Atlanta United

[McLoofus 35,182]

Damn shame about Barco but that's ATL sports for you.

Excited to see Nagbe out there.

Gressel a starting central mid... Interesting.

Avowed Walkes lover, but excited to see Escobar out there.

This team should be even more fun to watch than last season. Lehgo

[AU64 10,122]

Soccer looks bigger in Atlanta than the Falcons.....huge crowd today at the Benz....who would have thought it ?.

And maybe if NFL keeps thumbing it's nose at their fans, this will be the trend across the country.  

[McLoofus 35,182]

17 hours ago, AU64 said:

Soccer looks bigger in Atlanta than the Falcons.....huge crowd today at the Benz....who would have thought it ?.

And maybe if NFL keeps thumbing it's nose at their fans, this will be the trend across the country.  

It's not quite as big as the Falcons yet, but it is bigger than any non-NFL pro team in the country in terms of average attendance. And way more fun. It's very, very real. 

In their first season last year, United wrote the new blueprint for building a team. MLS had become the place where aging European superstars went to die. Pay a Beckham or a Pirlo a bazillion bucks and let him jog around the pitch just so American fans have a chance to see real deal superstars in person. ho cares if they're only shadows of their former selves? Butts in seats. Atlanta went a different route. They hired the superstar coach from South America and then started picking up young South American guys who weren't yet known internationally. And played a really fast, aggressive, fun type of soccer that few teams are capable of. And set several league records and did things no other first-year club had done.

Furthermore, Atlanta is an extremely diverse transplant city. It's full of people who still root for the home team they moved away from (probably more Red Sox fans than Braves fans in the city, which is why the Braves left). But not many people have an MLS team back home, so they finally have "their" Atlanta team. (The Thrashers used to fill that void somewhat, but that's a conversation for another day.) And then there's the international community, who REALLY love having a big local soccer team now. When you go to a United match, you see what Atlanta really looks like in the stands. Every demo under the sun. It's awesome. And having the Benz as the home field sure doesn't hurt, especially when MLS fans don't travel like college and NFL fans do. 72k in the building and at least 65k are pulling for the good guys. 

And then, of course, you've got Uncle Arthur. Best owner in sports. He truly, passionately cares about his soccer team and it shows. That stadium was built for soccer as much as it was for football. Plenty of reasons to argue against building the stadium at all, but if he was going to build it, he damned sure did right by his teams and their fans.

Anyway, there are a handful of other, great atmospheres in MLS- Seattle, Portland, KC, maybe a couple others- but Atlanta is a very special and unique soccer city. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

Not my favorite tradition but definitely impressive the first time you hear it.

 

 

[augolf1716 21,102]

9 hours ago, McLoofus said:

It's not quite as big as the Falcons yet, but it is bigger than any non-NFL pro team in the country in terms of average attendance. And way more fun. It's very, very real. 

In their first season last year, United wrote the new blueprint for building a team. MLS had become the place where aging European superstars went to die. Pay a Beckham or a Pirlo a bazillion bucks and let him jog around the pitch just so American fans have a chance to see real deal superstars in person. ho cares if they're only shadows of their former selves? Butts in seats. Atlanta went a different route. They hired the superstar coach from South America and then started picking up young South American guys who weren't yet known internationally. And played a really fast, aggressive, fun type of soccer that few teams are capable of. And set several league records and did things no other first-year club had done.

Furthermore, Atlanta is an extremely diverse transplant city. It's full of people who still root for the home team they moved away from (probably more Red Sox fans than Braves fans in the city, which is why the Braves left). But not many people have an MLS team back home, so they finally have "their" Atlanta team. (The Thrashers used to fill that void somewhat, but that's a conversation for another day.) And then there's the international community, who REALLY love having a big local soccer team now. When you go to a United match, you see what Atlanta really looks like in the stands. Every demo under the sun. It's awesome. And having the Benz as the home field sure doesn't hurt, especially when MLS fans don't travel like college and NFL fans do. 72k in the building and at least 65k are pulling for the good guys. 

