Photograph courtesy of NASL
Atlanta sports fans can no longer gripe about our championship drought. Last week the Atlanta Silverbacks won the Spring North American Soccer League Championship. Can we all just say it together? Championship.
The Silverbacks jockeyed in the rankings with the Carolina RailHawks toward the end of the season, but held on to their title shot with a 3-0 victory over Minnesota United FC on July 4. The RailHawks lost the same night, giving the Silverbacks the needed breakdown for a one-point lead in the final rankings.
“I feel the word I’m looking for is justified,” Silverbacks head coach Brian Haynes said about the win. “It’s always good at the end of a season to be rewarded with a championship, but it’s all accredited to the guys’ hard work.”
As an added perk of winning the title, the Silverbacks will host the NASL’s post-season championship game, the Soccer Bowl, in early November. And with the international Gold Cup quarter-finals coming to the Georgia Dome on July 20, it’s a good time to be a soccer fan in Atlanta.
An open-invitation barbecue celebration where fans can get pictures with players, coaches, and the trophy is scheduled for Wednesday, July 17 at the Atlanta Silverbacks Park.
