if the Silverbacks would comeback but so far things look like they’re still moving forward after the the NASL’s first annual general meeting. Well maybe I shouldn’t say Silverbacks. Could another re-branding be in-store for Atlanta’s division 2 team?

UPDATE: The NASL site has now updated the words Atlanta with the Silverbacks logo while the “2011″ date still remains.

One interesting thing is that in addition to the 6 teams on the 2010 NASL conference playing in the USSF Division 2 that three of the six USL teams are also included. Rochester, Minnesota, and Tampa Bay are the three teams that will play in the USL conference this upcoming season. However those three have also been associated with the TOA/NASL prior the the USSF ultimatum a few weeks ago.

The NASL stated their new website would go live Friday, 1/15/10. As of the time this was posted it still not live.

UPDATE: NASL.com is now live. At the time of this update it was showing the above image and the words “coming soon”.

Decision from USSF on NASL/USL

Scott — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 19:00:04 +0000

Delay of Game

Over the past several weeks there have been numberous thoughts, idea’s, and conspiracy theories written about what is to come of Division 2 soccer in the US. Today we may finally get answers to some questions. Like, will there be one division 2 league governed by USSF in which both groups would reside? Or more importantly to Atlanta fans is whether on not Atlanta will be involved it those plans this year.

A few articles while we wait:

http://www.setpieceanalysts.com

http://thekartikreport.wordpress.com/

http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/

Parties on call: USSF President Sunil Gulati, USSF CEO Dan Flynn, USL CEO Alec Papadakis, and NASL Acting Commissioner Jeff Cooper.

Updates:

IT’S SNOWING IN ATLANTA!!!

2:43 tweet from bdure_usat US Soccer announcement is out: Two six-team conferences in Div 2, one #USL, one #NASL

2:45 Word is out:

NASL = Baltimore (CP), Carolina, Miami, Montreal, St. Louis, Vancouver.

USL = Minnesota, Rochester, Tampa Bay, Austin, Puerto Rico, Portland

NO ATLANTA in either division for 2010.

See More @ http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2010/01/07/us-soccer-announces-details-of-division-ii-soccer-agreement/

3:00 It is as stated above w/ 2 Division with 6 teams each. USSF have hands on role in overseeing the league for 2010.

The legal disputes have been resolved. Now taking questions from the Press.

On Atlanta & NY not making it: USSF “No Specific comment but both cities are looking towards participating in the future. “

Jeff Cooper ”Atlanta had made clear from early stages that they could better prepare their market and team for the 2011 season.”

Alec Papadakis “NY asked that they could wait until 2011 before entering the league.”

Other points of interest:

Everyone will play everyone and schedules will come out soon
USL & NASL focus on 2010 but both will begin looking at their long-term business plan
NY & ATL decisions made by those organizations, not USSF, USL, or NASL
Name: “USSF Division 2″ – willing to align with a corporate partner if interest is there for the next year.
USSF will not be as involved next year
Personal comment – I guess Atlanta will take Portland or Vancouver’s place once they move on the MLS

That’s all for now. The Silverbacks won’t play till possibly 2011.

Sorry for the messy blog. First time doing live posting. I will learn and work on improving things for the next goround.

Announcement from USSF here.