The Atlanta Silverbacks play at home for the second time this week as they welcome the defending NASL Champion San Antonio Scorpions to Silverbacks Park. The Scorpions visited Atlanta on June 6th and came away with all three points in a 1-0 win. The Silverbacks have overhauled their roster and utilize a different formation since that match. The Scorpions have had serious injuries and acquired a few players this week. San Antonio will also be without their manager, Alen Marcina, due to a red card in their last match two weeks ago against Minnesota.
The Silverbacks are rising in the table, but finishing at the bottom gave them no choice. With five of their first six Fall Season matches away from home, climbing off the bottom of the table seemed a tall order. A more realistic goal would have been to maintain striking distance from the pack. Wins against Jacksonville, Edmonton, Indy, and Ft. Lauderdale find the Silverbacks in sixth place in the combined table and only one point out of a playoff spot.
San Antonio finds itself in 10th place, level on points with the bottom of the Combined Table, with only one win in the Fall Season. Someone on the coaching staff will manage the team, but no announcement has been made identifying one particular person. The NASL leading scorer Omar Cummings is one of the bright spots this season. Silverbacks Manager Gary Smith is very familiar with Cummings since he managed him earlier in their career. New signings include goalkeeper Daniel Fernandes, defender Milton Palacios, and Jamaican midfielder Khari Stephenson.
Atlanta is riding a three match winning streak and looking to continue climbing the table. Manager Gary Smith must consider his squad rotation as the August heat on the artificial turf at Silverbacks Park will take its toll on the players. More than one player has played every minute of the season and that heat and that surface will cause some injuries to be a concern. Look for more substitutions this Saturday as most of the strongest starting eleven played most of the match on Wednesday evening against the Strikers.
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