Atlanta Soccer News: Art, Music and Culture

Good news for Atlanta soccer fans!

On October 23, 2017, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, together with Atlanta United Owner Arthur Bank and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed all join in one photo after a press conference. At the press conference, an announcement was proclaimed to assign the Mercedes-Benz Stadium as the host of the 2018 MLS All-Star Game.

The Atlanta United OwnerArthur Blank says he doesn’t worry about the audience for the All-Star Game, “I don’t think we have to worry about selling out the stadium for the All-Star game.”

Arthur Blank further thanks Atlanta, as well as the fans for supporting them as well as patronizing the sport.

Many details regarding the upcoming game are not yet discussed. One thing is for sure right now, that it’s going to be a week of free concerts and soccer-related events. The game is a two-week event, which will start from the last week of July until the first week of August.

The league commissioner Don Garber also says they will announce the opponent soon after deciding who will be that be.

The Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino will take charge in managing the MLS All-Stars. According to him, he wants the Newell’s Old Boys to be the opponent for the game.

Tickets will be released right after deciding who will be the opponent.

The much-awaited game will take place on the artificial turf of Mercedes-Benz.

The host of the festivals will be the International Plaza.

The site of the Homegrown Game is still an ongoing discussion as well. The site showcases the best academy products coming from the league’s teams against the products of another club.

The 2018 MLS All-Star Game will be another significant sports event that will be held at Mercedes-Benz. Other upcoming events that will take place in the stadium include the college football national championship game in 2018, Super Bowl in 2019, and the college basketball Final Four in 2020.

This supports the statement of Atlanta Sports Council President Dan Corso, “Atlanta is built to host major sports events.”

The reason behind choosing Atlanta as the host is because of Atlanta United’s record of selling 71,874 MLS tickets for Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Toronto. For the upcoming 2018 MLS event, Atlanta United President Darren Eales expresses their eagerness to beat another attendance record.

The Monday event began with showing a video montage which showcased a number of captured moments of Atlanta United’s eight-game history in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It also captured precious moments captured from previous MLS All-Star games.

Every speaker of the event expressed that they are fascinated with what they see with Atlanta United fans. They saw the increasing passion of Atlanta for soccer.

Garber thanks everyone in Major League Soccer after this statement, “Launch of this team is the most impressive expansion team launch in the history of professional sports. It’s a testament to Blank’s vision and leadership, as well as that of Eales, Martino and (Carlos) Bocanegra.”

Garber reveals that there are four cities considered to host the MLS All-Star Game and Atlanta was one of these.

In preparation for the event, 30 Atlanta United employees went to Chicago to have their observation regarding the different facets of this year’s All-Star week.

Eales concludes, “I think Atlanta is one of the top cities in the world in terms of sporting cities and the capabilities. We saw the All-Star game as a real chance to not just only focus on the game itself but on the events itself and make it a real week of celebration.”

To know more about this story, read Gwinnett Daily Post.

By Purple Jane Collins

12:03 PM

On Thursday, October 26, 2017, at around 4:30 PM, Chris Lopez was at a railroad-adjacent parking lot, known as The Gulch. He was holding his season tickets for the Atlanta United, realizing that they had just finished their first season. He was surrounded by his friends at the brand-new Mercedes Benz Stadium. They were busy helping themselves to various grilled food and consuming adult drinks. They were all saying that their team would win.

Their hopes fell when Atlanta lost against Columbus in the elimination game. Atlanta was unable to score during overtime play and went to Penalty Kicks. Although the team lost, the fans were constantly making noise and cheering their team on.

Corey, a 30-yr old Mercedes-Benz stadium security employee, said that the energy in MLS is more intense than at Falcon games. Fans of the Atlanta United were already catching the attention of the media as reported in headlines across the country. It was in April 2014 when the expansion team was first announced and then just a little over a year later, the team sold out 29,000 season tickets!

In the team’s debut season, Atlanta United was able to make a new single-game MLS attendance record not once, but twice. First was for a single-game and the second was for a postseason MLS attendance with a total of 67,221 fans.

Atlanta’s Curtis Jenkins, 38, is a fire marshal and a co-founder of the fan group Footie Mob, recalls and shares his experience as a kid. “As a kid, there was no soccer around me—no rec leagues, no anything. I remember in ’96 when they were launching MLS. It was like, ‘OK, Atlanta’s gotta be on the list, right? We just had the Olympics!”

