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Chapter 2

Atlanta United’s sequel starts with a record-breaking script

By Atlanta United FC

March 14^th, 2018

Have you heard the one about Santa, the Pope and Elvis walking into a soccer stadium? This ain’t no joke; this is Atlanta United.

True story: a white-bearded man in a red suit, a congregation leader with a papal tiara and a dapper and debonair fellow who was all shook up were among the faces in a record-breaking crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday for their MLS home opener.

All were there to co-author the sequel of what was an unprecedented smash success of an inaugural campaign — all of them with sights set firmly on surpassing expectations yet again.

Last season they built the engine. This season, the first to begin at MBS, is about upshifting to a higher gear. In Atlanta, where jerseys are as common as the Peach-named streets they fill en masse, it’s about living up to the credo, “The best or nothing.”

"I think the message is to continuously try to be better every day and this club in general is striving for excellence,” Manager Tata Martino said.

“We’re looking for excellence from the directors. We’re looking for excellence in the players that we sign, and looking for excellence in the way that we play."

Excellence was on full display Sunday on the field where Atlanta United vanquished D.C. United 3-1, and in the stands, where 72,035 strong (more than the other top three attended MLS matches of the weekend combined) rewrote the record books for a third time.

A satisfied grin on his face in the postgame made it clear — Tata, like Toto, knows, there’s no place like home.

12 pm, THE GULCH: “We are the A, from way down South”

The home opener’s perfect script was under threat from 100% rain in the forecast. But water could never wash away the passion of Atlanta United’s supporters, who showed up in droves hours ahead of kickoff, despite the weatherman’s warning.

Down in The Gulch, the designated tailgating zone, there are 5-Stripes fans of every stripe.

As smoke plumes and the smell of roasted pig wafts, the sounds of DJs blare and small-sided soccer games break out, it’s striking to see supporters groups all interacting. All are sharing the same cause and bringing their unique flavor to the festivities.

“Where else do you have four different supporters groups together, and there’s no problem?” says Curtis Jenkins, president of Footie Mob.

Jenkins’ growing group brings something to Atlanta United’s atmosphere that’s missing from most other MLS clubs.

Named after the Atlanta hip-hop group Goodie Mob, Jenkins says Footie Mob is “trying to bring that Atlanta hip-hop culture. There should be more of it in MLS.”

“Everybody talks about authenticity, but they aren’t authentic with their city. You have to embrace the entirety, not just the sport, but people, the culture.”

Embracing culture means celebrating the weird, whacky and wonderful — guys like CK Lopez.

The chairman of Terminus Legion is there to bless this occasion while wearing a pope hat and holding a red-and-black ferula staff.

He found his garb at an Atlantic Station Halloween store last year, “and the colors just worked.”

Soon to hop in among the drums and bullhorns that are stadium-bound, Lopez says, “Who better to lead the march than the Pope himself?”

Though he’s a leader with Terminus Legion, we found Lopez at the Faction’s tailgate, not far from the whole hog.

Pitmaster Jon Jaffin, a member of the group and owner of the soon-to-open Ford’s BBQ in Tucker, Ga., has been up since 7 pm the previous evening, cooking low and slow over charcoal and oak for 18 hours.

The beautifully golden brown 100-lb snout to tail sensation serves hundreds who buy plates that support the Fugees Academy, a program that offers scholastic and soccer programming for young refugees in Clarkson, Ga.

The smell is unmistakable to anyone who’s attended an SEC football Saturday, but it’s just one of many at home in The Gulch, where the Faction rotates the grub on offer every match day.

“It’s good to have different things,” Jaffin says. “BBQ, Peruvian, Central American … it represents the whole city.”

They eat together, they cheer together and they stand as one.

All of the supporters groups not only get along, they are supporters of each other. Faction folks introduce you to their friends at Terminus Legion, who in turn introduce you to Footie Mob, who introduce you to their Resurgence family and around again.

Each also welcomes in the newest unofficial group, All Stripes, a collection of LGBTQ fans and allies. David Prophitt, one of the All Stripes founders, says, “We want to provide a space for everybody.”

Their first tailgate was a hit and, they hope, a strong start toward becoming officially recognized.

“Thinking about how diverse Atlanta is, that’s really important, and we want to be a part of that,” says Prophitt, a former soccer star at Milton High School.

