Tuesday July 8, 2008
ATLANTA—The Atlanta Silverbacks  host Mexican powerhouse and reigning CONCACAF Champions Cup holders C.F. Pachuca Wednesday night at Atlanta Silverbacks Park in the Silverbacks second annual Copa Amistad Silverbacks (Silverbacks Friendship Cup). Kickoff is set for 8:00, with pre-match festivities beginning at 4:30.

Tickets are still available for the match. Prices start at $39.50. Call 866-GO-BACKS or go to www.AtlantaSilverbacks.com for information and to purchase tickets.

Pachuca is the second storied Mexican First Division club to face the Silverbacks for the Amistad trophy. Last year, Cruz Azul came from a goal down to top the Silverbacks in front of a standing-room-only crowd—the largest to date at Silverbacks Park.

Founded in 1901, Pachuca is Mexico's oldest club, and the country's most successful in recent history. The Tuzos (Gophers) have won an incredible eight national and regional titles in the last six years, including three Mexican league titles (2003 Apertura, 2006 Clausura, 2007 Clausura), three CONCACAF Champions Cups (2002, 2007, 2008), the Copa Nissan Sudamericana (2006), and the inaugural SuperLiga (2007).  This December, as current CONCACAF Champions Cup holders, the Hidalgo-based club will take part in the Club World Cup in Japan, facing the top clubs in the world, including UEFA Champions League winners Manchester United. Pachuca competes regularly in the United States in CONCACAF, SuperLiga, and InterLiga competitions, but this will be the heralded club's first appearance in Atlanta.

The friendly versus the Silverbacks will be Pachucha's final tune-up before the club begins to defend its SuperLiga title. SuperLiga pits the top Mexican and American clubs in a tournament format, with the winning club receiving a cool $1 million. In last year's inaugural tournament the Tuzos topped David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy in penalty kicks to win the title.  

Pachuca is led by a contingent of international superstars—all of whom will feature versus the Silverbacks—including Colombian World Cup veteran goalkeeper Miguel Calero, Mexican National Team regular Gabriel Caballero, and Argentines Damian Alvarez and Bruno Marioni, and the young American Jose Torres . The Tuzos will also have newly signed Brazilian forward Christian Correa, who transferred recently from Brazilian club Portuguesa.

Last Saturday Pachuca faced Toronto F.C., playing to a 1-1 draw in Toronto's Carlsberg Cup, winning the exhibition trophy in penalty kicks. Correa tallied the Tuzos only goal of the match two minutes after entering the match in his club debut.

Following Wednesday's match, Pachuca will travel to Los Angeles to open SuperLiga group play versus Chivas USA, and then travel to Foxboro to face the New England Revolution on Wednesday. Pachuca begins league play in the 2008 Apertura tournament at U.A.N.L. July 26.

The Silverbacks are fresh off a dramatic 3-2 league win over Minnesota last Thursday, retaining its hold on fifth place in the USL-1 league table. The win moved the Silverbacks to 5-4-5 on the season. Mac Kandji had a brace in the win, bumping his total to seven goals on the season. Jason McLaughlin also scored in the match, his fifth for the year.

The Silverbacks will be without the services of Tony McManus and Matt Bobo, both of whom are being held out of the friendly due to injury. McManus is nursing a sore hip and Bobo a sore hamstring. Both are expected to be available for selection when the Silverbacks resume league play versus Portland July 18.

The Silverbacks' international exhibition schedule continues on Saturday night when the Silverbacks host C.A. Independiente from Argentina, and on Saturday, July 19 when the Silverbacks host Honduran champions C.D. Olimpia in a testimonial match for Silverback and Olimpia great Alex Pineda-Chacon.

Tickets for all three matches are available by calling 866-GO-BACKS or going to www.AtlantaSilverbacks.com.