When the Atlanta United announcement was made, Jenkins suddenly came up with an idea. He helped form an organization called “Footie Mob”, which he named after the Atlanta rap group Goodie Mob. Presently, Footie Mob is one of the four primary recognized Atlanta United supporter groups which have nearly 800 members.

Jenkins expressed how much he’s surprised by the number of Atlanta United fans who became members of the supporter group he founded. “That surprised the f–k out of me—anybody who tells you they aren’t surprised by the fans is lying,” Jenkins says. “By the fourth tailgate, we realized: This isn’t going anywhere. And it just kind of blew up from there.”

Jenkins named the group because he wants to connect Goodie Mob to its new team. Footie Mob would also chant phrases or melodies from OutKast, Ghost Town DJs, and Childish Gambino. Jenkins’ motive was to also promote Atlanta’s culture to the team’s fans. While hip-hop is embracing the team, the Atlanta United fans are learning to love the music as well.

OutKast’s Big Boi was unable to see a game because he was busy promoting his latest album Boomiverse. Despite his busy schedule, he still found time to record a few in-game promos for his local team like “Stand Up!” and “Make some noise!” He shares his admiration for the Atlanta United team. “Man, it’s dope to add another professional sports team—and they’re good too! It ain’t like you got the B-team. You got a real contender. Somebody sent me a video of them playing ‘The Way You Move’ during the soccer game—you know that s–t will rock anything.”

Everyone present in the match is thrilled and awestruck by how the game went. You can see people standing and screaming until the 90 minutes of the game ended. The audience would constantly chant its name, “WE ---- ARE ----- UNITED!”

Big Boi adds, “The city is growing, expanding—you add the soccer team, that’s a whole other element. Just more life and excitement to Atlanta. Big-time cultural diversity.”

The diversity is evident among the supporter groups, even though you won’t see Los 12 de Atlanta being listed on the team’s website. This group can be easily located among the crowd, usually, they’re front and center in the supporter’s section. Gabriel, a 29-year-old drummer from Mendoza, Argentina compares the loud Atlanta fans to the wild crowds of his home country. He and most of the members of Los 12 are motivated to attend the games because of the Atlanta United manager, Tata Martino, who is also from Argentina. As marching supporter groups make their way to the stadium, they would chant, “Vamos, Vamos, A-T-L!”

Despite the loss by Atlanta United this year, one thing is still strongly evident among all their soccer fans and in Atlanta as well. The team influenced Atlanta and its people as seen everywhere in the city. You see Atlanta United wraps on MARTA buses, Atlanta United billboards, and even the Chelsea kilt worn by a random convenience clerk that unitedly and proudly expressed his love for the team.

After the game, defender Michael Parkhurst shared his indescribable feelings to the media, “It’s just amazing to play in front of this crowd on a weekly basis. It’s just indescribable. We couldn’t ask for more from the city of Atlanta than what we’ve gotten this year.”

“Hopefully, they come back next year,” concluded by the eight-year veteran Parkhurst as he ends his statement.

To read more about this story, check out GearsOfBiz.

By Purple Jane Collins

11:24 AM

The results are in. The Regular-Season Finale resulted to a scoreless draw between Georgia Gwinnett College and Cumberland University.

On Saturday, October 28, 2017, both nationally ranked soccer teams: Georgia Gwinnett College and Cumberland University gathered to play the season-ending game. However, no one could score for either team -- both teams played hard to defend their bases resulting to a scoreless draw.

The No. 9-ranked Grizzlies attempted to score with seven shots, but Cumberland goalkeeper Bennett Strutz succeeded in blocking them all. In total, GGC attempted to score with 13 shots the entire match. After halftime, they registered nine shots but attempted none during the second 10-minute overtime period.

While Cumberland goalkeeper did a great job in blocking off shots from the opposing team, GGC’s freshman goalkeeper did the same. Matija Gligorovic blocked five shot attempts made by Cumberland during the game.

The final score of both teams was a 10-2-2 mark for the No. 9 Grizzlies and a 12-2-2 for the No. 22 Cumberland. GGC will then be the host for the Association of Independent Institutions Soccer Championships beginning on November 10 to be held at the Grizzly Soccer Complex.

To find more about the Regular-Season finale, check out Grizzly Athletics.

By Purple Jane Collins

Source: Gwinett Daily Post

4:38 PM

Ever passed on to the Broad Street Plaza lately?

The plaza is located between Marietta Street and the entrance to Five Points MARTA Station.

If you agree with me, going through this plaza now brings a livelier ambiance to people. Compared before, where the wall of the plaza only has a dull, filthy concrete wall, the new mural on it gave it a new life.

