Announcement: Atlanta United FC have once again signed on as lead sponsors for the Father Christmas Cup on Dec 17 ...and its a BIG deal! We are grateful to the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation for its continued support in the Atlanta community!
**Be sure to check out our latest post in our facebook feed for all the details on team jerseys, raffle prizes and the competition on the day! It's time to register & purchase those raffle tickets! http://fxcup.org/

Father Christmas Cup is pleased to announce that the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation in association with Atlanta United FC has ONCE AGAIN agreed to become the lead shirt sponsor for this year's Cup to be held at Atlanta Silverbacks Park on Saturday, Dec 17!
THIS MEANS ---->
1) ATL UTD Logo will be once again featured prominently on the team jerseys & commemorative tees (available for purchase)
2) ATL UTD will have a team competing in the Cup (fun for the spectators AND the participants in the Cup).
3) ATL UTD Raffle Prizes include:
**Kids: Swag pack w/ official ATL UTD kit
**Adult: Family Pack for four (4) to a 2017 ATL UTD match in the inaugural 2017 season, along with some cool team swag!
I mean, come on!
Go to our registration link Freshtix NOW and sign up your team, purchase your raffle tickets or just donate. Proceeds help Atlanta families in need this Christmas.
http://fxcup.org/
9:30 AM
We invite you to participate in the 6th Annual  
2016 St. Nicholas Charity Soccer Event
 
Every year on the 1st Sunday in December, CASL & the YMCA, hosts a one day Charity Soccer Event.

The St. Nicolaus Charity Event was created to collect toys and clothing that will help a Must Ministries fill their *Toy Box for the holidays.

CASL is proud to be able to say that we are the single largest (non corporate) donator that Must Ministries has. Last year we collected over 350 toys with a value of almost $9,000. 

Must Ministries is a Cobb County based charity and all (100 percent) of our donations go directly on their shelves here in Cobb (and Cherokee) county to benefit homeless and In Need families.

In exchange for a single Toy (new, unwrapped and valued at $25 or greater),
participants will get a free day of tournament soccer.

Every participant gets three (3) Tournament games which are 25 minute halves.
We start at 9am and run the last games will begin at 4pm. 
For more information or an entry package - cobbsoccer.org

There are no awards, trophies or medals. Just friendly competition for a great cause!  fyi.. you don't have to play to donate!

The event is strictly volunteer, from the volunteer staff, who line fields, set out goals & flags, marshal the fields and check in the participants, serve hot cocoa and clean bathrooms to the referees (most of whom also donate toys) and all the sponsors.

If you do not know what the Must Ministries Toy Box is, please check them out at http://www.mustministries.org/.

Parents are able to "shop" for their children in department store like warehouse. The warehouse is filled with donations from people like us.

12:01 PM
Atlanta United is looking for some people with soccer skills for a video:https://www.facebook.com/NewLifeCasting/posts/1203054623073670
New Life Casting
October 13 at 7:12pm
For an upcoming feature film,, searching for
ADULT MALE SOCCER PLAYERS AGES 17 to 25 ( to play younger)
These are VERY FEATURED ROLES
This will work MULTIPLE days throughout November and December.
MUST HAVE SOCCER EXPERIENCE
Please send 3 photos, one headshot, one full body and one in soccer uniform ( if you have one)
include age, height, weight and all clothing sizes
- include a brief summary of soccer experience
- Must include phone number
submit to: UnitedExtras@gmail.com
subject: MALE SOCCER plus age
example: MALE SOCCER 21
1:53 PM

