Atlanta United has tried to balance its player acquisitions with an eye to success in the short- and long-term.
As a result, the team included several players from its academy in its preseason training at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
There is a bridge between those teen-aged players and the 20- and 30-somethings on the senior team: a pair of 16-year-old midfielders, Andrew Carleton and Chris Goslin.
They are the team’s first two Homegrown Player signings and manager Gerardo Martino believes they may be able to make an impact as soon as this year.
“They have great potential,” Martino said through a translator. “There’s a chance they can make the team.”
If either were to start – Martino didn’t say that was a possibility – they would be among the youngest players to do so in MLS history. Freddy Adu was the youngest at 14 years, 334 days, when he started for D.C. United against San Jose on May 1, 2004. Vancouver’s Alphonso Davies started as a 15-year-old last year Colorado.
“It’s exciting,” Carleton said when asked how he felt about Martino’s belief that he may play. “You have something to work for. For him to say it makes it realistic to push and try to get as many minutes as possible and be able to contribute to the team as much as we can.”
Carleton, a native of Powder Springs, was the team’s first Homegrown Player when the deal was announced last June when he was a few days away from turning 16.
He looks significantly different running around the soccer fields last week than he did while sitting on a bus with team owner Arthur Blank in a video posted by team after his contract was announced.
First, it’s obvious he has been working out. His upper arms are bigger. He looks thicker and stronger from his shoulders to his feet.
Goslin, a native of Locust Grove, signed as a Homegrown in October. He is as big as Carleton and looked as comfortable on the field.
“Being young, it’s kind of like a challenge to come into a pro environment,” he said. “Getting first team minutes would be really good.”
Both players said their goal coming into camp was to improve their techniques and get to know their new teammates. They room together in a nearby villa, with Hector Villalba, the team’s first Designated Player, Julian Gressel, the team’s second pick in the SuperDraft, and Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu, selected in the third round. Carleton and Goslin said they are trying to teach Villalba basketball by watching it on TV.
Carleton didn’t say there was a specific teammate that he was looking forward to training with. Goslin was excited about practicing with striker Kenwyne Jones, a Premier League veteran who has scored more than 150 goals for club(s) and country.
“There’s a whole bunch of big names and whole bunch coming out just like us, trying to win a spot on the team,” Carleton said. “We are just excited to be here together.”
Though they will still likely compete with the U.S. youth national teams this year, most of their practice and playing time will now come against grown men who are their teammates, opponents in MLS or in USL, should he be loaned to Charleston as they were last year.
Neither player showed any fear during eight-on-eight scrimmages last week. If there was an opportunity to shoot, they would take it. There was no deference or hesitation.
“We’ve held our own,” Carleton said. “We showed as best we can that we can mix in with the older guys. We aren’t afraid or scared of it. We are trying to push and push and show we can hang at this level.”
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