The Atlanta Silverbacks haven’t exactly been on top form lately. With just two wins in their last ten games, their final home match against the lowly Pittsburgh Riverhounds was supposed to help the teams’ confidence. But this didn’t happen. The ‘Backs failed to capitalize on a huge opportunity to pass Richmond for second place in the southeast division despite losing to them 3-1 the week before. But the ‘Backs came out unmotivated, slow and lazy. The result was an embarrassing loss to one of the A-league’s worst sides.
The match was also the final regular season home game for a Silverback legend. During his four years with the Silverbacks, Iggy Moleka has scored 47 goals in just 91 games and holds the team records for goals, total points and minutes recorded. The legend played hard after coming on as a sub, but his team failed to play at the same level.
Already eliminated from the playoffs and with little to play for, back-up goalkeeper T.J. Hannig got the start in between the posts instead of Randy Dedini. Meanwhile, the Silverbacks missed injured defender Alan Woods for yet another match.
Atlanta started off the match with the first chance of the game coming when Jason Annicchero volleyed a Gilbert Jean-Baptiste cross over the goal. The Hounds came back with a chance of their own in the 6th when Gary Depalma’s cross found the foot of David Flavius, but his powerful full volley was nowhere close.
Two minutes later a Velko Iotov through ball was smothered by Hanning just before Brian Piesner could latch onto it. In the 10th, Baptiste made a brilliant run down the right side and found Nate Hetherington wide open in the box. But Hetherington made a mess of the chance, and sent it high and wide of the far post.
The ‘Backs were inches away from taking the lead in the 17th when Carlos Parra beat Hannig to a John Barry Nusum chip and volleyed it past the goalkeeper. But the ball rolled harmlessly off the post and was cleared by the Riverhound defense. In the 19th, Nusum did well to beat a Riverhounds defender into the box and was pulled down by Ricardo Irribarren. Griff Siims awarded a penalty kick, and Velko Iotov calmly struck the ball past Hannig into the right corner. Nusum was involved yet again in the 26th Hetherington ran onto his through ball with a charging Hannig not far from the ball, with little time to shoot, Hetherington’s toe poke was saved by Hannig’s chest.
The Riverhounds started to attack with much more success in the final 20 minutes of the first half. In the 27th, a well struck free kick by Henry Gutierrez from 25 yards was saved by a diving Jeff Cassar. In the 28th, Depalma made a nice run down the left half and blasted a shot from a tough angle but Cassar was again up to the task. Joey Worthen headed a cross towards goal in the 29th, but it missed the near post. Matt Chulis got his head on a nice cross in the 32nd, but his header lacked the proper placement and Cassar barely had to move to make the save.
The half ended with the ‘Backs still up 1-0. But the crowd was frustrated with the play in the first half. Neither team was up to the task of possessing the ball and both sides opted for lazy through balls over the top instead. None of the twenty two players on the pitch looked motivated.
The first 20 minutes of the first half featured a flurry of opportunities for the Riverhounds. In the 51st, a Thiago Martins free kick landed behind the ‘Backs defense, but Cassar beat two Hounds attackers to the ball. Depalma had an excellent shot at goal in the 54th from the upper left corner of the box, but his blast was tipped over the bar in the nick of time by Cassar. The Riverhounds finally drew even in the 55th. Martins was held back by a ‘Backs defender just outside the box and Simms awarded a free kick just outside the box. Gutierrez stepped up and somehow his 19 yard blasted got past Atlanta’s 11 man wall and ended up in the left corner for a goal.
Five minutes later, Piesner beat his man down the left side and found Iotov 30 yards from goal. Iotov passed to Nusum out right and the Bermudan international beat his defender to the endline and passed across the 6 yard box to Piesner who easily put the ball into the net.
In the 67th, Ben Garry took a Rivaldo-esque dive when John Akin shoved him and he immediately fell to ground covering his face. But Simms didn’t approve of the Garry’s theatrics and he received a yellow card.
Moleka entered in the 68th.
In the 73rd, a chip fell inside the 6 yard box to Phil Karn. But with only Cassar to beat, Karn blew the opportunity and sent it over the crossbar. In the 83rd, Moleka ran onto a nice through ball behind the defense and entered the right half of the box with only a charging Hannig to beat. Moleka probably should have laid the ball off to a wide open Jamel Mitchell, but he tried to find the goal instead, and Hannig made a nice save.
In the 90th minute, the Riverhounds tied the game up. An incredible sequence began the play when Cassar made a diving save and pushed the ball away. But Martins retained it at the penalty spot and sent the ball towards the goal where Annicchero cleared it off the line. But Martins was dragged down just before the shot and a penalty was awarded. Gutierrez did well on the PK and his shot left Cassar with no chance and ended up in the left corner.
The match went to overtime with the Riverhounds looking increasingly interested in the matches outcome, and Atlanta looking a bit more interested in other matters. In the 92nd, Cassar made a brilliant diving save off a blast from 23 yards out, and James Wall cleared the ensuing rebound. In the 97th, a longball found Phil Karn behind the defense, but Moleka bailed out his team as he made a brilliant play to take the ball away and save Cassar from what looked to be an apparent breakaway. In the 99th, Derek Peterson caught the Silverbacks defense ball watching and passed to a wide open Kevin Alvero inside the box, Alvero’s 15 yard blast glanced off the crossbar and into the goal for the winner, and the Riverhounds had won their first road game of the season.
Late season slumps are nothing new to Silverbacks soccer, 2000’s team missed the playoffs by one point due to a late season collapse, and in 2001 the team limped into the playoffs after some weak play in the final month of the regular season. It must be said that Atlanta was not on top form Sunday night, and they only have themselves to blame for a loss that could be devastating in regards to their playoff seed. Lacking motivation, the ‘Backs didn’t seem to care much about a match that may weigh heavily on their playoff fortunes.
Man of the Match: Jeff Cassar
Cassar's brilliant play saved the 'Backs countless times. Without his effort, the Riverhounds may have won the match comfortably in regulation.
Lineups:
Atlanta Silverbacks – Cassar, Jean-Baptiste, Wall, Annicchero, Mitchell, Hetherington (Kuhn, 45th, Mitchell, 83rd), Parra (Broder, 95th), Godoy (Akin, 60th), Piesner, Iotov (Moleka, 67th), Nusum
Pittsburgh – Hanning, Iribarren, Garry, Triopoli, David Wright, Worthen, Chulis (Peterson, 60th), Gutierrez, DePalma (Alvero, 76th), Flavius (Karn, 32nd), Martins
Stats Shots Saves Corners Fouls Offside
Atlanta 7 8 3 20 7
Pittsburgh 15 1 7 17 1
Scoring
19th- Iotov (PK)
55th- Gutierrez (FK)
60th- Piesner (Nusum)
90th- Gutierrez (FK)
99th- Alvero (Peterson)
Cards
19th- Wright
48th- Parra
49th- Godoy
55th- Gutierrez
62nd- Iribarren
67th- Garry
90th- Akin
