Atlanta’s wait for a second soccer championship will continue.
On a second-half goal by Marcos Senna, the New York Cosmos defeated the Atlanta Silverbacks 1-0 in the North American Soccer League Championship game — the Soccer Bowl — on Saturday night at Silverbacks Park.
“It was a tough game for me,” Silverbacks coach Brian Haynes said. “I thought we did enough to win. I can’t wait to play them again.”
The Silverbacks were trying to win their first title and add a second piece of soccer hardware to the city’s metaphorical trophy cabinet. The defunct Chiefs won the NASL championship — the first pro sports title in Atlanta’s history — in 1968.
But Senna’s beautiful half-volley in the 50th minute over Joe Nasco, who could do nothing to stop the shot, proved to be too much for the Silverbacks to overcome in front of more than 7,200 attendees. The shot, a nice bit of touch by the Spanish international, was set up by a free kick from the other side of the field that the Silverbacks’ defense failed to clear far enough away. The attempted clearance came right to the open Senna, who put into the upper left corner.
“It was a moment of happiness,” Senna said through a translator, adding that it represented everyone from the players to the front-office staff.
Nasco said the shot was so perfect, he would have needed to be standing in the left corner to have had any chance to stop the effort.
Senna, a former 11-year standout for Spanish club with Villarreal, was the difference in the game. The 37-year-old was calm in the midfield, dictating play and escaping the pressure the Silverbacks tried to apply.
“There’s no question he’s been the best player in this league, not only on our team,” New York coach Giovanni Savarese said. “His experience was tremendous for us. We are very proud to have him on our team.”
The title was the Cosmos’ sixth in their seventh championship-game appearance. Those titles were won during a previous incarnation of the franchise. This version of the Cosmos didn’t restart until the fall season began in August.
The game was tight, which was expected. The Silverbacks drew 1-1 in New York earlier this year and lost a meaningless game to the Cosmos in the regular-season finale.
The Silverbacks clinched a spot in the Soccer Bowl by winning the Spring season, totaling 21 points (6-3-3) from 12 games. New York clinched its spot by winning the Fall season with 31 points (9-4-1) from 14 games.
Because they were guaranteed a spot in the championship game, the Silverbacks struggled to focus in the Fall season, accumulating just 16 points to finish second from last in the eight-team league. Atlanta lost its last three games, including to the Cosmos, heading into the Soccer Bowl.
But the Silverbacks got off to a good start Saturday.
Pedro Mendes was denied by onrushing Cosmos goalkeeper Kyle Reynish in the 12th minute. His shot, the first for either team, came a few seconds after New York’s Danny Szetela received a yellow card after a hard tackle.
But the Cosmos’ midfield began to take control. Savarese said they thought that, after they handled the Silverbacks’ initial on-the-ball pressure, they could exploit the spaces left behind.
They missed a chance in the 20th minute when Diomar Diaz’s shot from the center of penalty box was pushed wide by Nasco.
Nasco was called upon again in the 28th minute and, diving to his right, was equal to Senna’s free kick from 22 yards out.
Nasco again rescued the Silverbacks, leaping high into the air to deflect and then catch an awkward volley by Stefan Dimitrov from 8 yards out in the 35th minute.
New York finally broke through on Senna’s shot in the 50th minute.
Trailing 1-0, the Silverbacks made a tactical change, switching from a four-man midfield to a five-man group that included the addition of Pablo Cruz, who entered the game in the 56th minute. Haynes wanted to give Danny Barrera and Cruz the freedom to move around. The move seemed to spark the team.
Barrera missed a chance to tie the score when his right-footed shot curled wide in the 60th minute.
Mendes’ header, off a nice cross by Mike Randolph, sailed over the bar in the 62nd minute as the Silverbacks pressed for an equalizer. Mendes was well-defended on the play.
The Silverbacks kept pushing in an attempt to find the equalizer.
The best came when Shane Moroney latched onto a diagonal cross inside the penalty box, but Reynish came out and smothered the shot in the 76th minute.
“I thought we had chances to put away the game and didn’t,” Haynes said.
