We definitely need a few more signing to be ready for the season. By my counting, 1-2 defenders, 1-2 midfielders and 2-3 forwards. Potentially, some of these elusive signings could play multiple roles (the way Moroney can play defense and midfield). Also, wouldn't hurt to get a third keeper.
And there we go, Milton Blanco has been re-signed. He can play both forward and midfield. Another piece of the puzzle. http://www.atlantasilverbacks.com/pro/news/Midfielder-Blanco-Returns-to-Silverbacks
Any game changers here? ************************** With preseason training camp set to begin this weekend in Atlanta, the Silverbacks have released a list of trialists who will be coming in to fight for a 2013 roster spot. Several of the players were discovered at the Silverbacks’ local combines, held in December and January, and the NASL combine, which just took place a few weeks ago in Fort Lauderdale. Here is the list of preseason trialists, with brief information on each of them below: Brad Stisser Isaiah Ferguson Lubo Kocic Ferrety Sousa Ryan Roushandel Mark Withers Brandon Manzanelli Matt Mason Stisser, who knows Coach Haynes from his time with the Real Colorado Foxes, played with USL side Charlotte Eagles last season. The 26-year-old forward actually scored a goal against the Silverbacks in a preseason fixture in Charlotte last season. A former Trinidad and Tobago youth international, Ferguson played for the New York Red Bulls Academy prior to playing college soccer – first with University of South Carolina-Upstate and then University of South Florida. He plays as a midfielder. Kocic comes to Atlanta on trial after spending part of the 2012 season with the San Antonio Scorpions. The Serbian-American midfielder has experience training and playing in Spain and Puerto Rico, and played his college soccer for the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Competing at the Silverbacks combine in Atlanta and the NASL combine in Fort Lauderdale, Sousa impressed the Silverbacks coaching staff. The Raleigh native helped lead the RailHawks U-23 team to a USASA national championship. Roushandel, a former standout at the University of Central Florida, has played professionally with Costa Rican side Brujas FC and Puerto Rican side Sevilla de Puerto Rico. A player that has experience training and playing in Mexico, Ecuador, and Germany, Withers is a skillful outside midfielder that has impressed many scouts, including those at the 2012 InfoSport Combine. Manzonelli signed with Spanish giants Villareal CF in 2006, appearing in numerous games for their youth sides. After going on trial in England, the St. Louis native signed with the New England Revolution, making his debut in the U.S. Open Cup against the Richmond Kickers. The 23-year-old midfielder has also played with the U.S. U-20 National Team, making four appearances and recording three assists. Mason played high school soccer for Ohio powerhouse Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy – the same school that produced former Silverbacks forward Matt Horth. The forward was then recruited to play for Caleb Porter at the Universtiy of Akron. *********************** Manzonelli, maybe?
Roushandel is local, he used to play for the Silverbacks PDL team a few years back and also for the reserves last year. Judging solely from the resumes you provided, only Manzonelli looks impressive. However, if some of them are young, then they might be worth picking up. By the way, speaking of the reserves, the Silverbacks also announced last week that they will be on hiatus this year. That sucks, the reserves are a good way to develop some young players and potentially move them up to the first team (like Klute, Ati)
No reserves this year? No takers on Traffic's majority ownership sale offer yet either, I assume. Any reason to worry?
Ok, time to assess. Maybe we add a few more minor pieces, but assuming this our team, is it fair to say that our backline is our strength? A solid backline of Nararro, Lancaster, Moroney and Hunt (with Randolph and Bloom for depth) supported by a couple of good solid defensive mids in Blanco & Menjivar. We play to counter attack with speed coming from Carr and James. Or the long ball to Willis up front. Or do we go with Mendes and Barrera up front? Building from the back, we do have a few options. With that said, I’m hoping there’s big signing still coming.
In ex-ASFC player news, Ruthven has been booted from Soda Pop New York: http://metrofanatic.com/story.jsp?ID=6183
This is hysterical. Cosmos supporters group named Sagan's Army: http://www.sagansarmy.org/ Love it. Gotta give 'em credit for sense of humor. (But I'm sure they won't be laughing when ASFC storms thru Hofstra.)
Ok, so there's a photo on the ASFC home page that shows the players working with some Special Olympic athletes. Of course, without reading the article first, my initial impression was, boy these new signees don't look very impressive. Sorry about that. But they did look happy. We'd lead the league in cheers.
Forbes just published it's new list of richest Americans. Georgia billionaires, and their net worth No. 80: Anne Cox Chambers, a principal owner of Cox Enterprises, owner of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, $12 billion. No. 198: Jim Kennedy, chairman of Cox Enterprises, $6 billion. No. 308: S. Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A, $4.2 billion. No. 437: Bernie Marcus, Home Depot co-founder and Georgia Aquarium benefactor, $3.1 billion. No. 736: Ted Turner, Turner Broadcasting and CNN founder, $2 billion. No. 931: Arthur Blank, Home Depot co-founder and owner of the Atlanta Falcons, $1.6 billion. No. 1,250: Jeffrey Lorberbaum, chairman and CEO of Mohawk Industries, $1.15 billion. No. 1,268: Edir Macedo, religious leader and owner of Brazil broadcaster Rede Record, $1.1 billion No. 1,342: Sara Blakely, founder of undergarment maker Spanx, $1 billion. Someone get these folks on the phone. We need one to buy the team.
The first two are out. The local newspaper has always hated covering the Backs. We even had two fans intern in the sports dept for a while and the Backs were the team that will not be mentioned they said.
Cox Enterprises also lost a lot of money on the first iteration of the Atlanta Beat, so they may be shy about another round of investments into soccer.
But that was from investing in the Beat, not simply covering them in their sports pages, right? I'm not familiar with the story.
Yes, it was from investing in the Beat. They lost a lot of money. My point was that the first two were very unlikely investors in the 'Backs. I don't know why the local papers don't cover the 'Backs. It could be from sports editor bias against soccer, it could be because the Cox family has a bad taste about soccer in America, there are a great number of reasons.
The AJC has a soccer reporter in Doug Robertson, but he's asked to write about Georgia State. Also, I know Mike Bell on 790 is a soccer fan and Chelseas supporter. But the management at 790 won't him talk soccer for any extended period. I'm surprised we can't at least get a late night local call in show to talk soccer. Get the 'Backs to sponsor it. We have 3 sports talk stations now and a ton of air time to fill. Do we need another show on college football?
At the very least, someone should start up an Atlanta soccer podcast (like Ft. Lauderdale's The Tailgate Show or the old IMS Podcast) and get it on Stitcher and iTunes. That is long overdue...
Richie Menjivar has been called up by El Salvador for a March 21st friendly against Ecuador. It would be his sixth cap if he plays. http://www.examiner.com/article/sil...to-el-salvador-squad-for-game-against-equador
Based on the pictures and brief write-ups, the two pre-season games have mostly featured trialists. (I saw the existing team members sitting in the stands). I hope the core of the team will start playing games again soon.
According to Westside 109 Facebook page, the starters will be playing next week: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Westside-109/131139253614208