1:30 pm THE MARCH: “Here we are, rowdy and proud”

You have to be there to believe it. If you are, belief is the most obvious emotion.

The Supporters March, with its red and black fumes, its megaphones, its fatheads and its drums, is pure scenes.

Dozens wide and hundreds deep, the supporters grow from The Gulch, then balloon and billow toward the MARTA station. As they round the corner to the escalator leading to Gate 2, they chant in unison and overflow the area.

This is soccer in the South. This is Atlanta United.

3 pm, THE MATCH: A-T-L

After the Starting XIs are announced, anticipation builds for the unveiling of the season’s first tifo, built by Resurgence, another one of the club's official supporters groups.

Soon, a statement of intent unfurls over the Supporters Section, “Atlanta Shall Rise. The league will burn.”

Even more fitting, down in front a tombstone raises that reads, “RIP Bad Sports Town,” a-not-so subtle rebuke to the doubters who said the ATL wouldn’t support soccer. Where were they now?

This is a crowd that’s loud, proud, local and prolific. Flags swirl, the halo board glows, hands press against each other and together are united.

Powder Springs, Ga.-born talented teenager Andrew Carleton, who made his Mercedes-Benz Stadium debut on the day, knows this isn’t just any crowd — it’s an Atlanta joint.

“There’s a rhythm to how they cheer,” he says. “With the culture, some of it’s Spanish, some of it’s English, and it kind of has all kinds of different flair, which I think Atlanta is all about.”

The cheering grows in volume in the 24th minute when Josef Martinez –– who can’t stop, won’t stop scoring at home with 11 goals in nine matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium –– does it again.

New boy Darlington Nagbe plays in Tito Villalba on the right flank, and he slots in Martinez who slides in with swagger to stab it home.

The sizzling striker takes it to the corner flag and embraces Miguel Almirón, Tito Villalba and Greg Garza.

There they were: a Venezuelan, a Paraguayan, an Argentine and a Spanish-and-Portuguese-speaking American — all Atlantans, all United.

"I spoke three languages on that play — Portuguese to Josef, Spanish to Tito and then English to all the other English guys,” Garza says, adding that he told them all “Good job.”

"This city has really hugged us in a way to where it really brought us in as a huge family, and that’s thanks to all these people who come to every game and support us no matter what the circumstances are,” says Garza, who likens the atmosphere to his experience representing the US Men’s National Team against Mexico at the Alamodome.

“No matter what the score is, they’re always screaming the A-T-L."

As if on cue, the A-T-L-style Boom, Clap that’s been a tradition since the first match at Bobby Dodd erupts in the 42nd minute.

It rings around the arena from a crowd proud of its team and determined to best foes D.C. United for the first time, having lost its three previous meetings.

Later, in the 57th minute “Atlanta” bellows from one side of the cavernous stadium and “United” echoes back with a boom from the other, filling the palatial estate with revelry reserved for a raucous party.

“I don’t think we have a real casual fan here. Everyone joins in and the atmosphere, the singing and the chanting, and that’s what makes it fun,” goalkeeper Brad Guzan says.

“They’ve set the bar so high, week after week the supporters are phenomenal, so it’s not surprising, It’s almost disappointing if we’re not breaking records on a weekly basis.”

Always on top and never in doubt, Atlanta United doubles its advantage in the 73rd minute.

MLS Team of the Week performer Julian Gressel cuts the ball back to Almirón, who takes one touch to kill the ball, then a second to kill off the game — a left footed blast into the Upper 90 that a brick wall couldn’t have denied.

The ball bangs the back of the net, then ricochets back to the six almost as quickly, then sputters as if it sustained a punch from Mike Tyson.

The peach on top of this Sunday arrives in the 76th when, almost for fun, Almirón whips in a ball from a slick short corner routine that Villalba nods and flicks into the far side netting.

After a late consolation goal and Carleton’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium debut, the final whistle sounds. Arms raise aloft, fire burns and smoke rises. Atlanta United puts a period on the introduction to the sequel.

It was a day that felt like a reunion or a homecoming, but it was more than sentimental —it was the start of something fresh.

This was an event where two fans got engaged (ring and all), others embraced and even a baby was passed to Man of the Match Almirón as he received the Golden Spike on the fan platform.