At 17 years old, Andrew Carleton can't vote, drink, or buy lottery tickets. But the Powder Springs native can make the most of an opportunity, as evident by his performance in Atlanta United's 3-0 win over Charleston Battery Wednesday night.
“It was awesome scoring my first goal with the first team in a competitive game,” he said. “(I wanted to show Gerardo Martino) that whenever he puts me in the game he can trust me and rely on me and that I’ll work my socks off.”
Carleton got the start against Atlanta United’s ex-USL affiliate in a U.S. Open Cup match and made his presence known early on by knocking a right-footed shot past the fingertips of goalkeeper Odisnel Cooper in the 14th minute to put the home team up 1-0. The goal was Carleton's first competitive score since becoming Atlanta United’s premier Homegrown signee in June 2016, and the teen plans to snag a souvenir from the game to remember the moment.
“I’m keeping my jersey,” he said. “(I’ll) probably hang it up in my room somewhere.”
While the game wasn’t necessarily as crucial as future conference matches, fans still came out in droves to support the “Kings of the South,”overfilling Fifth Third Bank Stadium. There were a few familiar faces in the audience for Carleton, as his hometown is only 16 miles southwest of Kennesaw State’s field.
“I gave them five or six tickets. (I have) a pretty big family, but I don’t know who was able to make it and who had soccer practice,” he said.
Carleton’s goal surely will go down as his most memorable play of the match, but he also made an impact on defense, recording three tackles for the second highest on the team.
Another Homegrown player made an appearance alongside Carleton with Chris Goslin making his debut with the first team in the 86th minute. The two have been playing together since they were young, and sharing the field against Charleston was a “pretty cool” experience, per Carleton.
“Whenever I saw him up at half field, I was so excited for him,” Carleton added. “That’s something that he’s been working really hard for, and I know he was so happy to be up there. I think he deserves it.”
Atlanta United will shift its focus back to MLS Eastern Conference play this weekend with matches against NYCFC and Columbus before playing in the fifth round of the U.S. Open Cup on June 20.
About the Author
