The Basics
Tampa Bay Rowdies at Atlanta Silverbacks
Saturday, October 18 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Atlanta Silverbacks Park, Atlanta, Georgia
The match can be seen live online at NASLlive.com.
Follow us for live updates on Twitter at @RowdiesGameday.

Records (W-T-L)
Tampa Bay: 5-2-8, 17 points Fall; 7-6-11, 27 points overall
Atlanta: 3-3-9, 12 points Fall; 6-4-14, 22 points overall

Series History
Tampa Bay is 6-5-3 all-time against the Silverbacks, including Atlanta’s 3-1 win at Al Lang Stadium on April 26 and the Rowdies’ 3-2 win in St. Pete on July 12. In that 3-2 Tampa Bay win on opening day of the Fall Season, the Silverbacks led 2-0 at halftime thanks to first-half goals by Junior Burgos and Deon McCaulay. The Rowdies came back to tie the match via goals by Casey Townsend (58th minute) and Georgi Hristov (66th minute) before Hristov’s winner in stoppage time.

Rowdies Notes
The Rowdies arrive in Atlanta on the back end of a congested schedule, with tonight’s match being the fifth in 15 days for Tampa Bay. The Rowdies are on a seven-match winless streak, including Wednesday night’s 3-2 loss to league-leading Minnesota United at Al Lang Stadium.

Tampa Bay desperately needs a win in this match to keep its faint postseason hopes alive. The Rowdies are currently eight points behind fourth-place Fort Lauderdale in the final qualification spot with nine points left on offer this season.

Reigning NASL Golden Ball winner Georgi Hristov leads the Rowdies in scoring this season with eight goals this season. Hristov scored the Rowdies’ opening goal Wednesday night against the Loons.

Scouting Atlanta
The Silverbacks enter a match on a six-match winless streak since beating the Carolina RailHawks 2-0 on August 30. Atlanta’s only home win of the Fall Season came in week two, when the Silverbacks topped FC Edmonton 1-0 on July 19. Last week, the Silverbacks drew 2-2 with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in Atlanta.

Alejandro Pombo will coach this match for Atlanta, serving as the interim coach following the dismissal of previous coach Jason Smith on Oct. 5.

The Silverbacks prefer a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield. Against the Strikers last week, Pablo Cruz played the No. 10 role, with Shaka Bangura and Jaime Chavez paired together as forwards. Chavez and left winger Junior Sandoval lead Atlanta in scoring, with eight and seven goals, respectively. Cruz leads the team with four assists.

Up Next
After this match, the Rowdies prepare for their final two matches of the 2014 regular season with a trip to New York to face the Cosmos on the horizon on Saturday, Oct. 25. The regular season finale against Indy Eleven will kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Al Lang Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 1 with fireworks after the match. For tickets, call (877) ROWDIES or click here.

ATLANTA, Ga. -- The Tampa Bay Rowdies drew 1-1 with the Atlanta Silverbacks on a chilly Saturday night at Silverbacks Park. Georgi Hristov's first-half goal put Tampa Bay ahead 1-0 at halftime, but Jaime Chavez's second-half goal pulled the Silverbacks level. Neither team would score again.

"On reflection, it's a good point won," Rowdies coach Ricky Hill said. "Atlanta deserved something from the game because Matt Pickens played really well tonight and they hit the post on a couple of occasions. I was pleased with the shape of the side tonight, our organization and our on-field management. The players were all engaged with each other and they were working for each other. I was pleased with the way we responded to what has been a difficult time. It would have been nice to get three points, but it's nice to arrest that losing feeling and mentality. The guys feel a little more confident now and it's something we can definitely build on."

The Silverbacks opened the match as the better team and nearly grabbed the opening goal on a couple of occasions. 

Twelve minutes in, Silverbacks defender Alex Harlley shot past Rowdies goalkeeper Matt Pickens, but his shot caromed off the goalpost toward the penalty spot. Jaime Chavez's effort went over Pickens and was goal-bound, but Rowdies right back Jordan Gafa was in position to clear it off the line.

Six minutes later, Atlanta's Jesus Gonzalez rocketed a shot off Pickens' crossbar.

In the 23rd minute, a miscommunication between Pickens and Frankie Sanfilippo gave Pablo Cruz space for a bicycle kick two yards out from goal, but his effort looped over the crossbar.

Facing test after test, the Rowdies defense bent, but didn't break. Pickens recorded seven saves on the night.

"The defense showed great resilience not to concede when Atlanta was playing really well," Hill said. "(Pickens) was called upon on more than a few occasions and came up trump for us. Kyle Clinton, Frankie Sanfilippo, Jordan Gafa and Blake Wagner, as well as Darel Russell and Keith Savage, put their bodies on the line to ensure that there were people there contesting things. When crosses came in, they put their heads where boots were flying, which is all that I can ask for. When they step on the field, they try the best they can and they play with their heart and soul for 90 minutes."

Rowdies forward Luciano Olguin received the ball in the box in the 38th minute with enough time to collect, turn and shoot, but his shot was blocked by a defender before reaching goal. The deflection bounced directly to Hristov's feet, who slotted home his ninth goal of the season. It was his second goal this week and third in the last five matches.

"Georgi looks like he's rounding into some serious form at this time," Hill said. "He worked ever so hard tonight and got his reward by scoring a goal."

After the halftime break, Atlanta again started as the more potent attacking side, finally finding its goal in the 54th minute as Shaka Bangura's looping cross from the byline found Chavez at the backpost for the game-tying tap-in.

The Rowdies inserted Lucky Mkosana and Casey Townsend into the match midway through the second half, with both causing some disruption within Atlanta's defense. The Rowdies put six shots on target in the match, with Silverbacks goalkeeper Thomas Hunter also putting in an impressive shift.

Hristov nearly scored his second goal of the night in the 74th minute, but his effort was wide of Atlanta's net.

"On another night, with a little more attention and incision at the vital times, we might have had more than one goal to show for it."

Atlanta's Junior Sandoval had a golden chance to score a go-ahead goal with a free kick from just outside the box in the 80th minute, but his shot was inches wide of the post.

Next, the Rowdies hit the road for New York, where a showdown with the rival Cosmos awaits on Saturday, Oct. 25 at Shuart Stadium. Tampa Bay's home finale is a week after that, on Saturday, Nov. 1 against the Indy Eleven at Al Lang Stadium in downtown St. Petersburg. For tickets, call (877) ROWDIES or click here.

Scoring Summary
Tampa Bay: Georgi Hristov - 38th minute
Atlanta: Jaime Chavez - 54th minute (Assisted by Shaka Bangura)

Caution Summary
Atlanta: Blair Gavin - 8th minute
Tampa Bay: Georgi Hristov - 29th minute
Atlanta: Deon McCaulay - 87th minute

Starting XI
Tampa Bay Rowdies (4-4-2): GK Matt Pickens; D Jordan Gafa, D Frankie Sanfilippo, D Kyle Clinton, D Blake Wagner; M Corey Hertzog (Lucky Mkosana 64'), M Darel Russell, M Keith Savage, M Brian Shriver (Evans Frimpong 85'); F Luciano Olguin (Casey Townsend 72'), F Georgi Hristov

Atlanta Silverbacks (4-4-2):  GK Thomas Hunter; D Alex Harlley (Ferrety Sousa 86'), D Ramiro Canovas, D Abdul Bangura, D Brandon Poltronieri; M Jesus Gonzalez, M Blair Gavin, M Junior Burgos (Deon McCaulay 73'), M Pablo Cruz (Junior Sandoval 68'); F Jaime Chavez, F Shaka Bangura