The Atlanta United player helped lead Tigres to the Copa Libertadores final but was portrayed as disloyal before moving north to the US In was February 2020, and Jürgen Damm sat behind a microphone twiddling his thumbs and picking at his ear. He looked down, avoiding eye contact with the press and his manager at Tigres UANL, Ricardo “Tuca” Ferretti. There was tension at the press conference. No one was surprised when Damm said he was leaving the club. Still, he sat there, visibly nervous and made his announcement. The winger, who had clocked in as the second-fastest player in the world when he ..read more

Major League Soccer’s ambitious goal of growing into one of the world’s best leagues is ever compromised with so many of its teams still playing on artificial surfaces In every other way, it was a marquee event. The sight of 69,274 fans, a stadium record attendance, packed into CenturyLink Field was enough to illustrate this, although the elaborate pre-game TIFOs, pyrotechnics and ‘March To The Match’ from downtown Seattle out to the venue only added to the spectacle. Indeed, last year’s MLS Cup final had all the components of a Big Match, besides one: the pitch. Like every Seattle Sounders ho ..read more

It has traditionally been European clubs that invest in North American soccer. But a recent deal has reversed the trend One wonders what Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes thought when he walked into Atlanta United’s 71,000 capacity Mercedes Benz Stadium, with its retractable roof and 62,000 square feet wraparound video screen. Aberdeen’s home, Pittodrie, with its non-regulation sized pitch, crumbling stands and gale-force winds swirling in from the North Sea, is a rather different venue. Now, however, Aberdeen and Atlanta United have plenty in common, being sister clubs and all. Last week saw a ..read more

Nick DeLeon winner completes Toronto FC fightback in Atlanta Sounders will host Toronto in MLS Cup final on 10 November Toronto back in championship match for third time in four years Nick DeLeon scored the winning goal in the 78th minute, Quentin Westberg stuffed a penalty kick and Toronto FC advanced to the MLS Cup title game with a 2-1 victory over defending champion Atlanta United in the Eastern Conference final Wednesday night. Related: Seattle Sounders topple LAFC to reach third MLS Cup final in four years NICK DELEON ARE YOU SERIOUS#ATLvTOR // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/mLVu ..read more

Carlos Vela’s double lifts LAFC to El Tráfico win over LA Galaxy Gressel and Martínez hit for Atlanta in 2-0 win over Philadelphia LAFC and Atlanta join Toronto FC and Seattle Sounders in semis Carlos Vela scored two goals in the first half and set up Diego Rossi’s tiebreaking goal in the second half, and Los Angeles FC advanced to the MLS Western Conference final with a wild 5-3 victory over the LA Galaxy on Thursday night in the first postseason edition of this city rivalry. Adama Diomande added two goals in the second half as top-seeded LAFC earned the 2-year-old franchise’s first postsea ..read more

Los Angeles’ newest team have been merciless this year. But a new playoff format brings an element of luck into the postseason The dominance of Los Angeles FC. Losing just four league games all year long, they set a new standard in Major League Soccer and head into the playoffs as the firm favorites. In Bob Bradley, LAFC boast the best coach in the league and in Carlos Vela they boast the best player, certainly the best goalscorer. All this in just their second year as an MLS franchise. GR ..read more

The Atlanta United manager reflects on his short reign at Crystal Palace and explains why he thinks the equal pay debate is not over When José Mourinho called Frank de Boer “the worst manager in the history of the Premier League”, the Dutchman’s ego remained intact. De Boer is a realist. Zero points and zero goals from four league games before his September 2017 sacking at Crystal Palace was indeed historically poor. “At that moment, he can say that because it was a really bad record, of course,” De Boer tells the Guardian. “For me, if he wants to say that, I’m not the guy who wants to respond ..read more

Vela, Diomande, Rossi and Atuesta score for surging LAFC Los Angeles club remain only undefeated MLS club at home Los Angeles FC scored four goals in a 12-minute stretch of the first half, including one from Carlos Vela, the MLS’ scoring leader, to overcome an early deficit and then held on for a wild 4-3 victory Friday night over visiting Atlanta United FC. Adama Diomande, Diego Rossi and Eduard Atuesta also scored in the first half as LAFC (15-3-4, 49 points) erased an early 1-0 deficit with their goal-scoring flourish ..read more

The Five Stripes won the title in just their second season. But after the departure of two key figures they have struggled to find a new identity Gonzalo “Pity” Martínez was welcomed to the US with a song. As he stepped off the team bus, Atlanta United supporters chanted: “Él Pity Martínez, que loco que esta,” echoing fans in Madrid months earlier where Pity sealed the Copa Libertadores for River Plate. It was a fitting welcome for the Argentinian who, until then, shared only a single quality with the club he signed for: a brief but bright history. The chants showed fans’ expectations were hig ..read more