Tag: Preseason

AFC Mobile Beats Baton Rouge 7-2 In Final Preseason Test

Behind four goals from Iba Ndaw, AFC Mobile rolled over Baton Rouge United 7-2 in their final preseason test before the 2019 Gulf Coast Premier League campaign.

“Iba’s job is to bounce to the ball in the middle third of the field, and then get in the box and put it in the back of the net, and today he did exactly that,” said AFC Mobile head coach Steve Wieczorek.

Ndaw opened the scoring in the seventh minute with an assist from his former Spring Hill College teammate, club vice captain Tilman Schober.

“I have great chemistry with Tilman. We’ve played together in a lot of games, and he understands me well, and I understand him. I’ve always enjoyed playing with him because he’s an unselfish player and he always knows where to find me,” Ndaw said. “We’re going to do a lot of good things together this year, and I’m looking forward to it.”

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Tillman Schober and Iba Ndaw celebrate after a goal. Photo: Seth Laubinger

Ndaw netted his second in the 21st minute after getting on the end of a ball from Sam Blackburn, and he completed his hat trick by scoring in the 28th minute.

“It’s always a fun time playing in front of the home crowd, and after our first two preseason games we owed it to them to turn up today,” Ndaw said.

Baton Rouge scored an own goal in the 34th minute. Just three minutes later, Blackburn scored his first career goal for AFC Mobile with an assist from Chisom Ogbonna. The Azaleas took a 6-0 lead into the half after Ndaw scored his fourth and final goal of the match.

“I think he could’ve scored more goals,” Wieczorek said. “That’s been the big thing with Iba. He is capable of so much, and we just need to continue to drive that out of him.”

The match quieted down after a mass substitution for the Azaleas to start the second half. Baton Rouge United got on the board in the 83rd minute. However, the Azaleas responded just three minutes later with a goal from the club’s all-time leading goalscorer Chisom Ogbonna. Baton Rouge pulled one more back in the 90th minute and the match finished 7-2 in favor of the home team.

“In the second half, although we did concede two, we had a lot of the ball which shows we’re good in possession,” Wieczorek said. “Yes, some negatives to concede, especially when we’re well on top like that, gives us some things that we can improve on going into our first game.”

AFC Mobile will kick off the 2019 Gulf Coast Premier League season at home next week against newcomers Tallahassee Soccer Club. The match will kickoff at 7 p.m. at the Archbishop Lipscomb Athletic Complex. Tickets are $10, and all kids 12 and under will be admitted free. Season tickets are on sale for $40 and can be purchased here.

Getting to Know You: Atlanta Silverbacks FC

Saturday, May 14th, AFC Mobile kick off their preseason with a trip to the confines of Silverback Park to take on the Atlanta Silverbacks of the National Premier Soccer League. This will be a tough test for the Azaleas as they begin on their path towards the Gulf Coast Premier League regular season. There are few teams in the southeastern United States like the Silverbacks. In fact, there are few teams in American soccer like them. Atlanta Silverback supporter Paul F. Scanling breaks down why the Silverbacks are special in American soccer and what AFC Mobile can expect to see when they make the trek to historic Silverback Park.

CLUB: Atlanta Silverbacks FC

NICKNAME: Silverbacks

HOME: Atlanta Silverback Park, 3200 Atlanta Silverbacks Way, Atlanta, GA 30340

HISTORY: The Atlanta Silverbacks trace their history back to the Atlanta Ruckus, which began play in 1995. The name change came in the fall of 1998 to honor longtime Zoo Atlanta icon Willie B., a silverback gorilla named after former Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield.  The club has participated in the A League, the USL and the NASL in the past and now competes in the NPSL.  The club plays at Silverbacks Park, located at the intersection of I-75 and I-285, also known as Spaghetti Junction.

Twice losers to the Seattle Sounders in the championship round, the Silverbacks have also made it to the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup, beating both Colorado and Real Salt Lake in that competition.  USMNT Legend Eric Wynalda managed the Silverbacks during that run.  The current version of the club has won trophies the last two seasons in the NPSL.
The Silverbacks have reached an agreement with the Silverbacks Trust to facilitate fan ownership, making the Silverbacks one of only a few teams in America that are focused on and supporting fan ownership.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Keka Kamara – the United Soccer Coaches Association Player of the Year and first team All-American, will undoubtedly be a player climbing the American soccer pyramid. Meanwhile, new captain Sheriff Suma, returning players Abdul Bangura, and Mohammed Issahaku will also test the Azaleas early and often.  In goal, Bryce Billington returns to the Backs after a year playing with the Georgia Revolution.

The club can be found at www.atlantasilverbacksfc.com, on twitter @atlsilverbacks and has a YouTube channel.  The Trust can be found online at asfctrust.org and on Twitter at @asfctrust.