Tuesday, August 12, 2003

 

TAMPA, FL - United Soccer Leagues announced today the Team and Player of the Week for the A-League, honoring Atlanta's Shaker Asad as the Week 17 Player of the Week.

Asad helped lead the Silverbacks to a 2-2 draw against the Charleston Battery in Atlanta Friday night, playing the full match and followed it up with two goals on the road Saturday to help down the Charlotte Eagles, 4-1.

Asad extended Atlanta's lead to three in the 88th minute when he scored an unassisted goal after an Atlanta corner kick that Charlotte had trouble clearing. Asad found the ball on the near post to score.

Atlanta's fourth and final goal came on the counter attack.  Asad got the ball up the right side and beat substitute goalkeeper Carlos Calderson to the net with his shot.  It was Asad's second goal of the match.

The victory over Charlotte ended a seven-game winless streak for Atlanta and their draw against Charleston was the first game in which they had earned a point against a division rival other than Charlotte.

Asad is the second leading scorer on the team with 10 points on five goals this season. He joined the club after three seasons in Major League Soccer, where he scored just one goal in 34 games played and also tallied three assists.