Team captain Rodrigo Rios returned to the starting lineup for the ‘Backs, and newly acquired forward Aaron Paye made his Silverback debut tonight.

(Photo Caption: Atlanta Silverbacks defender Martyn Lancaster helped preserve the shutout for the Silverback defense. Photo by Ellen McRaney).

“I’m very excited to be here in Atlanta,” said Paye. “I’m getting used to how the other guys play and am looking forward to helping the team out.”

Paye came to Atlanta after spending the last four years with the Minnesota Thunder.

The first great shot of the match came off the foot of Battery midfielder Mike Richardson in the 8th minute of play. Richardson found himself open from 25 yards out, and hit a dipping shot that clanked off the top of Atlanta’s crossbar.

The Silverbacks would then suffer a blow when striker Macoumba Kandji was forced to leave the game in the 20th minute after suffering an injury. Paye came into the match to take his place.

Atlanta countered Charleston’s heavy offensive pressure with several attacks of its own. In the 36th minute, both Paye and midfielder Tony McManus had several shots on goal, with Paye’s getting blocked and McManus’ sailing just over the crossbar to keep the score even.

The teams would enter halftime with a 0-0 score, after an intense and physical first half. While the scoring opportunities were limited, the two sides were chippy, with a fair amount of rough play.

The Silverbacks missed a great opportunity to take the lead in the 64th minute. Paye fed a beautiful ball to midfielder Scott Buete, who was streaking down the center of the Charleston box. Buete was brought down from behind from Battery midfielder David Kenga, and Atlanta was consequently awarded a penalty kick. Yet, veteran defender David Hayes could not convert the kick cleanly, and Charleston keeper Dusty Hudock made the save.

The end of the second half saw more of the same; neither team could sustain its attack and develop scoring threats. The Battery had a number of shots, but few were able find the frame of the goal. Hudock and Atlanta goalkeeper Felipe Quintero both registered shutouts.

“This was good for the whole team,” Quintero said of tonight’s match. “We are going to keep working hard and will look to win our next few games, and seal up our playoff spot.”

The Silverbacks also saw the return of defender Matt Bobo in the second half of play. Bobo has missed the past few games due to injury, but returned to play the final 13 minutes of the match.

Atlanta will now begin a four-game road swing when they travel to Canada to face the Montreal Impact on Wednesday, August 20th, closing out the regular season out by playing seven of eight games on the road.

The Silverbacks will final regular season home game will be against the Rochester Rhinos on Saturday, August 30th at 7:55 PM. For tickets or more information, please call 1-866-GO-BACKS or visit www.atlantasilverbacks.com.

Around the League:
Minnesota Thunder 1, Rochester Rhinos 3
Montreal Impact 1, Portland Timbers 2

Game Summary: (Atlanta Silverbacks vs. Charleston Battery, August 16th, 2008)

Scoring Summary:
No goals scored

Atlanta Starters: Felipe Quintero, Justin Moore, David Hayes, Josh Bolton, Martyn Lancaster, Scott Buete, Jason McLaughlin, Rodrigo Rios, Tony McManus, Jerson Monteiro, Macoumba Kandji
Substitutions: Aaron Paye for Macoumba Kandji (20), Chris Mahaffey for Jerson Monteiro (45), Blake Camp for Scott Buete (65), Matt Bobo for Justin Moore (77), Greg Chevalier for Rodrigo Rios (88)
Cautions:

Charleston Starters: Dusty Hudock, Nelson Akwari, Tim Velten, Brandon Curran, John Wilson, Osvaldo Alonso, Chris Williams, Mike Richardson, Dominic Cianciarulo, Lazo Alavanja, Randi Patterson
Substitutions: David Kenga for John Wilson (62), Darren Spicer for Chris Williams (73), Aaron King for Randi Patterson (75)
Cautions: David Kenga - 63

Weather: Cloudy / Wet, 76
Attendance: 2,319
Referees: Landis Wiley, William Cleland, Kenneth Lamb, Mark Sweatt