Kickers 2 : 1 Silverbacks

I went a USL match between the Kickers of Richmond (Virginia) and the Silverbacks of Atlanta this weekend. The Silverbacks were triumphant over the Kickers in their first two match-ups of the season, but they just couldn't hold it together Sunday night.

The Kickers scored the first goal less than 2 minutes into the game because their striker was unmarked, and for the rest of the first half, Atlanta played like they were gun shy. The ball rarely made it into the offensive zone because everyone wanted to play defense. The second goal came on a penalty kick. The penalty also marked one of the Silverbacks' second yellow card of the match, leaving Atlanta to play a man short the rest of the game.

Richmond almost scored a third time in the first half, but the ball bounced of the post and Atlanta was able to clear before the Kickers could get a rebound.

The second half marked a new beginning for the Silverbacks. They returned to the field with new-found energy (I'm sure the coach had some choice words in the locker room), and despite being a man short, they were able to control the ball much more than they had in the first half. They still had trouble getting set up for shots, but they managed to keep Richmond from having much time to set themselves up.

The Silverbacks only goal came from a penalty kick, and it almost didn't. The shooter kicked the ball almost straight at the keeper. The ball bounced off the keeper's chest, but he couldn't hold on, and the shooter was able to get the rebound and put the ball into the net.

The last 15 minutes was a solid back-and-forth as the Silverbacks looked for an equalizer and the Kickers tried to clinch the victory.

There was a brief scuffle amongst the players, but the referee separated the groups. I was surprised no one was carded for the altercation. I was also surprised how many substitutes were allowed -- there were at least five, maybe six, which is a significant departure from World Cup rules, which allow only three per game.

Overall, I would call it a decent soccer game. Not one I will soon forget, but that's mostly because my ass still hurts from sitting on the concrete stands for over 90 minutes.