Atlanta United, Soccer in the Streets and MARTA today announced a community project to help develop grassroots soccer and provide life skills programs to Atlanta's underserved urban communities. The project, officially named ‘Station Soccer - Five Points MARTA Station,’ represents the first soccer field to be built inside the perimeter of a major urban transit station in the world.
Renderings of Station Soccer - Five Points MARTA Station found here.
The strategic location of the field in the heart of downtown Atlanta will remove the primary barrier preventing many of the city’s youth from playing soccer: lack of access and poor transportation options. The Five Points station is the hub of the MARTA metro system, making the field an ideal location for kids from across the city to come together in one place to play soccer.
“Our partnership effort will help foster a sense of community around our most active MARTA station,” said GM/CEO Keith T. Parker, AICP. “These collaborations are important because they turn a rail stop into a point of destination where customers can plan an entire outing—from grabbing a meal to shopping then a match—all while using the system.” 
Funded through a grant by Atlanta United, Soccer in the Streets will lead programming of Station Soccer initiating in late fall of this year.  Programming will include establishing mentoring programs, promoting employability among young people and creating a sustainable, competitive format through adult leagues. 
“Station Soccer represents a unique opportunity to provide a practical pathway to the game of soccer for youth across metro Atlanta,” said Atlanta United president Darren Eales.  “Kids will now be able to take MARTA to the Five Points field to compete and play with peers from diverse communities across the city.  We’re proud to partner with Soccer in the Streets and MARTA on this groundbreaking community project.”
The project seeks to include community members across metro Atlanta by using downtown as a converging point for a new urban soccer culture. Using innovative ideas focused on inclusiveness and collaboration, the Station Soccerproject aims to embrace and encourage the global nature of the game.  
"The partnership between Soccer in the Streets and Atlanta United demonstrates the club’s commitment to providing access to the game of soccer to our city’s youth, especially in areas that have historically been marginalized," said Phil Hill, Executive Director for Soccer in the Streets. "The field will allow our organization to expand through a totally new concept in urban soccer, designed specifically for kids who live in underserved neighborhoods.”
The inspiration for the project came from Soccer in the Streets’ board member Sanjay Patel, who has envisioned combining soccer and transit in Atlanta since 2014.  “Projects like Station Soccer will allow us to help build healthy transit environments and will also provide access and connectivity for all through soccer,” said Patel.
Station Soccer - Five Points MARTA Station will feature turf and lighting infrastructure provided by GreenFields USA, Musco/Cree Lighting and the U.S. Soccer Foundation.
11:18 AM
Atlanta United has announced that it will begin its inaugural MLS campaign in 2017 by playing games at Bobby Dodd Stadium on the campus of Georgia Tech.
The MLS expansion side was originally going to wait until its permanent home at Mercedes-Benz Stadium opened sometime in June, but that would have required spending the first three months of the season on the road.
Given the competitive disadvantage that would have created for the team, the decision was made by the Atlanta United front office to start play in a temporary venue. This will allow the team to play a balanced slate of home games across the MLS season.
Gerardo Martino, named last week as the team's first manager, was advised of the move during contract negotiations, and gave the decision his approval.
"Our aim is to build a championship caliber soccer club and to be as competitive as we can from the start," said Darren Eales, president of Atlanta United.
"With the amount of excitement we've seen for the club, especially over the past few months as our season ticket sales have continued to rise, it was evident that playing at home for the first part of the season was in the best interest of our fans and our players.
"We're very pleased that we are able to open the 2017 MLS season at Bobby Dodd Stadium."
The decision will not change much for fans, as Bobby Dodd Stadium is located in downtown Atlanta, less than two miles from the team's eventual home.
The contract with Georgia Tech runs through the end of July as a contingency, Eales said.
The venue has a maximum capacity of 55,000, though it is unclear the extent to which the venue will be downsized for Atlanta United matches. So far the team has sold more than 22,000 season tickets, 3,000 of which are in a section reserved for die-hard supporters.
Steve Cannon, chief executive officer of AMB Group which is the parent company of Atlanta United, said the company expects to begin moving into offices and warehousing areas at Mercedes-Benz Stadium as early as April of 2017 and take control of the rest of the building in phases throughout the spring and summer.


Atlanta United will debut in Mercedes-Benz Stadium later in the summer when the building is ready for play and according to the MLS schedule, which is expected to be unveiled in January of 2017.
"The excitement and anticipation for Atlanta United to begin play in Atlanta is evident every time we interact with the supporters so we are very pleased to partner with Georgia Tech to get our home schedule started," said Cannon.
"We're equally pleased with the ongoing progress at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It is going to be an outstanding venue for our team and an incredible customer experience for the supporters. We look forward to announcing more in regards to the grand opening events schedule early next year."

10:05 AM
10:58 AM


Atlanta Silverbacks Park is planning an indoor facility at its multi-million dollar complex near Spaghetti Junction in northeast Atlanta, according to a county filing.
The new facility could be similar to Atlanta Silverbacks Suwanee Indoor, a 48,000-square-foot facility with two indoor multi-purpose turf fields, a concession area and a room that can seat up to 50 people.
Silverbacks Park has four full-size soccer fields, including one inside the 5,000-seat stadium, which is home to the Atlanta Silverbacks men’s professional soccer team and the Atlanta Silverbacks Women semi-professional team. The complex also hosts numerous soccer leagues, is home to the Atlanta Renegades Rugby Club, and is regularly used as a practice site by local youth soccer clubs and high school teams, according to its website.
The Silverbacks joined the North American Soccer League for its inaugural season in 2011 but were operated by the league last season while it searched for a long-term local ownership group.
The NASL ended its operation of the Atlanta Silverbacks in January.
However, the club was bought by Atlanta Silverbacks Park and Atlanta Silverbacks Suwanee Indoor ownerBorris Jerkunica (chairman), John Hardin, John Latham, United Futbol Academy and A+ Sports Management Group, and now plays in the National Premier Soccer League.

