By Jason Kirk - Regional Editor

Someday Atlanta will have a chance to prove it can be a MLS town. But for now, local soccer fans should make it a great NASL town.

Follow @sbnatlanta on Twitter, and LikeSB Nation Atlanta on Facebook.

Jun 28, 2011 - The first thing you notice while walking into Atlanta Silverbacks Park for the first time is the scrambled rainbow created by the facility's black, yellow, navy, purple (and so on) seats. Light blue seats and red seats, too, which matched the Atlanta Thrashers gear worn by displaced hockey fans invited in for cheap beers at a fun venue.

In the 10th minute of Saturday night's game, the one-win Silverbacks took a 1-0 lead on the league-leading Carolina RailHawks thanks to a strike by forward Matt Horth. It wasn't quite as improbable as the United States running out to a 2-0 advantage on Mexico two hours later, but you'll have to remember it was only the ninth goal the Silverbacks have scored since their rebirth.

The second thing you notice is the drumming. As they're an Atlanta sporting institution, the Silverbacks are required by city code to feature a drumline. While theirs is a volunteer corps composed of one kick and one tom, a full line would have to break a sweat to duplicate Section 109's total wattage.

Though Westside 109 stayed busy all night, my two favorite moments were their chants of "FC! Willie B!" and their helpful shouts up to the PA announcer after he announced a yellow card had been delivered to RailHawks defender Justin Krause.

"There were two!"

The voice of the Silverbacks sent a thumbs-up back to 109; he was still waiting to see Brad Rusin officially assessed with the other yellow. So interactive! You try going to a Hawks game and giving feedback to Ryan Cameron without aid of Twitter.

There were quite a few Thrashers jerseys in the house, though they tended to stick near the ground level watering hole, according to their kind. Still, attendance lagged behind the marks the team is regularly praised for by rival NASL fans -- considering the Gold Cup schedule, the night's maybe-drizzly weather and local club teams being on a break, seeing so many colorful seats didn't set off any alarms.

A discussion outside the park after the game: how can a team that plays this sport succeed in Atlanta, perhaps the weirdest sports city in the United States? My only real suggestion is the same as it is for everything else. Just have Arthur Blank buy some stuff!

Though some sort of Blank soccer project does appear to be in the works, that doesn't really help the city's current highest-level team. Attendance doesn't seem like a problem by any means, especially considering how new the team is, but more than a couple pro soccer teams have folded here before.

Selling the game to reeling Thrashers fans makes sense, though hopefully it didn't call to mindKasim Reed's tonedeaf promise to replace the NHL team with something else. Both games are foreign to the Southeast, as once was every Southern sport except stock car racing. You'd think SEC East fans would fall in love with a sport that features four or five scores per game, but apparently a 13-9 football game sounds much more Dixie than a 3-2 soccer game does.

There are soccer fans in Atlanta. One thing people don't get about Atlanta: there are fans of absolutely anything here. A team like the Silverbacks is in the advantageous position of selling itself to fans of the game, not just the team -- it's cool for FC Willie B to sell patches of Premier League teams, but that doesn't mean you should sell Kobe Bryant jerseys, Atlanta Spirit.

A common exchange:

"Soccer will catch on. Give it time."

"People been saying that for 20 years."

Doesn't make it any less true. But around here, you pay your respects in addition to your dues.

In 1966, the Atlanta Falcons chose to wear red, black, white and gold in honor of the Georgia Bulldogs and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The Kennesaw St. Owls wear black and gold for the same reasons. Saturday night, the red-and-black Silverbacks put in work beneath a rainbow drummed up by a Georgia shower as sports fans without a team drank it all in.

 

11:50 PM

By Christa Mann

JUNE 21, 2011

KENNESAW, GA (June 19, 2011) - The Atlanta Beat of Women's Professional Soccer earned another point at home on Sunday with a scoreless draw against the Boston Breakers in 97 degree heat at KSU Soccer Stadium.

Meghan Lenczyk - Photo is Courtesy of the Atlanta Beat

 

The match began with a quick pace and physical play as the Beat took control in the early going. Within the first couple minutes, Beat captain Lori Chalupny went down when her head collided with the shoulder of an opposing player.   Chalupny was only shaken-up a bit and remained in the match for the entire 90 minutes. 