And then, of course, you've got Uncle Arthur. Best owner in sports. He truly, passionately cares about his soccer team and it shows. That stadium was built for soccer as much as it was for football. Plenty of reasons to argue against building the stadium at all, but if he was going to build it, he damned sure did right by his teams and their fans.

Anyway, there are a handful of other, great atmospheres in MLS- Seattle, Portland, KC, maybe a couple others- but Atlanta is a very special and unique soccer city. 

Orlando has a very good atmosphere imo and tickets are hard to get at the moment

[McLoofus 35,182]

13 hours ago, augolf1716 said:

Orlando has a very good atmosphere imo and tickets are hard to get at the moment

Yeah, Atlanta and Orlando kind of hit the ground running with a ready-made rivalry. Some pretty intense trolling, even from the front office guys, and a few Atlanta fans got beaten up when we played down there last time. Orlando ain't pulling 70k, though   

(That was my weak attempt at participating in said rivalry.)

[augolf1716 21,102]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Yeah, Atlanta and Orlando kind of hit the ground running with a ready-made rivalry. Some pretty intense trolling, even from the front office guys, and a few Atlanta fans got beaten up when we played down there last time. Orlando ain't pulling 70k, though   

(That was my weak attempt at participating in said rivalry.)

Stadium is only 25,000 and in a unique location. I'n actually not a big fan of their front office or of the team. Now our dog setter is a huge season ticket fan from Costa Rica

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, augolf1716 said:

Stadium is only 25,000 and in a unique location. I'n actually not a big fan of their front office or of the team. Now our dog setter is a huge season ticket fan from Costa Rica

The cool thing is that crowd size is only part of it. KC built a similarly sized stadium and they sell out every single game and have a great atmosphere, or so I'm told. I'm sure it's a blast in Orlando, too. And I bet your dog sitter and a ton of other people in that area are just happy to live pura vida with a bunch of other soccer fans at all, just like a lot of folks in Atlanta and elsewhere are. The cultural aspect of it can't be understated.

I might have mentioned it here before, but one of the coolest things I ever saw was at a United match against NYC FC that I went to with a bunch of friends for my birthday last year. We tailgated, had kegs, the whole bit. Well, there was also a huge Latino supporters group tailgating in our area. Drums, flags, red and black umbrellas, the whole thing. A couple hours before kickoff, an NYC FC supporters group came marching into our area. And I do mean marching- drums, songs, all of it. The two groups squared off against each other, shouting their chants and songs and beating their drums across the lot from each other. This went on for a good 20-30 minutes, before they all congregated in the middle. A few minutes later, a field was marked off with empty beer cans and a soccer game broke out, ATL vs NYC. Everyone crowded around, kids got in the mix, everybody was having a *blast*. All hugs and pictures afterward, then each faction had a little parade into the stadium. It was so beautiful and different than anything I'd seen before.

[McLoofus 35,182]

We're going to the 'ship. Got my ticket. They're going to break my heart because Atlanta but I'll be there when they do. ATLANTA! UNITED!

[looney 794]

Umm... Bump?

 

Excited for my town tonight. Looked like an absolutely insane scene. 

@McLoofus how was it from the inside?

[McLoofus 35,182]

9 hours ago, looney said:

Umm... Bump?

Excited for my town tonight. Looked like an absolutely insane scene. 

@McLoofus how was it from the inside?

It was a dream. 

More to come when I have a moment.

[augolf1716 21,102]

Congrats from Purple Pride

[AUDub 11,143]

Hope they tear it up in the CONCACAF champions league. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

On 12/8/2018 at 10:43 PM, looney said:

Umm... Bump?

Excited for my town tonight. Looked like an absolutely insane scene. 

@McLoofus how was it from the inside?

