It’s not very often newly promoted or newly joined clubs make an immediate impact in a league. Looking at teams that get promoted in Europe, it’s always the battle to stay alive, not to battle for the title. That’s the normal story. Atlanta United’s rise is no normal story at all.

Where It All Began

Founded in 2014, Atlanta United were announced as the MLS’ next expansion team. They would eventually make their debut season in 2017, with their first home game played at Bobby Dodd Stadium until they finished the second half of the season in the newly built Mercedes-Benz Stadium which they share with NFL outfit, Atlanta Falcons. The connection to the fans would be immediately known as owner Arthur Blank made it known that the fans would be involved in choosing both the name and the logo for the new franchise. Not only that, but Blank would go on to say that there would never be an ATL UTD game where the NFL lines are shown on the field, an emphasis on making the best possible match day experience for both the players and the fans.

The Come Up

Atlanta United quickly put themselves on the map in the MLS with what was widely regarded as one of, if not the best atmospheres in the country with a stadium that seats just over 42,000 with a max of over 73,000 people when including standing room. For comparison, this would come in as the third biggest ground in England behind Wembley Stadium and Old Trafford. They’d make further headlines with their match against Orlando City in September 2017, when they announced that they sold 69,256 tickets and ultimately had 70,425 fans show up on matchday, both MLS records.

Partnering the fanbase with up and coming stars in clinical goal scorer Josef Martinez and winger Hector Villalba as well as veteran American goalkeeper Brad Guzan and Atlanta United quickly found themselves with a core of players that all fans domestic and abroad could get behind. In their opening season, Atlanta United finished fourth in the Eastern Conference, totaling 55 points and making it into the MLS Playoffs in their first ever season in the MLS.

When Atlanta United made the playoffs is really when they made themselves known. Their fans packed the Mercedes-Benz Stadium to watch a thriller with Columbus Crew that ultimately saw them defeated on penalties. Despite the first round exit, it quickly became clear that Atlanta United were going to be a force to be reckon with for years to come.

The Evolution

Entering the 2018 season, Atlanta United had their sights set on more than just qualifying for the playoffs, they wanted to win the whole thing. Not just for themselves, but for the entire city of Atlanta and their rapidly growing fanbase that was passionately rooting for them at every match.

Their 2018 season quickly became known as Josef Martinez’s official coming out party. The Venezuelan netted an astounding 55 goals across 61 total appearances, securing the league’s MVP award and ultimately being chased by teams across the world. Finishing second in Group A, Atlanta United drew in more and more fans with their attractive and high-scoring style of play that saw them score a league high 70 goals over the 34-match season.

The United faithful quickly became folklore within the MLS and North American community as they packed the Mercedes-Benz Stadium to watch their newly formed team. As the season went along and records were being broken, fans, players and ownership alike all got the feeling that there was something special in the making.

Atlanta United would once again qualify for the playoffs, this time with a much more positive outcome. They defeated both New York City FC and New York Red Bulls to make it to the MLS Cup Final against the Portland Timbers, a perennial powerhouse in the MLS. The Timbers proved to be no match for Atlanta United or their 73,019 fans as Atlanta would go on to win 2-0 with the opening goal coming from, you guessed it, league MVP Josef Martinez.

While the players got the on-field plaudits, the fans were grabbing just as many headlines with the head-turning amount of numbers who would show up for each game.

What It Means

As noted, Atlanta United have drawn thousands to the MLS and more importantly, the sport of soccer in America as a whole. With famous rappers like Big Boi, Waka Flocka and Lil Scrappy all prominent supporters of the club, they’ve helped grow the fanbase but also make others aware of the growth and attractiveness the MLS is offering.

While soccer is still largely down the pecking order in the United States, it’s quickly becoming one of the fastest growing sports our country has to offer and is uniting a vastly diverse country. As the NFL sees a slight decline in viewership with it’s political approach and the MLB being labelled slow and boring, now is the time for the MLS and soccer as a whole to make its mark on sports fans in North America. If teams are able to replicate the rowdy fanbase and results-driven mentality of Atlanta United, this growth will only continue to improve over time.