 In a slight change in formation, the Beat came out with a three-man attack, starting Kacey White, Megan Jesolva and Chalupny as forwards.   The new lineup created three close first half chances for the Beat.  Chalupny recorded the first shot for the Beat and the second of the match  when she struck a long, driven ball in the 23^rd minute. When Beat midfielder White found herself inside the 18 yard box with her back to goal,  she hit a low ball that went just wide of the far post in the 31st.  Midfielder Angela Salem also had a close attempt in the 36^th minute when she connected on Chalupny’s low, driven cross near the penalty spot. Salem’s shot went wide and to the right.

 At the half the Beat and Breakers had alternated on shots, keeping the match scoreless and even with three shots apiece.   

 Nearing the end of the opening half, Beat defender Keeley Dowling went down with an injury after clearing a ball out of the back.  Dowling was replaced by Meghan Lenczyk in first half stoppage time.

 Early in the second half, the fresh legs from Lenczyk forced some additional pressure on the Breakers defense.  Lenczyk struck a  dangerous shot from the top right corner of the box in the 50^th minute.  The shot went just barely wide left of the goal but forced Boston keeper Alyssa Naeher to make a diving save as they went out for a goal kick.  Lenczyk led the team in shots, recording three for the Atlanta club. 

One minute after Lenczyk’s 50^th minute strike,  some physical play awarded Breakers midfielder Leslie Osborne a yellow card for a dangerous tackle. At the end of an hard fought battle, the Beat had suffered nine fouls to the Breakers five.   

 At the end of the match,  the Beat held a 3-1 second half advantage in total shots attempted.  The home team outshot the Breakers by a 9-6 margin,  marking the second time this season they have outshot their opponent.  The first came on Saturday, April 9, also against the Boston Breakers, when the Beat have led 14-8 in overall shots fired.

 Sunday’s scoreless tie against the Breakers marks the Beat’s second home stalemate of the season after a 2-2 draw against Western New York on Sunday, April 24. 

The Beat return to action in just three days as they travel to Sky Blue FC on Wednesday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m. Following the match against Sky Blue, WPS will take a two-week break during the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany as 36 WPS players compete for their home countries.

 POSTGAME QUOTES

 Atlanta Beat Head Coach James Galanis

 

Overall thoughts on the game

I’m happy with the way we played. We wanted to win, but we didn’t. I think we played the way we wanted to play by possessing the ball, working off the ball, playing simple, and playing to each other’s feet. We’ve been trying to play good soccer, and I think we’ve been achieving that in bits and pieces. We played 90 minutes and majority of that was good soccer.

 Moving Chalupny to the back

We had to switch things up due to Keeley’s injury and I think Analisa stepped in and did great in the middle.  Overall we had a fantastic game. I’m proud of the way the back line played. To have someone like Cat back there always communicating and organizing things and by dropping Chalupny, it was the right move for the game. She played there on the Women’s National Team. She was a left back, so I know she can play it. I talked to her about playing her back there before, and she did great. She’s a class act.

 Offensive Play

The first half was tight. We were knocking on the door. The second half we did alright. We created quality chances, but we didn’t put them away. We moved the ball around well today.

 Atlanta Beat Defender Cat Whitehill

 Overall defensive play

I’m glad we got a shutout. I’m a defender; so to us, that's like scoring a goal because we know if we put one away we’re up 1-0.  I think it was a great performance. I hope Keeley (Dowling) is okay.  That's one of the most disappointing things to me because we have such great chemistry in the back. I really liked the way we played today. We played it on the ground and we were the dominant team.

 Heading to cover the World Cup as a broadcaster

I just want to wish the team good luck. I hope we go up there and give another dominating performance and get a win on the road. We have a little redeeming to do up there. When we traveled up there last time, it was one of our worst games of the season. So, I hope we do well and I’ll be cheering them on from Germany.

 Atlanta Beat Midfielder Lori Chalupny

 

Overall thoughts on the match

We are always searching for the three points, but we’ll take the one. I feel really encouraged by the team’s performance today. We always talk about building on our previous performances, and if we just focus on ourselves, the results will come. I think we improved on our last performance. Its just putting the ball in the back of the net that is the final piece of the puzzle.  But overall, I think it was a great performance.