Here are a couple good pieces on it: 

SI
SBNation

Some of that might be redundant to what you already know. As for the actual game experience, it honestly wasn't THAT much different than most United games in the Benz. It's always a damned party. Probably the biggest difference was that there were more away fans than normal. Btw, Portland, great folks. I suppose folks knew what was on the line and took it up a notch accordingly. But I think that the people who were most blown away were people who hadn't been to a game in the Benz yet. All of the circumstances around the club are just so unique. The approach to the business side of it can be replicated if the ownership is there and has the resources, but the atmosphere? Eh. Not many cities can lay claim to a massive transplant and immigrant population (people who love ATL but didn't have a local team to root for), a bunch of people who grew up breaking their ankles on red clay and being downtalked by freaking baseball fans of all people (people who might not follow the Falcons or Braves but prefer college football and USMNT/EPL), and the greatest collection of hip hop talent on the planet. Seriously, 2 Chainz, Big Boi, Cee Lo, Waka Flocka, Migos... they've all been to games and have been spotted wearing the Five Stripes. One thing that sums it up: this season, somebody started waving an "ATL UTD" flag  in the font from Atlanta the TV show in rainbow colors. Like, what is more Atlanta than using LGBTQ colors and referencing a TV show created by a black artist and watched by white people to celebrate a team that plays a sport that is often more closely associated with Latinos in this country? And back to the ownership, you know who got the loudest ovation of the night? Arthur Blank, before the game even started. He, Eales and the whole organization have taken great pains to involve the supporter groups and city in everything. The various factions marched in the parade yesterday, which was covered by most of the local news outlets. A buddy of mine threw little soccer balls off a bus. Another buddy of mine sat in the MLS suite with the little girl who sang the national anthem. 92.9 has been all in since last season. It's very grass roots and organic and community-oriented. 30,000 season tickets sold before they'd ever played a game. This team just really represents the city in a way that very few other teams represent theirs and it's reflected in the game day experience. If Atlanta's your town, looney, then United are your team. I get goosebumps every time I think about it. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

Oh, and United players took the cup to Magic City last night 

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

Austin is getting a team in 2021.  Color me giddy.  Viva El Tree!

[McLoofus 35,182]

6 hours ago, Brad_ATX said:

Austin is getting a team in 2021.  Color me giddy.  Viva El Tree!

I get that El Tree is a play off El Tri, but where does the Tree come from? Either way, big congrats. Very interested to see how that goes down there. Hoping that the team really reflects the city as Atlanta, Portland, Seattle and a few others have. 

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

56 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I get that El Tree is a play off El Tri, but where does the Tree come from? Either way, big congrats. Very interested to see how that goes down there. Hoping that the team really reflects the city as Atlanta, Portland, Seattle and a few others have. 

The tree logo is technically two oaks intertwined with branches symbolizing supporters holding up 11 leaves symbolizing players on the pitch.  But it's more based off the Treaty Oak here in town.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_Oak_(Austin,_Texas)

I think the team will get plenty of support.  People don't realize that Austin is now the 11th largest city in the country, so there are plenty of people to draw from.  I would imagine some will come from San Antonio too. 

Only issues I see are parking/transit and 102 degree games in the summer.  They are building the stadium in a really congested place with no easy entry or exit.

[McLoofus 35,182]

24 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

The tree logo is technically two oaks intertwined with branches symbolizing supporters holding up 11 leaves symbolizing players on the pitch.  But it's more based off the Treaty Oak here in town.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_Oak_(Austin,_Texas)

I think the team will get plenty of support.  People don't realize that Austin is now the 11th largest city in the country, so there are plenty of people to draw from.  I would imagine some will come from San Antonio too. 

Only issues I see are parking/transit and 102 degree games in the summer.  They are building the stadium in a really congested place with no easy entry or exit.

Damn. Live oaks and dudes from Texas and poison. What gives???

Nah, that's very cool. Paying homage to the city right there in the logo. 

