A loss is always hard, but the Atlanta Silverbacks experienced one of the more heartbreaking ones last Saturday night in a 1-0 defeat. After three straight wins, the Silverbacks continued their solid play. But a skilled, organized and prepared Charleston side escaped Atlanta with a hard fought 1-0 victory. Give the Battery credit, they stepped onto the pitch Saturday night ready to play. As for Atlanta, their performance wasn't too shabby either. This match could have gone either way, but just as has happened in the previous four matches between these two sides, the Battery emerged victorious.
It was a glorious night for soccer at Dekalb Memorial Stadium. The match was to be the last for goalkeeper/captain Billy Andracki. The crowd was energized and ready for Andracki's final 90 minutes in the red and white.
Coach John Dugan opted for the same starting lineup as the one that took the pitch in Tuesday's exhibition match against the Tampa Bay Mutiny. Charleston opted not to start former Silverback Brian Piesner in his return to Atlanta, but he would come on as a sub in the second half and make an impact.
The first 10 minutes of the match were a good sign of what was to come, a hard fought midfield battle with neither team being able to sustain an attack.
Charleston controlled the first 10 minutes of the match but failed to get a shot on net. Neither team was able to put anything on goal until the 24th minute of play. A long ball from defensive defender Andrew Restrepo found Ryan Walker behind the Battery defense. Walker ran onto the ball inside the left half of the 18-yard box. The combination of a charging Dusty Hudock and defender putting on pressure from Walker's left side resulted in little space to work with for the striker. Just before Hudock reached the ball, Walker poked at the ball with his left foot and his shot was pushed away by Hudock.
In the 40th, Seth Marks intercepted a bad pass and streaked down the left half of the field. Marks played Walker but his one touch shot from the penalty spot was placed directly at Huddock. The first half ended with Atlanta having the bulk of the chances and the Battery having the bulk of the possession.
The second half began just as the first 45 ended. The Battery defense wouldn't let Atlanta hold the ball in their half for a long period of time. The Battery narrowly missed a chance to go on top 1-0 in the 56th. Jason Annichero attempted to clear a Mac Cozier cross with his head but wasn't able to make contact. The ball fell at the feet of an unmarked Paul Conway at the upper right corner of the box. Conway took two touches and unleashed a shot that was pushed away by Andracki. In the 68th, A hard tackle on Charleston midfielder Darren Warham resulted in both teams making their first substitutions. For Atlanta Iggy Moleka entered in place of Seth Marks. Ryan Walker moved back to take Marks' spot on the right flank, and Moleka took Walker's spot up front alongside Schneider.
Meanwhile for Charleston, Brian Piesner came on for an injured Darren Warham. On the ensuing free kick Dan Calichman managed to sneak into the box unmarked but his header narrowly missed the right upper 90. One minute later, Sylvan Bednar entered in place of Ian Checcio. In the 74th, a worn out Ryan Walker exited in favor of Sean Finn. A few minutes after Finn's entrance a Carlos Parra goal was called back for offside. The Atlanta crowd was unhappy with the call, but it was a good one. With only 4 minutes remaining in regulation Charleston struck. Jon Akin found Mac Cozier with a low cross just outside the 6-yard box. Cozier shielded the ball from a 'Backs defender, and managed to get off a beautiful shot that ended up in the back of the net. Atlanta attacked furiously as the clock counted down. But a suffocating Charleston defense prevented them from getting any chances. The final whistle blew with the Battery just squeaking out a victory against Atlanta.
The Silverbacks were clearly dejected after the loss, but they had nothing to be ashamed of. The Battery played a very good game that probably would have resulted in them netting 5 points against a lot of A-league teams. Atlanta hung tough all game and could have been victorious. But when the final whistle blew, the Battery had beaten Atlanta for the fifth straight time.
Man of the Match: Billy Andracki
Andracki made several key stops on the Battery and had no chance to reach the lone goal for Charleston. If not for Andracki, the Battery may have scored a few more. But it is not just what Andracki did Saturday night that was important. The keeper likely saved Atlanta from collapsing early in the season when they fell too 2-4 and missed the US Open Cup by two points. He kept the team composed and is largely responsible for the resurrection of the defense in recent weeks. I wish him luck in his return to Rochester; his leadership and great play in net will be greatly missed for the remainder of the 2001 season.
ATLANTA - Andracki, Restrepo, Annicchero, Care, Checcio (Bednar, 71), Rodriguez (Najarro, 86), Parra, Callahan, Marks (Moleka, 68), Walker (Finn, 74), Schneider
CHARLESTON - Hudock, Wilson, Calichman, Jean-Baptiste, Warham (Piesner, 68), Ball, Farris, Rantala, Akin, Cozier, Conway