 Moving into a defensive role

The back line had a shutout and that's awesome. We have got to start scoring some goals. I don’t necessarily think that is a weakness; its just something we have to work on. When you build a team, you start from the back and go up, and scoring is the final thing we work on. I think its getting better, but we have just got to keep improving.

 Boston Head Coach Tony DiCicco

 Overall thoughts on the match

We needed to get points. They need to get points. We wanted to get three points. Even though we are down a lot of players, it was probably the right result. Both teams had some great chances, but I don’t think either team took their chances particularly well. For us, it was a hot game. We haven’t had this type of heat. I thought my team played really hard against a good team and the elements.

 Missing several key players to National Team call-ups

We are missing eight national team players; seven of which were starters. We’re missing one of our starters here due to an ACL injury from the first game of the season. We need to keep improving as a team. We have a lot of young players out there. At first, I was hoping for a better result; but like I said before, I think it was a just result.

 High points of the match

I thought the keepers and the defense played well, but I think the finishing was below par and that’s how you get a 0-0 result

10:55 PM

The United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), the governing body of amateur adult soccer in the U.S., announces the individuals selected to the USASA Hall of Fame, Class of 2011. The honorees will be inducted at the USASA Hall of Fame Ceremony Awards Dinner on Saturday, October 8th, during the USASA Midyear Meeting in Clearwater, Florida.   Inductees were chosen on the basis of having made a significant contribution toward the development and advancement of adult amateur soccer at the national or regional level. The Class of 2011, chosen by the USASA Hall of Fame Committee, includes: Dick Burns, Brandi Chastain, Casey Frankewicz, Robert Kepner and Hector Nava.  Hall of Fame Committee Chairman Bruno Trapikas, commenting on this year's selections, said "All USASA members are most appreciative for the numerous contributions made by this year's inductees. Each of the selected individuals, within their scope of concentration, has helped to shape the growth of the game and the growth of the organization in immeasurable ways."     Click here to read summaries of the newest USASA Hall of Fame Inductees.

 

4:38 PM

Click on the banner to visit tournament site Pre-Season Soccer Tournament at the Beach! Beach Soccer Classic Cape Fear Soccer Association is pleased to invite you and your team to join us for the 3rd Annual Beach Soccer Classic. Last years event was fantastic as we hosted over 100 teams from the North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia and we look forward to hosting an even better weekend full of soccer this year. Register today! The Beach Soccer Classic 2011 will be held on August 27th and 28th, 2011 in Wilmington, NC and is open only to Challenge, Classic and Premier Boys U11-U16 and Challenge, Classic and Premier Girls U11-U18. To view more information about the tournament and to register, please visit the tournament website. Registration deadline is July 31st, 2011. If you have questions or require any additional information don't hesitate to contact our tournament staff at tournaments@capefearsoccer.com Don't miss this Tournament  . . . apply now if you haven't already done so! Tournament Director Beach Soccer Classic 2011     Messsage sent from Soccer in College and sincSports.com. Note: Click here to remove soccerreptile@yahoo.com from our tournament invitation list.

12:31 PM

This is Suzanne Sudzina with the Charleston Battery, and I wanted to give you a quick head's up that we have booked an exhibition match with English side Portsmouth FC for Wednesday, July 27th, here at Blackbaud Stadium. We had a TREMENDOUS response from groups for our Bolton Wanderers match last year, and we would love for you all to come out to join us again this year! We sold out of tickets last year, so I want to make sure you have the opportunity to partake in this special event.   Who: Portsmouth FC Where: Blackbaud Stadium, Daniel Island When: Wednesday, July 27th, gates open at 6pm and kick off is set for 7:45pm   Ticket Pricing: West Club/East Box Seats are regularly priced at $25 – Group Discount: 10+ people: $20.00, 25+ people: $17.00 THROUGH PRE-SALE ONLY West Bleacher/East Bleacher Seats are regularly priced at $20 – Group Discount: 10+ people: $15.00, 25+ people: $12.00 THROUGH PRE-SALE ONLY   More information to follow soon, but I wanted to give you the head's up so you can hopefully begin organizing your group to come join us for this special match! If you have any questions please feel free to contact me directly at 971-4625 x218, or via email at Suzanne.Sudzina@CharlestonBattery.com.   Best, Suzanne     Suzanne Sudzina Director of Ticket Sales, Charleston Battery 1990 Daniel Island Dr. Charleston, SC 29492 (843) 971-GOAL Ext. 218 Fax: (843) 856-6958 Suzanne.Sudzina@CharlestonBattery.com       -- Suzanne Sudzina Director of Ticket Sales, Charleston Battery 1990 Daniel Island Dr. Charleston, SC 29492 (843) 971-GOAL Ext. 218 Fax: (843) 856-6958 Suzanne.Sudzina@CharlestonBattery.com