Thanks to artist Ryan Coleman who made this possible! He created the mural, “Don’t Forget to Dream” which has a span of 100 feet. Previously, the great artist competed this past summer. His designs sought topics focusing on “community and character” of the downtown district.

When asked about his mural, Coleman discussed his objective while creating it. He wanted to impart positive vibes, excitement, and wonder to people who will pass by and see it. He got his inspiration for his choice of colors and forms in the old Disney animated films as well as from poetic obscurity present in Abstract Expressionist Painting.

Coleman’s “Don’t Forget to Dream” mural is just one of the projects designed and created as part of a larger cause. The cause is to give the Five Points MARTA station, the city’s largest and busiest station, a makeover.

The Central Atlanta Progress and Atlanta Downtown Improvement District is the mastermind behind the makeover project. They aim to assess, design, and enhance the Downtown Atlanta’s South central business district’s MARTA rail stations.

The results of the MARTA project brought much improvement to the Five Points. At the top of the Five Points Station façade, a new signage is displayed. It bears the universal icon for transit, which adopted the MARTA colors.

Other projects that became part of the cause are the mini soccer pitch, a community garden, a new lighting in Broad Street Plaza, Food Truck Fridays, and a station art program.

The successful mini soccer pitch was opened by Soccer in the Streets and the Atlanta United Foundation. This mini-project is the world’s first soccer field at a transit station, causing a tremendous attention at social media. That’s why the area became more active and often populated unlike before.

During the fall of 2016, the Community Garden was launched in the Five Points Station. This mini-project caught much interest from the Downtown Community. That even students of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School integrated the garden into their coursework in Biology and extracurricular activities.

Another mini-project even brightened up the station and that’s all because of the Plaza Lighting. String lightings are decorated all around the place, turning it into a fanciful area for people present there. This resulted to a positive impression for the Broad Street Plaza, the entrance of the Five Points MARTA Station.

Food Truck Fridays is also mini-project hosted by CAP/ADID. It is a lunchtime presentation of food trucks and live music, held weekly on Broad Street Plaza. This led to many new visitors and food vendors coming weekly for the said event.

The Station Area Art Program was another mini-project which started way back November 2016 by CAP/ADID. A local knitting group was paid to knit large colorful sleeves or socks to decorate the old trees scattered in the station. Known as the “Knit Show on Broad,” the public showed a great amount of attention for the event. The project even attempted to be a trending topic on social media, with a hashtag “Knit Happens,” “Keep Calm and Knit On,” and the like.

As the south downtown progresses as well as the successful projects created in the Five Points MARTA Station, passengers will be more pleased when going to it.

For more information, you can check out Curbed Atlanta.

By Purple Jane Collins

12:21 PM

Soccer in the Streets Presents Black Tie Soccer Game

Attention soccer fans! Are you waiting for the next event by Soccer in the Streets?

This year, a soccer event will excite you to watch your soccer players on the field. It’s for a cause this time. Soccer in the Streets is introducing this year’s Black Tie Soccer Game. It’s an end-of-year gala but they thought of giving it a twist for this year.

Generous people from all over Atlanta pledge their money for these exceptional soccer players to dress up in formal attire while playing the sport. Sounds exciting, right?

It’s all about raising funds and playing soccer! You’ll get to watch an event and you’ll also be able to raise funds all at the same time!

The Black Tie Soccer Game will be on Sunday, October 29, 2017, at Station Soccer (Five Points MARTA Station). The gates will open at 1:00 PM and the games will start at 1:30 PM and it will be from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM.

This is an event you’ll surely don’t want to miss. Professional British announcer, thrills, and spills, hard-nosed tackles in sequins, enjoyable music, mouthwatering food, and awards await for the best-dressed soccer players who’ll join the event for a cause.

So what are you waiting for? Tag a friend along or buy your friend a ticket! Go together in watching the said event!

Soccer in the Streets started their cause a long way back, over 25 years ago. They would meet underprivileged kids in urban neighborhoods to introduce soccer to them. They do this for one good reason. They want to change the lives of these deprived kids by influencing them in a positive way.

Because of soccer, they succeeded in influencing over 100,000 youths all over Atlanta to have healthy lifestyles and opting for positive choices in life. And their cause doesn’t end here yet.

For the upcoming 25 years ahead, Soccer in the Streets is aiming to reach out to every needy kid out there and give them the opportunity to be successful on their desired endeavor in life. All this will be possible through character development, mentoring, and employability programs. This means money to fund the programs to support the cause.

