The Seattle Sounders will take on 2017 MLS expansion side Atlanta United in their second match of the Carolina Challenge Cup on Wednesday, Feb. 22. Here is a breakdown of everything you need to know about the match:
WHEN AND WHERE: Kickoff is at 4:30 p.m. PT at MUSC Health Stadium in Charleston, S.C.
WHERE TO WATCH: The game will be live-streamed on SoundersFC.com.
HISTORY: Atlanta joins Minnesota United as 2017 MLS expansion teams.
OWNER: Arthur Blank. The 74-year-old business man is a co-founder of The Home Depot with an estimated worth over $3 billion. Blank, 74, has also owned the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons since 2003.
HEAD COACH: Tata Martino. The former midfielder enjoyed a 17-year career played almost entirely with Newell’s Old Boys in his native Argentina. Martino, 54, brings an experienced coaching resume to Atlanta for its inaugural season as well after having managed La Liga giants Barcelona in 2013-14 and most recently the Argentina national team from 2014-16.
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Carlos Bocanegra. Atlanta United appointed Bocanegra to the position on March 2, 2015, and nearly two years later he has his side ready for its first MLS season. The former captain of the United States national team, Bocanegra is one of the most decorated American defenders in history. He won back-to-back MLS Defender of the Year awards in 2002-03 before spending the next 10-plus years overseas with Fulham, Rennes, Saint-Etienne, Rangers and Racing Santander. He spent the 2013-14 seasons back in MLS with Chivas USA before retiring in 2014.
CAPTAIN: Michael Parkhurst. Atlanta recently named Parkhurst, 33, its first captain in club history. He spent 2005-08 with the New England Revolution before spending 2008-12 with Danish club Nordsjælland and 2013-14 with Bundesliga club FC Augsburg. He returned to MLS in 2014 and spent the previous three seasons with Columbus Crew SC. Parkhurst earned 25 caps for the United States from 2007-14.
STADIUM: Atlanta United will play the first half of the 2017 MLS season at Bobby Dodd Stadium, the home of the Georgia Tech football team. The team will move to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where it will share the field with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, upon the stadium’s completion later this year. United’s first scheduled match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium is on July 30 against Orlando City.
TV DEAL: Atlanta United announced on Tuesday that the club has agreed to a multi-year broadcast deal with the FOX Sports Regional Networks, FOX Sports South and FOX Sports Southeast. The deal will bring Atlanta United into 10 million homes across Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
RETURN OF MEARS: Former Seattle Sounders defender Tyrone Mears joined Atlanta United in the offseason after Atlanta traded $50,000 in General Allocation Money to Seattle for his rights. Mears, 34, made 65 regular-season appearances for the Sounders over the last two seasons, including starting all six MLS Cup Playoff matches en route to the Sounders’ first league title.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
- Miguel Almiron: The 23-year-old Paraguayan international joins Atlanta as a Designated Player and operates as a No. 10. He spent two seasons with Cerro Porteño in his native Paraguay before joining Argentine top-flight side Lanús.
- Kenwyne Jones: Jones, 32 has been a legitimate goalscorer in the English Premier League since joining Southampton in 2004. He spent three seasons with Southampton, three with Sunderland, four with Stoke City and two with Cardiff City, amassing nearly 80 goals. The Trinidadian international has 87 caps since making his senior debut in 2003.
- Greg Garza: The 25-year-old Texan is on a season-long loan with Atlanta from Liga MX side Tijuana and should have an immediate impact. He’s made 84 appearances for Xolos since signing in 2011 and has nine caps with the United States national team, with the most recent coming in the 2015 Gold Cup.