12:21 PM

AC Milan Camp Coming to Atlanta, Partnering with Soccer in the Streets June 13-17 at Atlanta Silverbacks Park Atlanta, GA- June 1, 2011 AC Milan is one of the world's most recognized and decorated clubs. During the week of June 13-17, the Italian club will be holding a camp in Atlanta at Atlanta Silverbacks Park. The camp is open to the public and registration is currently open for the event. Scholarships will be provided by AC Milan for a few selected players from Soccer in the Streets. Those chosen will have a once in a lifetime opportunity. In addition to a week of training from some of the best coaches in Europe, there will be a few players selected to take their talents to Milan, Italyand train at the world famous Milanello Facility. It is revered as one of the finest training facilities in the world. The players will also attend a game while in Milan and get exclusive behind the scenes opportunities. "I am so excited to provide the city of Atlanta with this opportunity and especially for some the tremendous young talent at Soccer in the Streets here in Metro Atlanta. They have an amazing program here and we really hope to take this relationship even further in the upcoming years," said Chip Russell, Business Development of AC Milan USA. "The opportunity to expose our kids to one of the biggest clubs in the world is incredible. We're excited to be a part of the camp in Atlanta and look forward to continuing to work with AC Milan in the future," said Jason Longshore, Deputy Director of Soccer in the Streets. The camp will feature two Technical Directors from AC Milan's Academy in Italy and each camper will have a chance to see what it is really like to train at one the biggest clubs in the world. The campers will also receive a full AC Milan Academy kit (1 jersey, 1 pair of shorts, and socks). The cost of the week long camp is $310.00. Please visit www.milanjuniorcamp.com, email Chip Russell atmilanplayerdev@aol.com, or call 678.613.3098 to register. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- About: Soccer in the Streets Soccer in the Streets, a non-profit organization based in Atlanta, GA, empowers kids who lack opportunity by using soccer as a medium to make them employable adults. Founded in 1989, the organization links life skills with soccer skills and helps at-risk kids thrive at school and at home through out-of-school programs, mentoring relationships, academic support and hands on experience. Our programs develop the next generation of leaders who will eventually cultivate change and progress in their communities. For more information, please visit www.soccerstreets.org. AC Milan Summer Camps Camp duration is Monday, June 13 through Friday, June 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day. The camp will be hosted by at least two AC Milan certified coaches coming directly from Milan, Italy. The camp curriculum has been specially designed for each age group by AC Milan's expert coaches and doctors. Soccer In The Streets Jason Longshore jason@soccerstreets.org 678.993.2113 AC Milan North America Chip Russell milanplayerdev@aol.com 678.613.3098

3:22 PM

Atlanta Silverbacks 0-2 NSC Minnesota Stars

The NSC Minnesota Stars love seeing the Silverbacks.  Saturday night’s shutout win was their third victory of the 2011 season over Atlanta, and boosted the Stars back into the second place spot in the NASL standings with17 points, 8 behind first-place Carolina.

Devin Del Do was the goal-scoring hero for the Stars, providing both goals after scoring during the week against the Puerto Rico Islanders. The Cal State-Northridge alumnus broke the game open early, hustling to a Andrei Gotsmanov cross to chip past an onrushing Felipe Quintero in the game’s third minute. The 2,400 fans in attendance already sensed the hand of fate pushing back the Silverbacks. The club hasn’t scored a goal since the end of April, and were unable to get the ball past Stars’ keeper Joe Warren. Silverbacks’ Tyler Ruthven had a shot go high past the half hour mark and Warren made a nice reactive kick save of a ball rolling towards the Stars’ net. Right now the Silverbacks couldn’t buy a goal even with a check endorsed by Warren Buffett.

