Atlanta was the third city in the U.S. south-east to sign on during the MLS’ second stage expansion plan which started in 2015. They played their first game in 2017, in the 56,000 seat Bobby Dodd Stadium, home of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Ramiro Enrique scored his first playoff goal six minutes before halftime and Orlando City set a new franchise high-water mark with a 1-0 victory over visiting Atlanta United in Sunday's Eastern Conference semifinal.
Welcome to the 2024 Major League Soccer playoffs. Nine months and 988 games have led us to this point: of MLS's 29 teams, just 16 remain in contention for the Cup.
The win caps off an incredible turnaround for Atlanta, which entered the final game of the MLS regular season facing an uphill battle to obtain the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
Cucho Hernandez scored and Patrick Schulte made three saves as the Columbus Crew opened defense of their MLS Cup title with a 1-0 victory against visiting Atlanta United in Saturday's season opener.
Atlanta's next four games — against the two New York clubs, Toronto and Chicago — will show whether it is a title contender or a pretender. Here's what the Five Stripes must address to get back on their feet.