As the protracted process of redeveloping Underground Atlanta blows past another deadline, it can seem like the future of Five Points is in limbo.

But lately there's been a major bright spot in the otherwise perpetually bleak outlook: soccer.

Late last year, a miniature soccer pitch opened on the plaza level of the Five Points MARTA Station, turning an abandoned wasteland into a hub of community activity.

Heralded as the world’s first soccer facility in a transit station, the field was part of a locally grown program called Soccer in the Streets.

Since opening, the pitch has hosted an array of youth and adult soccer programs, enlivening the area, officials say. According to a recent press release, "Station Soccer" has attracted neighborhood kids to come out and play — “a hub for community activity in downtown Atlanta.”

In recognition of the changes the facility has brought to the station, MARTA named the project a “transit win of 2016.”

While details are scarce, it sounds like soccer could be coming to more MARTA stations around the city in the coming year.

Score!