Source: http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2016/09/23/atlanta-silverbacks-park-planning-indoor-facility.html

9:15 AM
The Tennessee State Soccer Association will host its annual adult soccer tournament the weekend of November 5-6 in Murfreesboro, at Richard Siegel Soccer Park. To apply for the event please copy and paste the following link in your browser bar:
http://tssa-adultcup16.sportsaffinity.com/tour/index.asp?sessionguid=The application deadline is October 21st by 5pm. The event will consist of competition in men's open, women's open, men's over 30, men's over 40, and co-ed. The application process will open next week and we will send an email with the official link once the application is posted. There will be prize money available based on the number of teams in each group. For more information, contact Derek Greene at dgreene@tnsoccer.org
Teams may be created specifically for the event, but non-registered Georgia Soccer or USASA players will need to register with Georgia Soccer and pay a $10 for a temporary weekend pass for the event. Contact your state association office for assistance in registering current non-registered players. Georgia Soccer – 770-452-0505 Team entry fees are $300 for ALL teams.

Notes of interest: 1. You will need to pay at the time you fill out the application in order to hold your spot in the event ($100 non-refundable fee) 2. The event will be open to teams outside of TN and brackets will be filled on a first-come/first serve basis, as field space is limited. 3. Space is limited so please sign up quickly. 4. All divisions are 11v11 with the exception of co-ed, which will be 8v8(7v7 + GK) 5. Roster size will be limited to 20 players in all divisions with the exception of co-ed, which will be limited to 15 players. Derek Greene Director of Sponsorships and Marketing Tennessee State Soccer Association
9:22 AM



Seattle

Mr. Jordan Morris has now scored the winning goal in five Sounders matches this season, an MLS rookie record (impressive considering the team has ten wins.) Now you can watch them all here.
Here's hoping Morris makes this video outdated before the 2016 season is over.
The game-winner is just one of several plays from the Sounders-Whitecaps match featured in MLS' Plays of the Night.
The 1-0 win was much-needed for MLS Playoffs seeding, but didn't help much in the defense of the Cascadia Cup. With one match left, the most likely retention scenario is a Sounders 3+ goal win over Vancouver and a 3+ goal Vancouver victory when they play Portland on October 23.
Young Alex Roldan scored again for Seattle U, earning a victory over the College of Charleston Cougars. The team won again on Sunday, and next will play the Washington Huskies (who also downed Charleston). The women blanked Gonzaga in a 1-0 victory.

MLS

After missing the postseason for their first eight straight years, Toronto FChave ridden the back of Sebastian Giovinco to two straight playoff appearances.
Jack Jewsbury has been a solid player for the Portland Timbers since their expansion season in 2011, and now has a retirement planned for the end of the season.

USNT

More people know about Megan Rapinoe today than at any point previously in her career. Despite boos and criticism around her kneeling protest before the United States' wins vs Thailand and the Netherlands, Rapinoe says she's happy that the conversation is "picking up steam." After admonishing her last week, the United States has decided not to punish Rapinoe for the stance.


9:46 AM
At Xcelerate Sports Development we specialize in bringing out the full potential in each of our clients. Whether you are a professional athlete looking to take your game to the level or an average Joe just looking to improve your overall fitness level, Xcelerate Sports Development is the place to be.

