Editor’s​​ note:​ This​ is​​ Superstition Week​ on​ The Athletic​​ Soccer. We’ll​​ be​ exploring​​ the far-out​​ rituals and​​ beliefs​​ that​​ underpin​​ the Xs and Os, the hard work and dumb luck, of some of soccer’s most compelling teams and personalities. Check here for our full roster of stories and check back as we add more.



Greg Garza has a lot of superstitions—from his number to his prematch meal to the way he likes to walk onto the soccer field—but it’s his shin guards that might earn Atlanta United a visit from the authorities, specifically area health inspectors.



“I’ve used the same shin guards since U-14 national team camp,” says Garza when I catch him preparing for a workout at Atlanta United’s training facility. “I still use them...