NASL discontinues Atlanta franchise
The Atlanta Silverbacks are now a thing of the past
The Atlanta Silverbacks celebrate a late goal by Junior Burgos to win the match. The Silverbacks defeated FC Edmonton by a score of 1-0 on Aug. 29, 2015.
On Jan. 11, the North American Soccer League (NASL) announced that the Atlanta Silverbacks would cease operations.
The Atlanta Silverbacks have had long-standing ownership issues dating back to 2013 when they were bought by Boris Jerkunica, a software mogul. Under Jerkunica’s ownership, the Silverbacks had their best season in the NASL and finished first in the standings during the spring Season.
In 2014, Jerkunica withdrew his stake in the Silverbacks and the league took over operations for the 2015 season while searching for new ownership. The MLS announcement that there would be an MLS team coming to Atlanta in 2017 seriously hindered their search.
Some of the Silverback’s supporters are sad to see them team go.
Members of Terminus Legion, a Silverback supporter group, hold up a sign reading “Save Our Silverbacks Welcome Back”. Prior to the spring 2015 season, the Silverbacks announced that they are now owned by the NASL.
Terminus Legion is a supporter group comprised of soccer fans in the greater Atlanta area. Many of these fans follow the Silverbacks closely, resulting in a sizable Terminus Legion presence at every game.
Terminus Legion board member Jason Longshore is a longtime fan of the Silverbacks and enjoyed the intimacy of going to games. “You were really close to the field,” Longshore said. “The players aren’t multi-millionaires, so they’re very approachable. You could actually get to talk to them and watch them grow.”
Over the past decade, several players from the Silverbacks have gone on to have MLS careers. Macoumba Kandji and Kwadwo Poku, both of West African descent, caught the eye of scouts during their time with Silverbacks.
Kandji played for the Silverbacks for the 2007 and 2008 season. While with the Silverbacks, he scored 13 goals in 28 games. His performance attracted attention from the New York Red Bulls where he eventually signed a 2-year deal.
While playing for New York, his stats were significantly lower and spent the next 4 years playing for 3 different MLS teams. Between 2013 and 2015, he played for 4 different teams in Greece, Finland, and Saudi Arabia. Kandji now plays for HJK Helsinki.
Poku rose to prominence during the 2015 season with New York City FC, scoring 4 goals in just 6 starts with the expansion club. His impressive performances earned him several accolades including a ranking of seven on the league’s “24 under 24” list and a few training stints with sister club Manchester City.
The Silverbacks are still searching for a local owner and are attempting to join the United Soccer League (USL) in time for the 2016 season. Longshore sees this as unlikely. “The operating costs [in the USL] aren’t that different from that of the NASL,” said Longshore.
It seems that Atlanta will not have a professional soccer team until Atlanta United FC begins play, according to Longshore.
