Atlanta United’s roster remains under construction with players scheduled to report training camp Saturday.
The offseason started with the important steps of hiring Chris Henderson as Chief Soccer Officer and Ronny Deila as manager.
The team has two Designated Player slots open and either two or three Under-22 slots that will likely not be filled. The number of U22s depends upon how many DP slots are filled. President Garth Lagerwey has implied that he prefers more experienced, less risky players than are typically signed as U22s.
The team isn’t limited to the more than $40 million remaining from the sales of Giorgos Giakoumakis, Thiago Almada, Caleb Wiley and sell-on revenues from several other players (Ezequiel Barco, for example) who were sold by clubs after they left Atlanta United
The $6,503,478 Atlanta United has in General Allocation Money has already been mostly spent buying down contracts to open DP slots.
A look at the roster as currently set:
Goalkeepers
Brad Guzan: The team’s captain made 32 starts with six shutouts, 44 goals against and 113 saves during the 2024 regular season. He will be the starter going into 2025.
Josh Cohen: He made two starts as part of three appearances with five goals allowed and six saves.
Jayden Hibbert: He will be the third goalkeeper.
Right fullback
Brooks Lennon: He made 33 starts with eight assists before suffering a serious shoulder injury during the playoff series against Miami that will likely sideline him for the start of the regular season.
Ronald Hernandez.: He had one assist in 13 appearances. He will compete for the starting job at right fullback.
Noah Cobb: Normally a centerback, Lagerwey said during the offseason that the team is considering working Cobb at right fullback because of his speed. Cobb had 19 appearances, including 16 starts last season.
Matthew Edwards: He signed a Homegrown contract last season.
Left fullback
Pedro Amador: He had four assists in nine starts after arriving on a free transfer during the summer. He will be the starter on the left side.
Centerbacks
Stian Gregersen: He made 23 appearances with two goals last season. When on, he was a lockdown defender. Keeping him on the field was the challenge last season because of injuries.
Derrick Williams: He made 27 appearances with one goal and provided the communication on the backline to try to keep everyone focused and aware.
Luis Abram: Typically the choice when either Gregersen or Williams were injured, or when the team played with three centerbacks, Abram made 19 appearances last season. It will be a surprise if he remains on the roster by the start of the season because of his salary ($871,888 last season).
Efrain Morales: The Homegrown made four appearances, including three starts, memorably going against Christian Benteke at Audi Field. He has the tools, he just needs more playing time, which is another reason that Abram may be moved.
Central midfielders
Jay Fortune: The Homegrown became one of the team’s most important players because of his versatility and ability to dribble past defenders by season’s end, which included 13 starts as part of 27 appearances.
Bartosz Slisz: He had one goal and one assist in 28 appearances. Slisz had a few glaring errors, which isn’t uncommon for players new to MLS, but was mostly very consistent with his ability to pick a downfield pass and to break up counterattacks.
Tristan Muyumba: Began the season as a starter but became more of a role player near the end and in the playoffs because of a combination of injuries and Fortune’s development. He made 30 appearances, including 25 starts.
Adyn Torres: The Homegrown will likely get most of his playing time with the 2s.
Will Reilly: The Homegrown will likely get most of his playing time with the 2s.
Right wingers
Saba Lobjanidze: Along with Guzan, was the team’s MVP last season after leading the team in goals (9) and assists (7) in 30 appearances.
Luke Brennan: The Homegrown made seven appearances last season. He has speed and skill, just need minutes.
Left wingers
Atlanta United will target this position for a TAM- or DP-level player because of its lack of production last season.
Xande Silva: Two goals and three assists in 23 appearances, which was the same as from 10 appearances in 2023. Injuries affected him throughout the season.
Edwin Mosquera: One goal and two assists in 23 appearances. Like Silva, he was affected by injuries. His speed was an asset in the playoffs.
Attacking midfielders
Alexey Miranchuk: Three goals and one assist in nine appearances after signing near the end of the summer window. He started slowly, which isn’t unexpected. The physical and ping-pong style of MLS, combined with learning a new country, league, team, etc., can take some getting used to. But he started to show his ability in the playoffs. He will need to be the playmaker.
Mateusz Klich: He was acquired in a trade from D.C. United during the offseason. He’s the only addition that wasn’t by draft or as an elevated Homegrown, so far. Klich will provide competition and spot starts at any of the midfield spots.
Strikers
The primary target for Atlanta United is to sign an experienced, proven striker with one of its two DP slots.
Jamal Thiare: Six goals in 25 appearances. His speed and doggedness to run down every long ball enabled former manager Rob Valentino to find a formation and counterattacking style that succeeded in the playoffs. Thiare is better suited as a backup, though.
Ashton Gordon: A Homegrown who will likely get most of his minutes with Atlanta United 2 as he continues to develop.
Players by category
Twenty-five players currently under contract. The team hasn’t yet announced if it has signed its draft picks.
Homegrowns: Brennan, Cobb, Edwards, Fortune, Gordon, Morales, Reilly and Torres.
U22 (at least 2 slots available): Mosquera
DPs (as many as 2 slots available): Miranchuk
Senior: Abram, Amador, Cohen, Gregersen, Guzan, Hernandez, Klich, Lennon, Lobjanidze, Miranchuk, Mosquera, Muyumba, Silva, Slisz, Thiare and Williams.
Supplemental: Brennan, Cobb, Edwards, Fortune, Gordon, Hibbert, Morales, Reilly and Torres.
Internationals (as of May, 2024): Abram, Amador, Gregersen, Lobjanidze, Miranchuk, Muyumba, Silva, Slisz and Thiare.
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Atlanta United’s 2025 schedule
Feb. 22 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m., Apple
March 1 at Charlotte, 2 p.m., Apple, Fox
March 8 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., Apple
March 16 vs. Miami, 7 p.m., Apple
March 22 at Cincinnati, 2:30 p.m., Apple
March 29 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m., Apple
April 5 vs. Dallas, 7:30 p.m., Apple
April 12 vs. New England, 2:30 p.m., Apple, FOX
April 19 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m., Apple
April 26 at Orlando, 7 p.m., Apple, FOX
May 3 vs. Nashville, 2:30 p.m., Apple, FOX
May 10 at Chicago, 2:30 p.m., Apple
May 14 at Austin, 8:30 p.m., Apple
May 17 vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m., Apple
May 25 vs. Cincinnati, 7 p.m., Apple
May 28 vs. Orlando, 7:30 p.m., Apple
May 31 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 12 at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 25 at Columbus, 7:30 p.m., Apple
June 28 at Miami, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 5 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 12 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 16 vs. Chicago, 7:30 p.m., Apple, FS1
July 19 vs. Charlotte, 7:30 p.m., Apple
July 26 vs. Seattle, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 9 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 16 at Colorado, 9:30 p.m., Apple
Aug. 24 vs. Toronto, 5 p.m., Apple
Aug. 30 at Nashville, 8:30 p.m. Apple
Sept. 13 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Sept. 20 vs. San Diego, 4:30 p.m., Apple
Sept. 27 at New England, 7:30 p.m., Apple
Oct. 5 at LAFC, 10:30 p.m., Apple
Oct. 18 vs. D.C. United, 6 p.m., Apple
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