2:21 PM
Beer City Cup
Congrats to all who participated in the largest Beer City Cup to date! And even more congrats to our finalists and ,of course, especially to our Champions!
The 2016 edition featured 3 Champs from the Atlanta area, 1 from Florida, 1 from Asheville, NC, 1 from the Triad in NC.
In the Men's Open Division, 4 time consecutive champ Blue Ion was ousted in the quarterfinals by newcomers T-Puppies (Wofford's finest alums). T-Puppies then made a run to the finals after squeaking by perennial contender GO United in kicks in the semis. First time participants, Florida Kickers and T-Puppies then put on a Beer City Cup classic in front of a record crowd nearing 1000.
In a game that had 4 lead changes and the T-Puppies leading late due to some fantastic keeper heroics the Kickers wouldn't be denied. With only 3 minutes remaining, the Kickers center back uncorked the laser of all lasers from 30+ yards which sizzled past the red hot T-Puppies keeper. The crowd erupted and the game was level. The Kickers then rode the momentum to the game winning set piece goal with only a minute remaining. Truly a game to remember.
In the Coed final the Frienemies of Asheville leapt to a 4-0 lead and held off the "always in the hunt for the Cup" Realcoholics (Knoxville, TN). The Realcoholics scored twice late to creep back in to it, but ran out of time to mount a serious comeback. This is the second Beer City Cup title for the Frienemies, who bounced back impressively from not even making it out of group play in 2015. Two time defending champ Easy Riders (Raleigh) made another solid run again, losing in the semis to Realcoholics 4-3. Cliffhanger's of Asheville made a deep run for the 2nd straight year, but couldn't find their way past the gelling Frienemies in the end.
In the Over 30 Division, Triad United finally broke through to win the Beer City Cup for the first time. After losing in the finals in 2015, Triad knocked out current USASA National Champ Phoenix FC 5-2 in the semis to advance to the finals. Triad looked impressive in their 6-3 defeat of Wanderers FC (Winston-Salem). The Wanderers held their own for the first 20 minutes as the match was tied 2-2, but Triad's quality depth proved too much over the 60 minutes. Defending and 3 time O-30 champ the Asheville Wizards were in contention but lost in penalties to the Wanderers in the semis.
In the Over 40 Division, the Roswell Rovers got their 2nd Beer City Cup title. Winners in 2013, the Rovers needed an improbable comeback to overcome the Nashville Rowdies. The Rowdies led 3-1 in the 2nd half, but a penalty kick and a sweetly bent free kick sent the match into extra time. The Rovers capitalized on their momentum and scored a cracker of a golden goal winner halfway into extra time to win 4-3. Both defending champion Colortones and 2015 runner up Asheville Hotspurs were ousted in the quarterfinals. Two first time entrants rounded out the semifinalists in Sergio FC (Jacksonville, FL) and Highlanders FC of Georgia.
In the Over 50 Division, Atlanta based Minutemen edged defending champs Hammers, also of Atlanta, 1-0. The Minutemen prevented the Hammers club from sweeping the Over 50 & Over 55 Divisions. In the Over 55 Division the Hammers downed Curmudgeons FC 4-3.
8:23 AM
Soccer is having a moment in Atlanta.
MLS team Atlanta United FC will debut at the new Mercedez-Benz Stadium in 2017, and this fall, Brookhaven will get its own soccer and international sports pub.
Hudson FC is set to open by mid-October at 4058 Peachtree Road in the former Pub 71 space. The bar and restaurant will show soccer and rugby matches as well as other popular international sporting events.
Hudson FC will offer a similar menu to its sister concept Hudson Grille sister concept (which has seven metro Atlanta locations), with a few differences. Offerings will include traditional pub food such as fish and chips, a pork and beef meatloaf big plate and a variety of flatbreads.
The pub is from restaurant group Metrotainment Cafes, which, in addition to the Hudson spots, also operates Einstein’s and Joe’s on Juniper in Midtown, Guaco Joe’s in Buckhead, Cowtippers in Ansley Park and Sugar Shack in Brookhaven, in the same shopping center where Hudson FC will be located.

1:59 PM

The Faction is a recently launched Atlanta United FC support group. Courtesy of Kevin Kinley
Atlanta’s major league soccer team won’t play its first game for another seven months but it already has at least four support groups.
One of those groups says their focus is less on chanting and face-painting and more about family fun and tailgating.
“What is important to us is the whole game day experience – tailgating, being with family and friends. It makes for a good family outing,” said Kevin Kinley.
Kinley, three friends and their families came up with the  group called The Faction while they were watching the Women’s World Cup. They already have more than 125 season ticket holders signed up to join. They have also met with Atlanta United FC officials and plan to hold a launch event soon.
Kinley, who played professional soccer and is now a soccer coach, said the families were just looking for a way to get involved with the MLS team coming to Atlanta. They looked at the support groups already active and decided none of them exactly fit what they wanted in a group.
“We just didn’t feel it was us,” he said. Their group will probably be a little more low-key, but just as passionate about the team and soccer, he said.
Three other groups already recognized on the MLS page, called Resurgence, Footie Mob and Terminus Legion.
The Faction group plans to do volunteer and outreach work with Fugees Family, a non-profit that was launched in 2004 to provide refugee children with free access to organized soccer. Kinley said it is important for The Faction to give back to their communities.
“We are super excited about next season and very proud of what the Atlanta United group has done so far,” he said.
Last week, United FC made headlines when they announced they had sold more than 22,000 season tickets for the 2017 season. Atlanta United president Darren Eales told MLSsoccer.com the total tickets were the second-most season tickets sold in the MLS this year and a record for an MLS expansion team.
The team will begin playing at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium next year. Kinley noted the season will begin in March, but the stadium is not slated to be finished until June or July so it will be a while before the team plays an at-home game.
For more information or to join The Faction, visit their website http://www.thefactionatl.com
3:08 PM

