USL Feature
Friday May 18, 2012
Last year, the Silverbacks flew more than 2,000 miles to get to the W-League Championship Weekend in Seattle knowing the road to a first championship would be just as long and difficult. In the semifinals they were paired with the high-powered Vancouver Whitecaps FC, one of the favorites because they were led by W-League Rookie of the Year Sydney Leroux as well as Canadian internationals Kaylyn Kyle and Tiffany Weimer.
However, 2011 All-League Team member Megan Tomlinson scored twice as the Silverbacks ran out 3-1 winners. What followed in the final against the Ottawa Fury was even more spectacular. A dominant 6-1 win ended a memorable season in which the Silverbacks suffered just a single loss.
Head Coach and General Manager Chris Adams was pleased the team turned it on when it mattered most.
“We may have played our best game in the semifinals to get by a very good Vancouver team,” Adams said by e-mail. “That momentum carried over to the final and we finished our chances and put Ottawa in a spot that they weren’t too familiar with by being down by multiple goals. All we can control is playing our best soccer when it counts and last year that was good enough to be named national champions.”
Now, with a new season about to get underway for the Silverbacks, the club is ready to show why it became champions. Adams thinks the players can do something special again, and will be ready to fight while playing in a division with many new faces.
“Our team doesn’t lack motivation,” Adams said. “This is the hardest-working group I have ever been around. When you take hard work and add in incredible talent, you get greatness. Rarely do you find the most talented players on a team also being the hardest workers, but if you don’t work hard around this group then you won’t last. Right now we are facing expansion teams that we know very little about so we are just taking it one game at a time.
“Our biggest challenge is having the bull’s-eye on our back. We will get everyone’s best shot and what could be more motivating for our opponent than to knock off last year’s national champion? We have enough veterans on our roster to know that it will take tremendous consistency to make our way back to the finals. “
When talking about veterans, you can look no further than Rebecca Nolin. The 29-year-old midfielder played three years for the Silverbacks from 2007-09 before rejoining last year. At the back, veteran Ronda Brooks anchors a backline already secure due to the play of All-Eastern Conference goalkeeper Ashley Baker. Adams said the pair of Nolin and Brooks makes his job much easier.
“Rebecca Nolin is an unbelievable leader on the field,” he said. “Our new players comment to me on a regular basis on how much fun it is to play with [Nolin]. She is that coach on the field and usually beats me to my coaching points and it seems to mean so much more coming from her. [Nolin]has a standard that she expects from herself and her teammates and is not afraid to tell you if you are not living up to that standard. Rebecca Nolin is the best captain I have ever been around or coached. Ronda Brooks takes a different approach but is equally as effective as a leader and communicator.”
Another two returning players who will be important to the team’s success are Tiffini Turpin and Nkese Udoh. The two forwards scored many important goals last year in the Silverbacks’ 4-3-3. While Adams is not sure if the formation is here to stay, he knows he can count on Turpin and Udoh.
“Tiffani Turpin and Nkese Udoh are two very different players,” he said. “Tiff gets it done with grit and hard work while [Udoh] likes the ball at her feet so she can dictate the game. Tiff is effective by just being relentless and is always poaching for goals. Last year the running joke was that Tiff scored nothing but ugly goals. [Udoh]is very valuable late in games because she is so skillful that the ball just sticks to her feet and she virtually never gives the ball away.”
As for any fresh faces ready to surprise, Adams is pleased with the caliber of players he has brought in
“I am definitely not going to tip my hand as far as new players go, but let’s just say there are numerous players added to this year’s roster that I expect to have a major impact on the game. I want the fans to come out and judge for themselves who they think will impact games and other coaches to have to do their homework to figure out our various threats.”
The fans will likely heed Adams’ advice and turn out to the Silverbacks’ wonderful soccer-specific stadium to watch the reigning champions defend their crown. The precedent is certainly there: last year the fans of Atlanta led the club to a top 10 attendance number in the league. As a GM, Adams knows all too well how important the team’s off-the-field success is.
“The atmosphere is second to none and helps create a home field advantage that makes players keep coming back season after season,” he said. “Our fans are very passionate and our leadership does a remarkable job making sure we remain a first class organization.”
As for the season ahead, Adams doesn’t want to get too far ahead of himself and his focus remains on tonight’s match. While he doesn’t want to give something for his opponents to put up in their locker rooms, he did let one slip.
“I definitely wouldn’t bet against our group!”