So here we are with about half the season having passed so quickly. It's been quite a half for Atlanta, new faces such as Patrick Beech and Brian Piesner have sent the team to new heights while old faces like Jacenir Silva and Iggy Moleka continue to thrive here in Atlanta. Atlanta sits at 3rd place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 8-7-1, however it is now a distant third after two straight losses at home. Here are some reports on Silverbacks players at midseason.
Keepers- B
If Tony Roberts hadn't departed for England, the grade here would have been an A, but Roberts' departure leaves the Silverbacks with many questions, and perhaps no answers.
Walter Valesky- C
Walter isn't quite ready to thrive at this level yet but he has certainly gotten his chance to prove himself. It is unlikely Valesky will turn out to be Roberts' replacement.
Defense- B
Atlanta looked very solid here but now that Tony Roberts is gone, the defense doesn't look nearly as good as it did with him between the posts. The defense is made up of an interesting mix of veterans and youngsters. We will see just how good they are in the second half, without Roberts in net.
Guy Norcott- B-
It's always great to have a veteran in the back and Norcott is no exception and does a great job having the younger players in position and focused. However, Norcott's age is beginning to show and some fans are becoming restless with his lack of speed. Norcott has often found himself chasing Forwards around the pitch. Overall, he is a wonderful player for the Silverbacks, but will need help because he isn't quite as fast as he was when he was the USISL Defender of the year in 1996.
Sylvan Bednar- B+
This is Sylvan's 5th year in Atlanta (he played with the Atlanta Ruckus who went bankrupt three years ago), and Sylvan looks better than ever. Bednar has well needed speed in the back and can play as a Midfielder as well. He is without question one of the the best defenders on the Silverback team.
Danny Care- B
Care has been a very valuable edition to the team here in Atlanta. He can move up as a midfielder and has a wonderful shot that he has used to the teams advantage a few times this year. He has been an extremely valuable edition to the team this season and should get even better in the second half.
Matt Davenport- C
We really haven't gotten a chance to see Matt at home this season. But he brings a good source of quickness in the back.
Shane Stamps- N/A
He is yet to appear in a game this season.
Midfield- C+
It's hard to judge just how good this Midfield (which is made up mostly of new comers) is, they have been hurt badly with injuries. Ze Rodrigues, Brian Piesner and Tony Soto have all missed games and the Midfield is just now getting back to full strength. They've had trouble winning balls on the ground and in the air but have shown they have great speed and quickness and the ability to beat many defenders at a time, especially on the wings.
Matt Elliott- C
Elliott dresses quite routinely but hasn't gotten much playing time this season. However, the moments he has been in the game he has provided a spark, supporting the team with great speed and skills that not many Silverbacks can provide.
Brian Pieser- B
He looked a little shaky early on, but now that he has learned Coach Nuno Pitiera's system, Piesner is flying. He scored one magnificent goal this year and hustles every game. He has a rocket of a shot and is very fast, in recent weeks, we've seen Piesner beat Midfielders and dribble down the wing to set up a chance inside the 18'. What's scary is that he's still getting better.
Jacenir Silva- A-
He is solid as always, you can't even tell he's 40 by how he keeps his speed during all 90 minutes of the game. However, his age does show when it comes to leading the team, and that's definitely a good thing. Hopefully, Silva will thrive in Atlanta for years to come.
Tony Soto- B
Soto scored Atlanta's first goal of the season in the third game this year but he hasn't scored since. However, Tony's defensive Midfield role doesn't give him many opportunities to score. He's been hampered by an injury the last month or so but he has rebounded well.
Ramon Luna- B
Pitiera has been a little reluctant to use Ramon as a sub off the bench, but he dresses for every game so he can't be that bad. When in the game, Luna has provided a great spark for the Silverbacks. Hopefully he will get more playing time in the second half of the season.
Josh Henderson- B+
Although it took him a little while to start playing well here in Atlanta, Henderson looks great now with a recent hat trick in El-Paso and a few assists in recent weeks. Henderson is as good a dribbler there is on the Silverbacks team.
Ze Rodrigues- N/A
Ze would probably have an A if he hadn't been injured for almost all of the season so far. Despite the injuries, Rodrigues is back for good now and is probably the most skillful player on the Silverbacks team as well as the fastest.
Forwards- A
Atlanta is as good as ever up front, they feature the top two scorers in the A-League in Patrick Beech and Iggy Moleka, and posses great depth off the bench with Alex Bahr and Ahmed Moyeldin.
Ahmed Moyeldin- B
Ahmed has been extremely effective off the bench this season and can play Midfield or Forward. He is used in almost every game as a sub, and would definitely start on most A-League teams.
Stilian Shishkov- D
Questions have arisen about Shishkov this year. After being a good offensive force last year, Shishkov hasn't managed to score yet this year and hasn't dressed for Atlanta recently.
Jerome Samuels- N/A
Samuels has been injured so far this season.
Iggy Moleka- A-
Moleka is second in the A-League in goals and is a very well rounded player. Moleka has struggled to score a bit lately but that is only because A-League defenses are keeping an eye on him at all times.
Alex Bahr- B+
Bahr has been a wonderful addition to the team this year. After playing for Atlanta this year, Bahr scored a goal in his first game with the Silverbacks and provides a great spark off the bench. Like Moyeldin, Bahr would probably start on any other A-League team.
Patrick Beech- A
Beech has been outstanding, despite not playing in Atlanta's first three matches, and coming on to the fourth one as a sub, he has still somehow managed to lead the A-League in goals with 12. He just might be the most talented player in the A-League.
Overall- B-
Talentwise, the Silverbacks are the most talented team in the A-League. However they are only now starting to gel.
First Half MVP- Tony Roberts
