It’s not often when there are six goals in a game — and the winning team scores four of them — that a goalkeeper is named the man of the match.

But, as we get ready for this weekend’s kickoff to the NASL spring season, the Rowdies and MUFC are the clear favourites to top the table.

But, does a team that loses both of its home matches to Atlanta deserve a playoff spot? The answer is clear — no. On a cool, blustery prairie afternoon, Atlanta did more in the half it had the 50 km/h wind at its back than Edmonton. Matt Horth scored two second-half goals as the Silverbacks all but ended FCE’s playoff hopes.

But, the Eddies got two second-half goals in the space of 93 seconds, then held on to beat the Silverbacks by a 2-1 count. The win saw FC Edmonton spring off the league basement, ahead of the Silverbacks.

"Before the game, I knew this was a chance to make a statement to North America that CIS can produce a lot of great players, and we're often overlooked," said Smits. "It was a very emotional game for me. There needs to be some kind of draft system for us in North America."

Impact coach and technical director Nick De Santis said after practice yesterday that he wanted to see more initiative on the part of his men, particularly in the visiting Atlanta Silverbacks’ third of the field. He got what he wanted from Eduardo Sebrango who scored two on the afternoon with the second allowing the Impact to snatch a tie from the jaws of defeat and taking him to the century mark for his career.

But the Impact looked nothing like the team that beat FC Edmonton Saturday, gifting two first-half goals to the worst offence in the league. Atlanta’s 2-1 win at home allowed the club to earn its first NASL win of 2011, and asked many more questions of an Impact team that has looked unstoppable in its two wins over FC Edmonton this season, and awful against the rest of the league.

Atlanta was just what the doctor ordered. Paul Craig scored just seconds after FCE keeper Lance Parker made a couple of great saves, and Edmonton got back on the winning track with a 2-0 win in Georgia.