And so, the song remains the same for Atlanta fans. Despite periods of quality possession, the young team surrendered Del Do’s fourth goal of the season just past the hour mark.  This time Brian Kallman played provider, as his cross found Del Do’s head for a 2-0 lead.  Atlanta outshot NSC Minnesota 12-10 and edged the Northerners in corner kicks 5-3, but to no avail.

The victory wasn’t the Stars’ most impressive of the season, but a win is a win is a win, and Manny Lagos’ club snatched a needed three points in their final  2011 visit to the Peachtree state. The Stars have a deep and talented squad, and Joe Warren is providing the type of top-notch goalkeeping that make the Stars a tough club to beat.

For the winless Atlanta side, it’s time to take a tip from Dr. Gerry. Party. A team party, complete with tasty Georgia barbeque, cold beer, Mexican food, loud music and no soccer talk. Horseshoes, wiffleball and cannonballs into a pool are called for instead. Laughter and camaraderie may be the recipe that gets the Silverbacks onto the good foot. The good doctor can’t guarantee a string of victories afterward, but will promise some smiles from the coaches and players who need a break. Atlanta is a quality soccer town and the doctor knows everyone is pressing to get a win.  Relax and party.

 

11:30 PM

On October 2, 2011, the most amazing soccer game you've ever witnessed will take place in Piedmont Park, right in the heart of Atlanta, GA.  As a tongue-in-cheek protest to the typical formal banquet fundraiser, we host our banquet in the park and attire the soccer players in black tie and ball gowns.  And people fork over their hard earned cash as incentive for them to don their fancy duds (ladies and gentlemen, dresses and tuxes - not necessarily in that order!) and kick about for fun and charity. Complete with a professional British announcer, thrills and spills, hard-nosed tackles (in sequins), jamming music, delicious food and coveted awards for the best dressed player, this is an event not to be missed!  And most important, it's all for a great cause - the kids of metro Atlanta who need a helping hand.  All kids deserve a chance for success. Soccer In The Streets empowers kids who lack opportunity by using soccer as a medium to make them employable adults. Sign up to play!  Or if you don't want to outshine the others with your super fancy attire or stellar soccer skills, pledge a player or come along for lunch, as well as an incredible array of silent auction items.

2:08 PM

11-11 league at Pope this summer. Cost 60.00 per player. 7 nights of play with referees. Uniforms will be provided. Registration and Scrimmage Day 5:30- 8:30 Sunday June 12th! Everyone must pre-register online at he league site. Spread the word! We need 60 people in order to make this league happen. Check out the league website. https://sites.google.com/site/popemenssoccerleague/home Or start your registration right now Pre-Registration link: https://sites.google.com/site/popemenssoccerleague/registration --  Richard Groeneveld Pope High School Mathematics http://sites.google.com/site/richgroeneveld/Home Head Boy's Soccer Coach www.popesoccer.org richgroeneveld: gmail/hotmail/skype