If you also believe in the cause that Soccer in the Streets started, then hurry up and grab your tickets now! The money you’ll spend for the tickets will help kids in need!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-tie-soccer-game-presented-by-soccer-in-the-streets-tickets-38586631654

http://www.soccerstreets.org/btsg/

https://btsg.soccerstreets.org/about

8:30 PM

Atlanta United President Darren Eales joined Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers to discuss his West Virginia initiation to America, returning to take the helm ahead of ATL UTD's inaugural season and what it took to build a club from the bottom up.

"I was blown away even in that first weekend I visited by how cosmopolitan, how international [Atlanta] is, what a vibrant, growing, exciting city to be in," Eales said. "Ultimately, you don't get the chance to start something up from scratch anywhere else in the world of soccer - this is something that is unique to America. So the idea that I could take the team and build it exactly in the identity I wanted to, both on and off the field, that's something you just couldn't do at Tottenham."

Take a listen for more behind-the-scenes detail on Atlanta's record-setting debut.

Source: https://www.mlssoccer.com/

9:06 AM

Atlanta United has now had three 0-0 games this season, all of them on the road. Two were highly entertaining games. In case you don’t recall, the first one was against the Seattle Sounders back on March 31st. The second was a drearily dull affair against New England. Then there was this one.

The game started off in typical Five Stripes fashion, with some good offensive pressure and chances on goal. Then the Red Bulls took charge and put Atlanta on the defensive, and with the exception of a brief period early in the second half they more or less continued in that fashion until the final whistle. Read On

3:40 PM

Atlanta Soccer Festival

Join Soccer in the Streets' coaches and staff at this special event!

Mayor Kasim Reed and the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs invites you to the Atlanta Soccer Festival on Saturday, October 7^th, 2017 at the Georgia State practice fields. The Festival will feature friendly pick-up games and skills training - facilitated by Soccer in the Streets, as well as free food and entertainment.

The Soccer Festival is an annual event hosted by the City of Atlanta. It seeks to welcome all of Atlanta's immigrant and refugee families into the City and increase local civic engagement through soccer, food, music, and fun. Bring your friends, parents, aunts, and uncles there will be something for the whole family to enjoy. There is no need to register as games take place every hour on the hour. For more information visit the Office of Immigrant Affairs facebook page.

8:55 AM

Meet us at #StationSoccer

Join the Supporter's Groups: Resurgence, Terminus Legion, The Faction, Footie Mob

Castleberry Hill Athletic Club, and Diversity In Our Soccer, as they compete for

bragging rights in this coed charity tournament.

In addition to the tournament, a lively tailgate will be held just outside Station Soccer for players and spectators, as well as food and beverage for a donation fee.

Family and Friends are welcome to join us for music and various organized activities! Admission is FREE

When: Saturday, September 30, 2017 (1:00pm - 6:00pm)

Where: Station Soccer - Five Points MARTA Station - 30 Alabama St. SW, Atlanta GA 30303 (the field is located on the STREET level of the Five Points MARTA station, immediately behind the Forsyth Street entrance).

Format: 6-team double elimination; 5v5 with Goalkeeper; teams must field 1 female player minimum.

Donations kindly accepted here.

* Parking is extremely limited. We encourage using MARTA.

10:59 AM

Soccer in the Streets' Corporate Cup a Success

Team Deloitte and Team AT&T earned top honors on this fundraiser tournament benefiting thousands of children in metro Atlanta

ATLANTA (September 29, 2017) - Last Sunday, September 24^th, over 300 people attended the inaugural Corporate Cup 2017, a new Soccer in the Streets' fundraising tournaments in support of metro Atlanta's underserved youth. The event - hosted atGrady Stadium and with the participation of eight corporate teams - was joined by squads from: Home Depot, Microsoft, UPS, Deloitte, Alston & Bird, King and Spalding, and the 2017 champions, AT&T. The tournament, with the sponsorship of The Aspire Group and Ernst & Young, raised over 57K.
Digital assets found here.
"Through Corporate Cup, we experienced first hand the high level of commitment of major corporations in supporting our social impact soccer strategy," said Soccer in the Streets' Executive Director, Phil Hill. "The collaboration and backing received from all of these corporations speaks volumes of the importance given to community social responsibility efforts and how supportive their employees are. We encourage other corporations to join us in shifting paradigms and get involved with our organization."

