Silverbacks Announce Five Player Signings

With a little more than two weeks to go until the team opens up its 2013 season, the Atlanta Silverbacks are adding the final pieces to the puzzle. The Silverbacks added five players to the roster on Thursday, announcing the signings of forward Brad Stisser, midfielders Mario Uribe, Scott Rojo and Rury Alvarez and defender Eduardo Liza, pending USSF approval.

Stisser, 26, comes to the Silverbacks from USL Pro side Charlotte Eagles where he played alongside current Silverbacks teammates Mark Bloom and Milton Blanco. The 5-foot-10 forward played his collegiate soccer at Loyola Marymount before making his professional debut with AC St. Louis in 2010. After a strong season in St. Louis, Stisser caught the eye of the Rochester Rhinos and signed for them in 2011. He then moved to the Charlotte Eagles for the 2012 season.

A native of Miami, Uribe, 24, joins the Silverbacks after splitting his college career between Boston College and Florida International University. The 5-foot-8 midfielder played alongside Silverbacks forward Jahbari Willis at FIU for the final two years of his college career. A former member of the U.S. U-16 National Team, Uribe plays as an attacking midfielder.

Rojo, a former standout at High Point University, was selected by Toronto FC in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft. The 23-year-old midfielder was a three-time All-Big South honoree, leading the nation in assists in 2010 with 17 in 20 games. While in college, Rojo played in the PDL with the Carolina Dynamo, leading the league in assists and earning a spot on the league’s Best XI. The Houston, Texas native holds the assists record at High Point with 29 over the course of his college career.

A defensive midfielder, Alvarez has earned a spot on his hometown team. The Atlanta native played his youth soccer for Atlanta Fire United before starring at Georgia Perimeter College. Like many current Silverbacks players, the 22-year-old midfielder recently played under Ricardo Montoya as a member of the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves.

A former player at Georgia Perimeter College and Georgia State University and a youth soccer coach for a number of local programs, Liza, 29, is a well-known face in the Atlanta soccer community. The 5-foot-7 defender has represented his home country of Peru at the U-18 and U-20 levels, and grew up playing in the youth system of Peruvian giants Sporting Cristal. A member of the Georgia Perimeter team that won the NJCAA National Championship in 2005, Liza is expected to add depth to the Silverbacks back line. 

The five additions bring the Silverbacks’ roster count to 26, as they prepare for their season opener on April 13 against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at Atlanta Silverbacks Park.

This article was provided by the team and edited for publication.