2:04 PM

Wildcats rally to beat GAC in 2-1 thriller By David Rutz
drutz@neighbornewspapers.com Chandler Gay, assisted Jack Kidd on the game-winning goal Saturday in a 2-1 win over Greater Atlanta Christian for the Class AA state championship.When Westminster escaped a possible 1-0 deficit less than a minute into Saturday’s Class AA soccer state championship game, the team felt it could survive anything.Turns out the Wildcats were right.Some gutsy saves by goalkeeper Andrew Freschi and two second-half goals rallied the Wildcats to a 2-1 victory over Greater Atlanta Christian, giving Westminster its first state championship in boys’ soccer since 2007 after falling in its last two title game appearances, most recently in 2009 to GAC.“It was nice to get back to being a champion again,” said Westminster coach Scott Snyder.Freschi saved a penalty kick after GAC was fouled just 25 seconds into the game, and even after the Spartans took a 1-0 lead later in the action, Westminster knew it could hang in.“That was probably almost as critical as anything else,” Snyder said. “They had a point-blank shot, and our keeper made a great save on it. From there, we built on that.”Josh Bennett drew a foul in the second half, and Tyler Hilliard converted the penalty kick to tie the game at 1. Then, with less than six minutes remaining, Jack Kidd scored the go-ahead goal on an assist from Chandler Gay.The Wildcats were excited but Kidd’s goal wasn’t a game-winner until they outlasted the Spartans to the last whistle at GAC’s home field.“You had to temper it because you’ve got five more minutes,” Snyder said.Freschi and the rest of the defense had to counter three corner kicks and two direct kicks in the furious final minutes to preserve the victory and the championship.“You’d have to give them the edge in terms of holding onto the ball, but we were able to take advantage of our chances better than they were,” Snyder said. “It was really a team win, though.”In the Class A playoffs, Pace Academy fell in the Final Four to Providence Christian, 4-1 on May 11.In girls’ soccer, Lovett fell 2-1 in a hard-fought game with top-ranked Blessed Trinity May 10. After conceding a goal in the opening minute, the Lions (15-4-1) tied it in the 52nd minute when M.C. Battle headed in a corner kick by Allison Bond into the far post. However, BT scored again with 20 minutes left on a deflection and held on to advance to the state championship game, which they won 1-0 Saturday over Greater Atlanta Christian.Westminster fell to Greater Atlanta Christian, 3-1, May 10 in the other semifinal.

2:03 PM

Blessed Trinity freshman Delaney Fechalos converted a penalty kick with 2:37 left in the second overtime to give the Titans a 1-0 win over Greater Atlanta Christian and the Class AA State Championship.

Both teams played an extremely hard-fought match throughout regulation and both teams had chances to score.  However, neither team was able to break the scoreless tie in regulation, or in the first five minute overtime period.

The Lady Spartans asserted their aggressiveness on offense in the later stages of regulation and very nearly got a goal.  With a little over 17 minutes left in regulation,  sophomore forward Rachel Garcia drilled a shot that hit the crossbar and almost went into the net.  Earlier in the second half, senior defender Anna Douglas took a long free kick that sailed over the crossbar.  In spite of their efforts, the Lady Spartans were unable to break through and the game went into overtime. 

The first five minute overtime produced no goals, so the game went onto a second five minute overtime.  With 2:37 left in the second OT period, a Blessed Trinity player was fouled in the box and the Lady Titans were awarded a penalty kick. Freshman Delaney Fechalos stepped up and took a low shot underneath the GAC keeper to give Blessed Trinity the 1-0 lead and eventually the State Title.

"It never gets old.  This year, it was even more fun because we had such a young team.  We started 4 to 5 freshman", Blessed Trinity head coach Jean Batiste said. 

"GAC's offense was awesome, but we weathered the storm.  We made some mistakes.  We were young on the field, but we got it done", Batiste said.

Blessed Trinity has now won their fifth state championship in girls soccer.  The last win came in 2008. They finish the 2011 season as Class AA State Champions with a record of 19-2-1.  GAC, the Class AA State Runner Up, finishes the season at 16-3-2.

 

4:06 PM

The Gainesville boys soccer team battled for 80 minutes but couldn't break down an organized St. Pius defense en route to a 2-0 loss on Wednesday in Atlanta.

The defeat knocked the Red Elephants (15-4) out of the playoffs and ensured there will be a new Class AAA champ in 2011.

"I'm proud of the way we fought, and I hurt for the boys," Gainesville coach Rick Howard said. "Give credit to St. Pius. They were very well-organized and well-coached."

The Golden Lions (17-0-1) scored on a free kick midway through the first half and led 1-0 at halftime. The Red Elephants pushed forward in search of an equalizer in the second half and were caught on defense late in the contest, giving up a second goal with 1:30 left to play.

"We fell short of what we wanted to do this season," Howard said. "But our seniors have had a great four years here, and in January we'll start it back up again and see where we are."

Gainesville graduates five seniors but returns the bulk of a team that finished second in Region 8-AAA this season.

 

2:55 PM

KENNESAW - Atlanta Beat coach James Galanis knows he has a young team but still needed to send them a halftime message Sunday against Western New York.

