Atlanta United 2 clears house ahead of 2025
Atlanta United 2 joined Atlanta United and the first-team coaching staff in undergoing sweeping changes ahead of the 2025 season.
In its announcement of year-end roster moves following the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season, the club shared that just four of the players on this year’s squad will return as Atlanta United 2 players in 2025. Kaiden Moore, Rodrigo Neri, and Cooper Sanchez will remain under contract for 2025, and the club exercised the contract option for 2024 SuperDraft pick Javier Armas.
The club declined contract options for Ramzi Qawasmy and Jacob Williams while John Berner, Alan Carleton, Ethan Dudley, MatÃas Gallardo, Noble Okello, Daniel Russo and Karim Tmimi are out of contract. The club remains in active discussions with Russo who was lost early in the season to injury. Alan Carleton is the sole departure to have come from the club’s academy.
After completing another season-long loan with the 2s, Erik Centeno saw his 2025 contract option with the First Team declined.Â
Not all of the departures from the 2s roster will be leaving the Atlanta United family. Forward Ashton Gordon and goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert will join the First Team effective Jan. 1, 2025.
Atlanta United 2 Roster Moves:
MLS NEXT Pro Contract for 2025 (3): Kaiden Moore, Rodrigo Neri, Cooper Sanchez
MLS NEXT Pro Option Exercised (1): Javier Armas
MLS NEXT Pro Option Declined (2): Ramzi Qawasmy, Jacob Williams
Out of Contract (7): John Berner, Alan Carleton, Ethan Dudley, MatÃas Gallardo, Noble Okello, Daniel Russo, Karim Tmimi
MLS Contract in 2025 (2): Ashton Gordon, Jayden Hibbert
What’s Next?
After clearing house ahead of the 2024 season, Atlanta United 2 will once-again see a massive turnover ahead of the 2025 season. Atlanta United has 3 picks in the 2025 SuperDraft pretty deep in each round at #23 out of 29, so most of those picks will be seen as developmental projects. Expect to see at least one of them play a lot of minutes for the 2s next season. The 2s will also feature a lot of young talent currently competing for the U-18s and the U-16s. We will dive in to which of those guys could break out and earn professional contracts in 2025 once preseason begins.
[…] would be the first piece in a comprehensive rebuild of the 2s after most of the squad was purged only a few weeks ago. While turnover rates may be higher in reserve leagues, this feels like a bit […]
Well so much for the academy producing good players I guess. What happened?
Carleton was the only player cut who came through the academy so this is not an indictment on our academy talent pipeline. In fact, it opens up a lot of room for some very very talented U-18s and U-16s to get great opportunities next year without competing with guys who are already in their mid-to late-20s.
Kaidan Moore and Cooper Sanchez are top prospects, as are Ashton Gordon and Adyn Torres. I would expect quite a few academy signings to 2s and HG deals this winter as we look to lock up the best group of prospects the academy has produced so far.
For context, Berner was an older veteran goalkeeper who was there to be a mentor for Hibbert and Ransom. Both of those players passed him pretty quickly.
Dudley and Qawasmy were emergency defensive signings due to injury and promotions depleting the available roster for the 2s.
Gallardo was a cheap gamble on a South American 10 who could potentially push our guys.
Tmimi, Williams, and Okello were all “older” guys who were auditioning for a larger role either with us or another professional side.
Daniel Russo was another talented college attacking player from Notre Dame that we decided to bring in on a prove-it 1-year deal to see if we could convert him into a left-back. He blew out his knee before he had a chance to show what he could do. The club is negotiating with him to see whether it would be worth bringing him back to platoon with Dominick Chong Qui next season.
Cool thanks for the insight
and so ends the atl / carleton era…too bad. there was a lot of potential in those two kids.
gallardo is a bit of a surprise to me, as i thought he was showing pretty well. but i must admit i didn’t see more than two or three 2’s matches this season. schedule conflicts kept popping up.
Gallardo and Carleton canceled each other out this year. Both were good players for us but also inconsistent performers. Alan needs a lot of playing time that he wasn’t getting under Steve Cooke. Gallardo may be best served going to play for his Dad’s team in Argentina.