Stadium in a congested place... in the city, with bars and restaurants and hotels and such surrounding it? That's good. Parking/transit still a concern, you're right. No train? Do people ride the buses in Austin? Any talk of dedicated buses? ATL has MARTA and one big parking lot. It works. 

Speaking of ATL, we've experienced a lot of gatekeeping from the established MLS clubs and even Europeans and South Americans. A lot of folks HATE the culture around the team, especially since we won so fast. Thing is, the Five Stripes perfectly represent and embody the city. The team and the supporters are more concerned with being true to Atlanta than to soccer traditionalism. With Austin being such a unique and singular place, I hope your team is the same way. To hell with the old school. 

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Damn. Live oaks and dudes from Texas and poison. What gives???

Nah, that's very cool. Paying homage to the city right there in the logo. 

Stadium in a congested place... in the city, with bars and restaurants and hotels and such surrounding it? That's good. Parking/transit still a concern, you're right. No train? Do people ride the buses in Austin? Any talk of dedicated buses? ATL has MARTA and one big parking lot. It works. 

Speaking of ATL, we've experienced a lot of gatekeeping from the established MLS clubs and even Europeans and South Americans. A lot of folks HATE the culture around the team, especially since we won so fast. Thing is, the Five Stripes perfectly represent and embody the city. The team and the supporters are more concerned with being true to Atlanta than to soccer traditionalism. With Austin being such a unique and singular place, I hope your team is the same way. To hell with the old school. 

I agree it's good that the stadium is near things, but we don't have nearly the public transportation infrastructure that Atlanta has.  Our rail system is comprised of one route going to the northwest suburbs from downtown and back.  It doesn't service anyone in the larger suburbs of Round Rock, Pflugerville, or the southern burbs.  Luckily, I live in the northwest burbs and a station is near my house, so I may use it to go to games since there's also a station within a 10 minute walk of the site.

There's no light-rail to speak of and no one here uses the bus.  It's a full-on commuter city, which gives us some terrible traffic problems.  The only dedicated parking lot the stadium will have is being limited to 1,000 spaces too, so that makes the issue even worse.  I hope they figure out a solution, because there are a ton of restaurants and bars right near the stadium that would be cool to hit up before a game.

With you though.  I think Atlanta has to be the model for Austin on the field and something like Portland or Orlando needs to be the goal in the stands (stadium is only 20k seats).  If we got that, I'd be ecstatic.

[McLoofus 35,182]

6 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

I agree it's good that the stadium is near things, but we don't have nearly the public transportation infrastructure that Atlanta has.  Our rail system is comprised of one route going to the northwest suburbs from downtown and back.  It doesn't service anyone in the larger suburbs of Round Rock, Pflugerville, or the southern burbs.  Luckily, I live in the northwest burbs and a station is near my house, so I may use it to go to games since there's also a station within a 10 minute walk of the site.

There's no light-rail to speak of and no one here uses the bus.  It's a full-on commuter city, which gives us some terrible traffic problems.  The only dedicated parking lot the stadium will have is being limited to 1,000 spaces too, so that makes the issue even worse.  I hope they figure out a solution, because there are a ton of restaurants and bars right near the stadium that would be cool to hit up before a game.

With you though.  I think Atlanta has to be the model for Austin on the field and something like Portland or Orlando needs to be the goal in the stands (stadium is only 20k seats).  If we got that, I'd be ecstatic.

Right on. Well, I'm super excited for you. I never would have imagined how awesome it has been.

Oh, and it sounds like ATL's rail system is more robust than yours, but not by much. 2 lines to 1, lol. Who knows, maybe the team will force fans to use the bus and make it a more viable option. 

Austin Uber/Lyft drivers, mount up. 

[The Plainsman 948]

No skin in his game, but have heard from numerous people I work with who rave about the Philly scene. 

[looney 794]

Just played my first FIFA 2019 game last night with updated rosters (Pitty, Pogba the Elder, Shea - but no Miggy *sad face*) in the M-B Stadium. Glorious. Can't wait for Thursday's CONCACAF CL game.