Georgia State

It took almost an hour for things to get started due to some weather moving through the area on Friday evening, but the Panther women opened up their season against Alabama State with a 3-0 rout. GSU had a 13-0 shot advantage in the first half, but didn’t find the net until Alexis Thomas’ 80th minute strike. The floodgates opened from there - Callie O’Connor found the net two minutes later and Brooke Shank added the game’s third goal nearly six minutes after that.
Up at Kennesaw last night, there were no goals to speak of as KSU and GSU played to a scoreless draw. The Owls led the way in shots 14-11 (6-5 in shots on goal) as Brie Haynes and Catherine McDuff stood strong in goal all evening for their respective teams.
The Panther men topped Oglethorpe in an exhibition on Saturday and open with a trip down I-85 to Mercer on Friday.

Kennesaw State

The Owls started their 2016 campaign on a high note as they topped Chattanooga 1-0 on Friday. Shannon Driscoll’s 14th minute marker stood up as the Owls held the Mocs to just four shots (all on goal) during a relatively straight forward night for McDuff. KSU would make it an unbeaten start to the year in their 0-0 match against Georgia State last night.

Georgia

The Bulldogs started their season with a draw as they finished 2-2 with Oklahoma State in Athens on Friday. After the area storms held this one up for twenty minutes, Mariel Gutierrez opened the scoring in the 10th minute. After the Cowgirls raced back with a pair of tallies in the 31st and 62nd minutes, it was Katie MacGinntie tying things up in the 81st for the match’s final goal.
Things weren’t as fortunate in Clemson as the #14 Tigers dropped the Bulldogs 3-1. Marion Crowder found the net in the 49th minute to cut Clemson’s margin to 2-1, but Paige Reckert iced the match away in the 64th minute. Louise Hogrell had a strong showing in net with eight saves to keep the margin relatively close for the Dawgs.

Mercer

Mercer’s men dropped an exhibition to North Florida in Jacksonville on Saturday. As mentioned, they’ll open their 2016 slate at home against Georgia State on Friday evening.
The women split the first two matches of their regular season. Friday evening’s contest against Alabama State in Huntsville ended up not really being much of a match as the Bears stormed to a 6-0 laugher over the overmatched Lady Hornets. Abbey Reddig notched two goals while Maddie Clark scored one and assisted on another in a game in which the Bears outshot the Lady Hornets 27-8.
Mercer found themselves on the other end of a shutout as they fell to Oklahoma State 3-0. The Cowgirls wrapped up their trip through Georgia with a perfect slate as they opened the scoring in the 2nd minute and never looked back. The Bears allowed a whopping 22 shots (10 on goal) while mustering three of their own (with just one on frame).

Georgia Southern

The Eagle men split a pair of exhibition matches against SCAD (3-1 win) and UNC Asheville (2-1 loss). They travel to Houston on Friday to open up a weekend tournament against Houston Baptist to start their 2016 slate.
The women started off their campaign 0-2 as they launched their season against UNC Wilmington at home and on the road versus Jacksonville State. In a 3-0 loss on Friday to the Seahawks, the Eagles conceded goals in the 26th, 40th, and 72nd minutes as they were badly outshot 29-6 (13-3 on net) and trailed 10-1 on corners. Emily Flinn and Lauren Karinshak combined for 10 saves despite being beaten three times.
Sunday’s match at Jacksonville State was a little more competitive, but the Eagles dropped this one by a count of 3-1. GSU spotted the Gamecocks the game’s first two goals before Alana McShane put the Eagles on the board in the 53rd minutes, but a Kayla Thompson goal less than two minutes later extended the lead to two to put it out of reach.

Coming Up This Week

Georgia State
MSoc - 8/26 at Mercer; 8/28 vs. Memphis
WSoc - 8/26 vs. Charlotte
Kennesaw State
8/26 vs. Mercer; 8/28 vs. Alabama A&M
Georgia
8/26 vs. Samford; 8/28 vs. Cal State Fullerton
Mercer
MSoc- 8/26 vs. Georgia State
WSoc - 8/26 at Kennesaw State; 8/28 at Tennessee Tech
Georgia Southern
MSoc - 8/26 vs. Houston Baptist; 8/28 vs. UTRGV (in Houston)
WSoc - 8/26 vs. North Florida; 8/28 vs. Charlotte
9:53 AM
Copyright © 2016 Atlanta Soccer News: Art, Music and Culture | By Designscrazed