PREVIEW | Silverbacks vs. Scorpions

For the last road trip of the 2015 Spring Season, the San Antonio Scorpions will leave the arid heat of San Antonio for the humidity of Atlanta when they take on the Silverbacks this Saturday at Silverbacks Park.

At home Atlanta (1W-5D-2L, 8 points) has been tough to beat. In all four home games this season the Silverbacks have taken a point as they've tied each one, including a draw against NASL-leading New York.

San Antonio (2-2-4, 8) has earned their eight points on the season thanks to a recent run of form with two wins and a tie in the last four games after starting the season with only two points through the first four games. 

“When they played the Cosmos, the possession was 70-30 in favor of the Cosmos but the game ended in a 0-0 draw,” Scorpions head coach Alen Marcina said of Atlanta. “They are very disciplined and organized defensively; they like to throw numbers in the box and make it a challenge.”

Goals will be at a premium in this game. Atlanta has only scored seven goals this season with Shaka Bangura accounting for two of those. When Atlanta does score goals it is usually in the first fifteen minutes of the second half (42.9 percent) or the final 15 minutes (28.6 percent) of the game.

The Silverbacks will look to park the bus and keep enough bodies in the box to prevent the Scorpions from having good opportunities. The Scorpions will have to be ready for the counterattack, but if the red and black from Alamo City can bag even one goal on Silverbacks 'keeper Steward Ceus, it might allow the Scorpions to claim all three points.

“Atlanta at home is very organized. They have been very good at home,” Marcina said. “They will fight for 95 minutes. They are a hardworking team and it is going to be a battle for 95 minutes, but our guys know that.”

Kickoff for the match will be at 7:30 p.m. ET.

By the Numbers:

• This will be the 12th meeting all-time between the Scorpions and Silverbacks. San Antonio has won four consecutive meetings with Atlanta dating back to the 2013 season and have outscored the Silverbacks 6-2 in those games
• The Scorpions lead the all-time series with six wins, three losses and two ties. The Scorpions have a 2-3-1 record in their trips to Atlanta since joining the NASL in 2012
• Last season, the Scorpions began their NASL Modern Era record six-game road winning streak with a 2-1 win in Atlanta