The Silverbacks name will stay in Atlanta, but the NASL franchise may not.
A person familiar with the organization said the ownership group is considering several options as the league’s season wraps up with the Silverbacks at the bottom of the standings.
The ownership group, which includes John Latham, Boris Jerkunica and Henry and John Hardin are considering selling the franchise to owners in another market. The person wouldn’t identify the market or the potential buyers.
The sale could be finalized by late November.
Speaking to NASN on Thursday, NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson mentioned that Silverbacks are exploring options regarding their future. The team issued a statement later in the day saying that they hoped to find a resolution as soon as possible.
However, the franchise has failed to turn a profit despite having one of the lowest payrolls in NASL and now faces competition with Arthur Blank’s MLS team coming online in 2017.
If the franchise is sold, the person familiar with the situation said Jerkunica, Latham and the Hardins would start a team in Atlanta focused on developing local talent in another league. The team would be called the Silverbacks because Jerkunica is the majority owner of the Silverbacks name, which wouldn’t be sold. He also owns Silverbacks Park and Silverbacks Suwanee Indoor park, neither of which would be sold. It wouldn’t be affiliated with Atlanta’s MLS team.
The team has been performing poorly since qualifying for the 2013 Soccer Bowl. It finished last in this year’s Fall standings, after finishing eighth out of 10 teams in the Spring standings, after finishing seventh out of eight teams in the Fall of 2013.
MLS playoffs: The playoffs are set and here's the field:
FC Dallas (West 4th seed) vs. Vancouver (West 5th seed): Starts Wednesday.
New York (East 4th seed) vs. Sporting KC (East 5th seed): Starts Thursday.
D.C. United (East 1st seed) will face the winner of New York vs. Sporting KC in a home-and-home series: Starts Sunday.
Columbus (East 3rd seed) vs. New England (East 2nd seed) in a home-and-home series: Starts Saturday
Seattle (West 1st seed) will face the winner of FC Dallas vs. Vancouver in a home-and-home series: Starts Sunday.
Real Salt Lake (West 3rd seed) vs Los Angeles (West 2nd seed) in a home-and-home series: Starts Saturday.
Eastern Conference Championship games will be played Nov. 22 or 23 and Nov. 29 or 30.
Western Conference Championship games will be played Nov. 22 or 23 and Nov. 29 or 30.
The MLS Cup will be played Dec. 7.
U.S. women: Unsurprisingly, the U.S. women's national team won the CONCACAF championship on Sunday by virtue of a 6-0 pasting of Costa Rica. It was the women's team seventh CONCACAF title and, had they not already qualified for the 2015 World Cup in Canada, this would have guaranteed the team a spot.
Must see video: Try doing this without knocking yourself on your butt.
MLS and Atlanta
How MLS players with ties to the metro Atlanta area did this week:
Joe Bendik (@jtbendik), Toronto, GK, Kennesaw
Played 90 minutes and made three saves in team’s 1-0 loss to new England on Saturday.
Mark Bloom (@markbloom21), Toronto, D, Marietta
Played 90 minutes in team’s 1-0 loss to New England on Saturday.
Alex Caskey, D.C. United, M, Dunwoody
Did not make the 18 for team’s 1-1 draw with Montreal on Saturday.
Ricardo Clark, Houston, M, Jonesboro
Played 90 minutes in team’s loss to Chicago on Friday.
Warren Creavalle (@warrenspeak), Toronto, D, Acworth
Came off the bench and played 19 minutes in team’s 1-0 loss to New England on Saturday.
Sean Johnson (@sjohn25), Chicago, GK, Snellville
Played 90 minutes and made eight saves in team’s 2-1 win over Houston on Friday.
Alec Kann (@akann90), Chicago, GK, Decatur
Did not make the 18 for team’s 2-1 win over Houston on Friday.
Steven Kinney (@stevenhkinney), Chicago, D, Norcross
Did not make the 18 for team’s 2-1 win over Houston on Friday.
Chris Klute (@chrisklute), Colorado, D, Silverbacks, Clayton State
Played 90 minutes in team’s 1-0 loss to Vancouver on Saturday.
Jack McInerney (@jackmcinerney9), Montreal, F, Alpharetta
Played 90 minutes and scored one goal in team’s 1-1 draw with New York on Wednesday.
Came off the bench to play 16 minutes in team’s 1-1 draw with D.C. United on Saturday.
Joe Nasco (@joenascogk18), Colorado, G, Silverbacks
Did not play in team’s 1-0 loss to Vancouver on Saturday.
Michael Nwiloh (mnwiloh6), Chivas USA, D, Conyers
Didn’t make the 18 for team’s 2-0 loss to Real Salt Lake on Wednesday or the 1-0 win over San Jose on Sunday.
Walker Zimmerman (@thewalkerzim), Dallas, D, Lawrenceville
Made the 18 but didn’t play in team’s 2-0 loss to Portland on Saturday.
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