As soccer soars in Atlanta, supporters hoping it lasts
United drawing fans in market known for failure, heartbreak
ATLANTA — The cheer begins slowly, rhythmically — everyone raising hands above heads, clapping in sync to a beating drum, screaming in unison and picking up speed with each chant.
A! ….. T! ….. L!
A! … T! ….L!
A!T!L!
Welcome to soccer’s newest hotbed , which has sprouted in a city known for its fickle sports fans and all the heartbreak doled out by its teams.
Atlanta United has been a shining star amid a year of intense disappointment for American soccer. a dashing, high-scoring team that has drawn record crowds and stirred fervent passion in its very first season.
From packed stands at Bobby Dodd Stadium and Mercedes-benz Stadium, to flag-waving fans who bounce up and down from the opening kick to the final whistle, an Atlanta United game provides the latest glimmer of hope that the U.S. might someday embrace the world’s most popular sport the way the rest of the world does.
“This is unprecedented, certainly in our sport,” said Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer. “This team has attracted the attention of the entire soccer- and football-playing world.”
Garber knew something was up when United sold more than 30,000 season tickets before playing its first game. Then, a crowd of 55,000 turned out for opening night in a college football stadium on Georgia Tech’s campus while workers scrambled to finish $1.5 billion Mercedes-benz Stadium.
As the days, weeks and months passed, fans kept coming. When the team finally moved into new retractable-roof home in mid-september, they didn’t let up. Finally, this past weekend, 71,874 attended the regular-season finale , more than any other single game in MLS history.
It was hardly an anomaly. United set the previous record five weeks earlier with its first 70,000-plus turnout. For the season, Atlanta averaged 48,200 per game, easily eclipsing the mark set two years earlier by Seattle, MLS’ flagship franchise. For comparison’s sake, United’s numbers eclipsed the top team in Italy’s Serie A during the 2016-17 season and would’ve ranked in the upper half of the attendance table for any of Europe’s top leagues.
United has provided some much-needed good news for American soccer, which is still reeling from the stunning failure of the U.S. national team to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia .
“Without any history on this club, to build something like that, to build the support that we got, that’s very impressive, that in just one year we could get to this point,” said Kevin Kratz, a German midfielder who plays for United.
United was built for success, from owner Ar- thur Blank (who also owns the NFL Falcons) to a new stadium to a metro area that is now home to nearly 6 million people and a diverse population.
The day after the regular season ended, United was recognized for its impressive debut when MLS awarded the 2018 All-star Game to Mercedes-benz Stadium . But the team has more immediate priorities, having qualified for the playoffs and the chance to host a firstround game against Columbus — an original MLS franchise that, in an interesting twist, is pondering a possible move to Texas because of waning attendance and demands for a new stadium.
Another huge, raucous crowd is expected Thursday night.
“They aren’t just spectators,” said United goalkeeper Brad Guzan, a longtime member of the U.S. national team. “They’re involved in terms of their voice. … It’s truly remarkable.”
Still, the popularity of the team caught everyone off guard.
“There was just an energy and a passion that I think is just similar to whether you’re in Europe watching a game, whether you’re in South America,” United president Darren Eales said. “The fans stand up for the whole game, the fans doing the A-T-L Icelandic chant, those sort of rituals and excitement behind the game … I think it’s a new America. It’s a sport that brought together the city of Atlanta, a city of transplants that’s very international.
“It’s become their club.”