The Silverbacks face a rare Friday night opponent in North Carolina tonight as they visit the Carolina Railhawks. Last week’s 1-0 victory over FC Edmonton, keyed by a spectacular free kick by Junior Burgos, keeps Atlanta in the thick of the NASL playoff race. Meanwhile, Carolina is reeling and hasn’t won since July 18th.
Recent Form
Carolina Railhawks
Lost 3-2 at New York Cosmos (goals by Albadawi [2])
Lost 3-1 vs. New York Cosmos (goal by Scott)
Lost 3-0 at FC Edmonton
Atlanta Silverbacks
Won 1-0 vs. FC Edmonton (goal by Burgos)
Drew 1-1 vs. Indy Eleven (own goal)
Lost 1-0 at Jacksonville Armada
Probable Lineups
Carolina Railhawks
Fitzgerald; Wagner, Danso, Tobin, Low; Nurse, Hlavaty, da Luz, Albadawi, Shipalane; Novo
Daniel Scott will miss the game due to a red card last week in New York. Veteran Kupono Low will likely replace him in a reshuffled Carolina backline. Nazmi Albadawi is coming off a two goal game last week, he plays very well in a central attacking midfield spot behind Nacho Novo. Tiyi Shipalane’s speed must be contained on the Railhawks right side.
Atlanta Silverbacks
Cochran; Black, Mensing, McKenzie; Reed, Mendes, Porter, Burgos, Kimura; Chavez, Mendes
CJ Cochran will be in goal for Atlanta with Steward Ceus away with the Haitian national team in World Cup qualifying. Simon Mensing will return after his red card suspension. His return gives Coach Gary Smith some options. Abdul Bangura filled in well last week and could see time again. Paul Black could play wide on the left to make room for him if the Silverbacks choose for more defensive wing backs.
Three Keys
1- Create chances
Atlanta’s scoring touch has fizzled a bit with opposing teams opting to sit deeper and concede possession. Junior Burgos and Paulo Mendes have to unlock these types of defense with killer passes. Jaime Chavez and Pedro Mendes also must coordinate their movement off the ball. These issues seems to improve over the 90 minutes, but it needs to happen quicker for Atlanta tonight.
2- Three points
The Silverbacks are three points out of the Fall Season lead and one point out of a playoff spot in the combined table. Every point is critical, Atlanta could end the night in a playoff spot and increase the pressure on the other teams chasing. Taking advantage of that opportunity is a must.
3- Avoid complacency
Carolina has nothing to lose and is at home. Players are playing for their futures with the team going forward. That is a dangerous combination to any team. The Railhawks have veteran attackers like Novo and Shipalane who can cause problems. Intensity from Atlanta from the opening whistle will be a necessity.
How to Watch
Who: Carolina Railhawks vs. Atlanta Silverbacks
When: Friday, September 4, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: WakeMed Soccer Park, North Carolina
How: ESPN3
Dirty South Soccer 
Hello – Good page.
I was just wondering if Atlanta United would join the North American Soccer League in place of the Silverbacks . ATLUTD could build towards the MLS in 2017 by fielding a team NASL. I believe The Orlando Team did this and they here able to compete at MLS level in the first year.
Would this be a good idea – I know a soccer team needs to play together for a year or so to become a good team.
LikeLike