In its first edition, Corporate Cup 2017 saw corporate employees compete on and off the pitch to raise money for Soccer in the Streets' social impact soccer initiative. This year featured a final match between Team AT&T and Team Alston&Bird, with AT&T claiming the Corporate Cup inaugural crown.
"Team AT&T which was organized by FACES Employee Resource Group - Atlanta Chapter was excited to volunteer and participate with Soccer in the Streets," said Donna Barr, AT&T FACES-ERG Vice President External Affairs. "Our competitors were tough but we embraced the challenge and became the Champions of the 2017 Corporate Cup! We represent the 'Power of &' by giving back to our communities, stimulating innovation and growth. Count us in for next year!"

Off the pitch, Team Deloitte took the honors as the number one fundraising squad of the tournament, raising over $12k in total. While Carlos Vega, from Team Microsoft, was recognized for his efforts by becoming the player fundraising MVP, grossing over $2k. All proceeds benefit Soccer in the Streets' free youth programs in 31 public schools, 13 community programs, and life works program execution - a total of 44 locations - providing social change and education in underserved communities through the beautiful game. Since 2016, Soccer in the Streets has impacted over 8,500 kids, while launching the first Homeless Soccer Program of the Atlanta metro area.

"We were so proud to have Deloitte enter this tournament. It was a great opportunity to raise awareness and funds for a worthy cause, get to know our colleagues better, and network with other companies in the Atlanta area," said Rebecca Dupree, Team Deloitte's captain. "The event was so well organized and executed, we can't wait to participate again!"

Since 1989, Soccer in the Streets provides access and opportunities to disadvantaged children in urban neighborhoods. Using soccer as the medium, the non-profit has instilled healthy lifestyle choices to thousands of children. The organization centers its holistic programs on character development, life skills, mentoring, and employability improvement. Since its establishment, the non-profit ensures all children have a chance to succeed both on and off the field, pursuing inclusion and diversity in every community where it has a presence.

ABOUT SOCCER IN THE STREETS

Soccer in the Streets empowers underserved youth through sports-based training, character development, mentoring, and employability programs. Our organization serves in a holistic and comprehensive way. Reaching kids on the field, in small-group classroom sessions, through hands-on experiences and activities, and participation in youth leadership councils. Equal access to quality soccer training and educational opportunities, as well as leveling the playing field across the board, are also key elements in our core mission. Our organization is behind the construction and programming of the first soccer field inside a metro hub - 'Station Soccer', an innovation recognized worldwide. For more information about Soccer in the Streets, visit www.soccerstreets.org, or follow us on Twitter at @soccerstreets and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/soccerstreets/.

Media Contact:

JOSE DEVAREZ - Director, Development and Communications, Soccer in the Streetsjose@soccerstreets.org

Lee Woodsmall - Event Manager, Soccer in the Streets - lee@soccerstreets.org; 334-524-0164

7:10 AM

Kicks for TOPS with Alec Kann

We are very excited to invite YOU to meet Decatur, Georgia native and Major League Soccer goalkeeper.... Alec Kann!

This special soccer event will be held on Sunday, December 3rd, 2017 in Metro Atlanta. During the event Alec will sign autographs, share his story and insights, answer YOUR questions, and of course, play soccer with attendees!

Join Alec Kann & Georgia Soccer in raising funds for local TOPSoccer programs. Participants who raise at least $125 earn an event wristband and will get to meet Alec! All skill levels and ages are welcome!

For more details and to get started, go to www.GAKicksForTOPS.causevox.com

9:31 AM

AS Roma is delighted to announce that Concorde Fire Soccer Club in Atlanta have joined the club’s extensive US Academy programme.

Roma launched its US Academy programme – partnering with elite teams across the United States in January 2015 – and today’s announcement means the club now partners with 11 academies as part of an initiative to find and develop the best young players in America.

Speaking at the time of the US Academy launch in 2015, club president Jim Pallotta said: “Player development in the United States continues to be a top priority for us. We are confident this initiative will be great for the country and club and produce many star players of tomorrow.”

Gregg Blasingame, executive director of Concorde Fire Soccer Club, told asroma.com today: “Concorde Fire is honoured to be associated with AS Roma. We look forward to embracing this partnership and implementing many of AS Roma's best practices and methodology into our programing. Our teams, players, coaches and staff are also looking forward to collaborating with our fellow AS Roma US Academy clubs.”

Alex Zecca, who manages Roma’s US Academy programme, added: “I would like to welcome Concorde Fire to the AS Roma US Academy family. They exemplify, as does our entire group, the high standard we look for and are accustomed to in the world of youth soccer development - on and off the pitch. We look forward to developing exceptional soccer talents together with Concorde.” Read On