AJC.com > Sports > Soccer blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 07
Thursday, September 7, 2006
Seen this movie before
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Stop me if you’ve heard this narrative before:
Local XI either gets off to a hot start or finds a groovy mid-season groove, only to fade away in August and September. Rotate in and out any number of players, coaches and home playing facilities.
Same result.
After Saturday’s dispiriting loss to Rochester, the Silverbacks are dangerously close to repeating that storyline as they close the season out this weekend. Their last home contest keeps them in the hunt, but they’re not in much better shape than the Braves.
No, the apes have done themselves no favor by being two points out of the final playoff place as they begin a Road Trip to Hell, and probably from it as well: Thursday night at Portland, which is near the bottom of the table, Saturday at Seattle, which for the moment is tied for that final postseason berth with Puerto Rico, and Sunday at playoff-bound Vancouver.
This is a great trip if you’re into seafood, canoeing and coffee houses but dreadful if you’re a footy side coming from more than 2,000 miles away desperately needing points. This is a similar scenario that has faced the Silverbacks before, and it’s a very tall order to pull off, even with a game in hand over the two teams they’re chasing.
Regardless of what transpires, it’s been a good year for Atlanta in finally playing in a new place that offers a brighter future. But for a team that will have to hustle to make the playoffs for the first time in four years, staying home again would be a major disappointment.
Now that the Silverbacks have a better field on which to play, what do they have to do to get better on the field? After all the anticipation of the opening of Silverbacks Park, isn’t this the ultimate objective in getting people to return there — and to make this city a better one for professional soccer?
What changes would you make? Or is more patience the best prescription?
