In October 2019, Atlanta United walked off the pitch a 2-1 loser against Toronto FC in the MLS Eastern Conference Final.
If you’d have asked anyone in the building about 5-6 months prior if they’d have expected Frank de Boer and club to be a win away from hosting MLS Cup for a second-straight year, much less even be in the discussion to become the first repeat league champion since the 2011 and 2012 LA Galaxy, they’d have laughed. A heavy aggregate loss to Liga MX superclub Monterrey in the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal was somewhat excusable. Five points out of a possible 18 to start the 2019 campaign off the back of winning the league in just your second season of existence? Not so much. (A 2-1 loss to FC Dallas on April 20 had one fan on YouTube calling for de Boer’s sacking.)
We know the rest of the story: de Boer changed his tactical approach after a near-dressing room mutiny and Atlanta ultimately finished in 2nd in the East. And…that’s the last time they’ve been really good, to be honest! The 2020 season was a write-off, and while Gabriel Heinze’s tenure was an absolute failure, at least they recovered to make it to the playoffs in 2021 under Rob Valentino and Gonzalo Pineda. Then came the injury-filled 2022 season, a one-and-done playoff venture in 2023, and a 2024 campaign that, outside of a memorable playoff run fueled in part by Valentino after Pineda’s sacking, failed to truly inspire.
Which brings us to 2025. Dare we say that Atlanta United are back, baby? Garth Lagerwey’s proclamation of such after the Alexey Miranchuk signing was understandably met with derision in the midst of a drab season, but if the definition of “back” in this sense means that the level of anticipation surrounding Atlanta United among fans and within league circles hasn’t been this high since 2019, then the answer is a resounding yes. It hired Ronny Deila, who has a proven track record of success in the league. It just brought back a club legend in Miguel Almiron who, by all accounts, could likely retire in Atlanta. Emmanuel Latte Lath’s MLS-record transfer ($22 million!) was completed on February 4. Value adds like Mateusz Klich and presumably others down the line when the MLS transfer window opens should help the club meet less urgent, but still important, areas of need.
This isn’t just Atlanta United flexing its financial muscle; they’re moves made by a club with true ambitions to be competitive on the continental stage. Remember when Darren Eales and Carlos Bocanegra pledged that Atlanta would be just that? After a while, it became less of a statement of intent and more of a rote, empty platitude. With Lagerwey and Chris Henderson at the helm, Atlanta’s front office no longer gives vibes of the cool, fun startup looking to shake up the status quo. They’re still fun, sure, but they’re more mature, focused, experienced, and rowing in the same direction.
The obvious caveat, though, is that we haven’t seen Latte Lath play in MLS. How will he adjust to a new league, country, and culture? Will his production match his lofty price tag, or will he struggle to score goals? We’re well aware of what early-20s Almiron did in MLS; what can we expect from early-30s Almiron? (I’ll defer to Sam Jones’s Five Stripe Final piece on the subject.) How quickly will Atlanta adapt to Deila’s attack-minded style of play after Pineda’s more deliberate, possession-based system?
Sooner or later, we’ll get answers to those questions. But for now, the vibes are good. Let’s enjoy the journey together.
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I would prefer the question of if ATL UTD is truly back this season be asked again at about the midway point of the season, so we have time to truly evaluate how all the players & coaching staff perform when the matches really count. However, I am optimistic though with that being said for the upcoming season.
The execution portion of the program is now squarely on Delia and the players. Yes, they have to perform. But assuming the ELL transfer completes as reported, there is very little Lagerway and Henderson could have done better as a front office.
They were patient and found major on the pitch difference making DPs. They reestablished the Atlanta United brand MLS and internationally. They completely reinvigorated the lagging fan base. There is zero chance MBS won’t be sold out for the first home games now.
This has been a massive window.
Took Garth 2 seasons to:
1 – clean house in the FO, then bring in Henderson and Co
2 – Hire a top notch coaching staff
3 – Brought back Miggy.
4 – Just landed the biggest transfer in MLS history with Latte Lath.
5 – Snagged Klich to fortify the midfield. VERY underrated acquisition.
6 – Saba
7 – ET f’in’ C
The dude deserves a lot of praise. We are back.
Remember how pissed people were when they didn’t throw five years at a guy from turkey just to say they had a GG replacement last window? So happy we didn’t do that. Getting DPs right is the most important thing. Right, not fast.
I think you mean “stole” Klich
Until this club becomes competitive and wins something; they are NOT back. Garth has burned a lot of goodwill in his tenure here. I am getting tired of him telling me how smart he is and how he has done it elsewhere.
Assuming vaguely reasonable health, yes. They have rebuilt the “four DPs” roster that hasn’t been possible since Nagbe left and Josef’s knee exploded. This as a Shield/Cup level starting XI.
Boro fan here,
My prediction – Latte will score goals for fun if you give him the service. I have no doubt that he will be a superb signing for you.
I have supported the Boro since the 1980’s and he is one of the best strikers I have seen playing for us.
I fully expect him to be your 2025 player of the season
Cheers Dajax
We just need to make sure he stays healthy. His injury is concerning to me. Also, we’ve seen some high value people come into the league and just fall flat on their face (or get injured and not amount to anything). Staying healthy is always a concern for me so the jury is still out…need to see him play and get comfortable with Delia’s style of play. Until then…we’ll see.
Also, he’s going to likely have a lengthy visa process so don’t expect to see him here or playing for the first few home games.
Fair enough. It certainly affected Giakoumakis’s time here; the guy was a beast on the pitch, but he couldn’t stay healthy.
My hope is that playing in English/British soccer means that ELL will find MLS less physical. But who knows?
I consistently hear players come in and say MLS is more physical. Not sure I agree, but i’ve heard it.
I think MLS gets a bad wrap. I’ve been following the league for about 15 years and it has consistently gotten better every year. I remember when teams could not string more than 4 passes together; not anymore. Defenders are much better and the speed of play surprises newcomers. To be honest, I think mls is better than MX and Italian leagues. EPL matches can be very disappointing when not watching the top 4 or 5 teams. ELL SEEMS to have the right tools and physical attributes to do well, but we’ll see.