Atlanta United vs. New York Red Bulls: Starting 11

Atlanta United’s starting 11 for Sunday’s inaugural MLS game against New York Red Bulls at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium:

Goalkeeper: Alec Kann

Fullback: Tyrone Mears

Centerhalf: Michael Parkhurst, captain

Centerhalf: Leandro Pirez

Fullback: Greg Garza

Holding midfielder: Carlos Carmona

Midfielder: Julian Gressel

Midfielder: Yamil Asad

Midfielder: Miguel Almiron

Midfielder: Hector Villalba

Striker: Josef Martinez

The big surprise was inclusion of Gressel, a rookie, ahead of Chris McCann or Jeff Larentowicz, a veteran with more than 300 appearances in MLS. Gressel impressed in the preseason games.

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