It's been a long hard grueling season for the Atlanta Silverbacks. However, all that work now means nothing. After all this struggle, this struggle which began in April, none of it means more than this Monday, Labor Day, at five o' clock in the afternoon. At this time the Atlanta Silverbacks will face the playoff bound Toronto Lynx. For the Lynx, the game is simply a tuneup for the postseason. For the Atlanta Silverbacks, this match is their season.
The Silverbacks return home to face the Lynx after yet another road loss. This time to the El Paso Patriots. Yet again, an Atlanta lead was blown after Josh Henderson got the Silverbacks on the board first, scoring in the 20th minute. However, the Patriots struck back and won 2-1, scoring the winner in the 63rd minute. This has the Silverbacks 3 points behind the Raleigh Capital Express with one match remaining. The Capital Express will play no more in the 2000 regular season. But will they play again in the first year of the new millenium? We will find out tommorrow. In the past few weeks the Silverbacks' playoff chances have been hard to explain without writing a novel. It's a lot more simple this time around. A win, and the Silverbacks are in. A loss or tie, they are out. Atlanta wins the tie-breaker against the Capital Express. The two split their four matches this season but Atlanta has scored more goals than the Capital Express in these four matches.
The Silverbacks lineup is 100% for this match. There are no injuries for the Silverbacks, so forget the excuses. No suspensions, injuries, nothing to make excuses about. The bottom line is this; Atlanta faces missing the playoffs just barely for the second straight season. Last year, they made a late season push, winning almost all of their games in the final month, they missed the playoffs by one point. This year, it has been different. The Silverbacks are struggling down the stretch this year as they have lost 5 of their last 6, with three of those losses at home.
So Atlanta now must win. It is simple, after all the hardships and injuries of a long season. The Silverbacks now must suck it up, for what they do will determine whether they play again this season.
