Monday June 22, 200
             The Atlanta Silverbacks lost 2-1 to the Charleston Battery on the road Friday night in Charleston. The Silverbacks led the match for 87 minutes before Charleston stole the win in the last three minutes of the game. The match, which was nationally televised live on the Fox Soccer Channel, was the Silverbacks’ second loss in the 2007 Southern Derby Cup.
             “We played a good game until the 87 minute. Then we tried to do too much and we gave up two goals,” commented Head Coach Jason Smith. “It’s an incredibly disappointing loss.”
             The Silverbacks took the lead just before the end of the first half when Scott Buete brought the ball up the middle of the field, creating give-and-go’s with his teammates. On the final one-two, Daniel Antoniuk played the ball back to Buete who easily put the ball past Charleston’s keeper, Dustin Hudock. It was Buete’s second goal of the season and Antoniuk’s fifth assist.
             The second half began and in the first fifteen minutes the Silverbacks’ Warren Ukah had three breakaways leaving him one-on-one with Hudock; he was unable to convert. With 20 minutes remaining in the game, Charleston began making some offensive minded substitutions. Their changes paid off in the 87 minute when two subs, Aaron King and Michael Richardson, combined for the equalizer. Just three minutes later, the Silverbacks saw their hopes of walking away from Charleston with any points disappear. After injury time began, King again used his fresh legs to get past an Atlanta defender, Martyn Lancaster. Lancaster tackled King and the referee rewarded Charleston with a stoppage time PK. The Battery’s Stephen Armstrong put the goal in the back of the net – giving Charleston the lead. The Silverbacks put everything forward for the waning moments of stoppage and actually almost tied the game. The ‘Backs had a shot go off the post and bounce back into play in front of the Battery’s net, Charleston cleared the ball and the ref blew his whistle, ending the match. 

Click here for the official USL Scoresheet.

          The Silverbacks will return to RE/MAX Greater Atlanta Stadium on Tuesday, June 26 to take on the Charlotte Eagles in the second round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Call 404-969-4919 for information on tickets to the match and ask about the Rios Captain’s Pass which saves you $20 on the Silverbacks’ four biggest remaining home games.

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