"I told them to pick it up or they were going to have training (today) at 8 a.m.," he said.

The Beat came out aggressive in the second half after a timid first half and played their way to a 2-all tie against what appears to be the Women's Professional Soccer's most experienced team at KSU Soccer Stadium.

Atlanta (1-1-1) came out nervous and it showed early in the first half when the Flash's Christine Sinclair scored on a Brit Brock feed in the third minute. Bock picked up the ball after a turnover from Beat midfielder Carli Lloyd.

The Beat spent the rest of the first half battling just to keep the ball out of their side of the field. Goalkeeper Allison Lipsher, who finished the game with 13 saves, made several key stops in the first half and got help from defenders Cat Whitehill and Keeley Dowling and from using a 4-1-4-1 formation that kept a large number of players in the back to defend.

"Most of the team is young and haven't gone through the cycle of playing every team," Galanis said. "Playing experienced teams does funny things to the mid if you are a young star. We defended well in the first half but we weren't moving it like we should have been on offense."

The Beat's lone scoring chance in the first half came in the 29th minute. Cat Whitehill placed a cross into the box that found forward Meghan Lenczyk's head despite a diving attempt by Flash goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris to punch the ball out. The ball bounced over Harris, but trailed off to the left and wide of the net.

The Beat came out a different team in the second half, despite the Flash starting WPS superstar Marta in the second half. They only managed four second half shots, though of two of them were goals.

After Beat midfielder India Trotter subbed into the match at halftime for Lauren Sesselmann, Atlanta became more offensively minded. Four minutes after halftime, Beat midfielder Lori Chalupny beat Flash defender Kandace Wilson and was taken down outside of the penalty box on the near side. Another four minutes later, Chalupny created a run down the middle with Lenczyk running toward the far post, but cut inside toward center back Candace Chapman cleared away the danger.

In the 56th minute, Chalupny would not be denied. From outside the penalty box, she cut the ball inside onto her right foot and scored an unassisted goal by firing a shot from the near side of the box that bounced off the inside of the right post and into the net.

Even though the Flash retook the lead in the 66th minute on a running header by Marta off a Sinclair feed, the Beat maintained its momentum.

It became more clear three minutes later that the Beat would not be denied at home when Lloyd atoned for her first half mistake by firing a shot outside of the penalty box that beat a diving Harris and tied the score at 2-all.

"We came in at halftime disappointed because we weren't playing our game," Chalupney said. "I think we were giving (Western New York) a little too much respect and my goal helped us to build our confidence and we played much better in the second half."

Atlanta had a couple of chances to take a lead on a couple of open shots by Kristina Larsen. Harris made a finger tip save on her first attempt and Larsen's second shot attempt was blocked by Harris.

Lipsher, who now has 24 saves in two games for the Beat, was at her best during the final 5 minutes of the contest when the Flash threatened. She made two key saves during injury time. No save was more important in the match than the one she made in the 87th minute. She was able to put a fingertip to a ball headed over her head from Caroline Seger, but redirected over the net for a corner kick. Two minutes later, a poor clearance by midfielder Colleen Flanagan allowed Sinclair to have a chance at her second goal of the match, but, once again, Lipsher deflected the ball with a fingertip and it smacked off the crossbar and out of danger.

"If you look at who they have up top, it's going to put a lot of pressure on us," Lipsher said. "All I can do is play, stay focused, do all the basics and keep everything in front of you."

The Beat will play its first road game next Sunday when the team travels to Rochester for a rematch with Western New York (1-1-0).

Read more: The Marietta Daily Journal - Beat s youth overcomes Flash s experience Marta in come from behind draw

 

5:18 PM

Boston downs Atlanta to open WPS season

Kennesaw, GA  The Boston Breakers opened their 2011 Women's Professional Soccer season with a 4-1 win over the Atlanta Beat.

Jordan Angeli scored the opening goal after 18 minutes to put Boston in front, while Keelin Winters doubled the advantage five minutes later.

Boston extended its lead to 3-0 in the 72nd minute through Kelley O'Hara before the Beat pulled a goal back from the penalty spot courtesy of Carli Lloyd.

Kasey Moore then capped the scoring with a spot kick of her own in stoppage time to complete the resounding Boston win.

