There has been a lot of change in this year’s Silverbacks. First off, their owners decided to leave and move on so the league has decided to own the club. The league is renting the stadium that they play in, Silverbacks Park, and the name.
So the question is, how long will the NASL own the Silverbacks and give them the resources they need? Bill Peterson has said that they are committed just for this year. That means that the league has to find an owner this season or Plan B is to relocate the team. We will investigate and see what is going with the front office and the ownership search throughout the season and keep you updated.
On the pitch there has been a lot of change with the hiring of Gary Smith and new player additions. Gary Smith led the Colorado Rapids to an MLS Cup title in 2010. During the offseason the Silverbacks have signed some great players such as:
Hans Denissen– signed from the New York Cosmos. Didn’t show his full potential there because he was sidelined most of the season due to injury. Hopefully with the Silverbacks he stays healthy and is the player he was with the Scorpions.
Matt Horth– he rejoins the team after playing with them in 2011 and 2012.
Those are just some key players to watch out for. This is going to be an exciting year for the Silverbacks. The real test is going to be seeing how this team gels together with Gary Smith’s new style of play. The style is very different from last year’s Silverbacks. The squad is strong and has great depth, which will help them during the U.S Open cup. Last year the Silverbacks had a great run in the Cup and hopefully with the new coach and the players they put together, they could go further. Every NASL club’s goal is to go far in the U.S Open Cup and this season is going to be very exciting.
Predicted finish: 6th in the combined table
(image courtesy of Ron Holt)
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