The Atlanta Silverbacks were hoping to begin their 2001 campaign with a bang Sunday. Instead, the Silverbacks began the season the way they finished 2000, with obvious talent, and no chemistry. A performance like Sunday will not win games for Atlanta when they began their A-league schedule in early May. Perhaps this team needs some more time to gel and get used to each other on the field.
If so, the Silverbacks have picked the perfect time too experiment on the field and get used too the styles of each other. When competition is low. Preferably, the low competition in the preseason would have accommodated for this. But the Silverbacks clearly aren't at the top of their game yet. They hope to have things ironed out by Saturday, when they face the Greenville Lions of D3, the same team that nearly beat them on Sunday.
As expected, the Silverbacks starting line up (and roster for that matter) had a totally different look from 2000. Dugan surprised some people by not starting Sylvan Bednar in the back. Instead he opted for the foursome of Edmundo Rodriguez, Jason Annichero, 2000 starter Danny Care and Seth Marks. In the midfield, Sean Finn, Steve Armas, Pablo Peirano and Ryan Walker got the nod. As expected, Iggy Moleka was up front, but alongside him was recently acquired MLS player Peter Byaruhunga. Of course the big question was who would begin the match at goalkeeper. It was rookie Eric Sims. Sims spent the last month of the 2000 season as the back-up at Hampton Roads.
The match got off too a quick start when Sean Finn beat a defender on the left half and sent a cross to Pablo Peirano. Peirano's shot was saved by Greenville keeper Jeb Huckabee. Both teams battled it out in the midfield for the next 25 minutes. In most places, Greenville's inferior talent was evident. However, striker Jerome Lee Yaw quickly established himself as a force on offense as he managed two shots on goal.
Pablo Peirano had perhaps the best chance of the first half when he was served over the top and found himself in a one-on-one situation with Huckabee. He managed to chip the ball over Huckabee, but wide of the net. In minute 34, Danny Care sustained a gruesome cut and was taken out of the match in favor of Sylvan Bednar.
Peter Byaruhanga, nearly struck just before half time. Byaruhanga was holding the ball inside the Greenville box with a defender on him. Then he quickly struck the ball inches wide of the goal. The two teams went into the locker rooms deadlocked 0-0.
The Silverbacks' frustration was evident. Coach John Dugan made this clear as well when he inserted Ian Checcio in place of Seth Marks and Ivailo Ilarionov in place of Byaruhanga. A Greenville header whizzed just over the crossbar in the 54th minute. Dugan substituted Keith Beach for Pablo Peirano in minute 57. Ryan Walker played Iggy Moleka a nice looking cross in the 65th, but Moleka sent the left-footed volley over the goal.
Greenville would finally strike first in the 68th minute. Lee Yaw, who had been giving Silverbacks defenders fits all afternoon was served over the top by Parkinson and ran onto the ball with no defenders in front of him. Sims came off his line to make the initial save, but he couldn't hold it and the ball popped up into the air where Lee Yaw headed it into the open net.
The Silverbacks equalized five minutes later. Ivailo Ilarionov found Iggy Moleka unmarked inside the box, Moleka turned and quickly finished a left footed shot to the far post. The Silverbacks almost took the lead in the 81st as Sean Finn once again created a chance with a cross. But Ryan Walker's header went wide.
In injury time a rebound goal by Atlanta was called back for offside and the game went to OT.
In extra time, the Silverbacks continued to put constant pressure on the Greenville defense. In the third minute Ilarionov sent a right footed volley wide of the goal, and Iggy Moleka blew a chance from the upper right corner of the 6 yard box when he tried to go near post and missed completely.
But the Greenville defense gave the game away in the 95th minute of play. A Lion defender was attempting to shield the ball inside the box when he lost his footing and knocked the ball away with his hands awarding Atlanta a penalty kick. Moleka easily rolled the ball into the right corner after Huckabee guessed wrong and dove too the left and the Silverbacks escaped, but just barely.
Hopefully, one more week of training will have Dugan's boys ready for a stellar performance come Saturday. The Lions will be looking for revenge after seeing a possible upset go down the tubes in Greenville. Meanwhile, the Silverbacks will be looking for improvement in their play and to nail down a win at home just like on Sunday. But this time, they are hoping to win more comfortably.
Man of the Match: Iggy Moleka
Nobody had a stellar game on Atlanta's side Sunday but Moleka managed to generate some good chances. He saved Atlanta from defeat with a goal in the 74th and then won the game for Atlanta in the 95th.