The other game taking place on opening weekend saw the Philadelphia Independence rally from two goals down at halftime to claim a 2-2 draw at Sky Blue FC.

The home side seized the advantage through Laura Kalmari in the 18th minute, with Casey Nogueira adding to the lead nine minutes before halftime.

But Amy Rodriguez found the net for Philadelphia in the 57th minute before a stoppage-time equalizer from Tina DiMartino helped the visitors claim a point.

 

10:35 AM

The Silverbacks returned to the field, with over 3,500 fans in attendance. Ultimately, they lost 2-1 in an exciting game against Minnesota.

The multi-colored seats at the Silverbacks’ stadium near Spaghetti Junction were filled with revelers on Saturday night as the team opened its season against the Minnesota Stars. They made an exciting comeback in the second half, but ultimately fell 2-1 when a goal was scored against them with seconds left to play.

The crowd was an interesting mix of Little League teams and international residents, all of whom dug out their red and black and renewed their passion for the team, which had taken a two-year hiatus from play. The Silverbacks said that 3,543 people were in attendance.

Both teams seemed to be getting their footing in the first minutes of the game. The visiting team took the lead when Kentaro Takada hit a close shot in the 57^th minute.

Atlanta striker Matt Horth made a strong showing, taking several shots at the goal before getting one by Minnesota goalkeeper Joe Warren in the 64^th minute.

The Silverbacks held the majority of possession in the second half, according to stats released by the team, as the crowd and fan section became increasingly animated. 

The Silverbacks gave Stars midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov a free kick with seconds left on the clock. It was just outside the reach of the Silverbacks’ goalkeeper, giving Minnesota their first victory of the season in a down-to-the-wire game. 

The Silverbacks will play Edmonton next Saturday, April 16, at the Japan Relief Night. The team asks fans to buy tickets in advance at atlantasilverbacks.com. Fifty percent of all advance ticket sales will be donated to Japan relief efforts.  By Laura Sullivan

 

 

10:31 AM

Athens, GA - The Georgia soccer team faces a tall task as it continues the spring campaign with a game against the Atlanta Beat of the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the UGA Soccer Stadium.

The Beat roster includes Olympic gold medalists Carli Lloyd and Heather Mitts, who have been regulars on the U.S. National Team and are expected to be chosen to the American roster for the World Cup this summer. Mitts has two gold medals to her name in addition to over 100 caps for the U.S., while Lloyd’s game-winner in extra time gave the U.S. a 1-0 win over Brazil in the 2008 Olympic gold medal game in Beijing.

The Beat is undefeated in its current preseason schedule with wins over several college programs including perennial power North Carolina in addition to Florida State, Auburn, and Florida. The squad official opens the 2011 season April 9 at home vs. the Boston Breakers and is looking to improve upon last season’s 5-13-6 record.

Georgia, meanwhile, is in the thick of its own spring schedule as it is currently 3-1-1 after most recently splitting a pair vs. Tennessee and UNC Greensboro last weekend in Knoxville. The Bulldogs went 11-6-4 in 2010 and reached the semifinals of the SEC Championships. The team returns nine players who made at least 10 starts, including 89 percent of its scoring makeup and its top six point contributors.

Admission to tomorrow’s game is free and both teams will sign autographs afterwards. Athens sports talk radio station 960 The Ref will broadcast live from the stadium’s press box from 4-6 p.m. leading up to kickoff.

 

11:49 AM

Wanted to send a friendly reminder that the final tryout for the Georgia Revolution will be help this Saturday, April 2nd at the RYSA soccerplex from 4:30 - 7pm. We have had nearly 100 players from 15 colleges and 13 countries already attend. Your players don't want to miss this opportunity to play in the Revolution's inaugural season in the NPSL. This year, the NPSL's Southeastern conference will feature the Revolution, the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves, Chattanooga FC, Rocket City FC, the Knoxville Force, and the newly-added Jacksonville United.   Please be sure to pass this information along to yoru players. Anyone who is interested can email Fields Brown at fields@rysa.net to confirm their attendance at this Saturdays tryout. The cost of the tryout is $20 and includes a Revolution training shirt. We hope to see your players here this weekend!

11:53 AM