Alec Kann waited more than a year for his opportunity to play on the big stage of Mercedes-Benz Stadium for Atlanta United.
The goalkeeper didn't disappoint, making at least two tremendous saves to help Atlanta United defeat Club America 3-2 on Wednesday to take the Campeones Cup.
“It definitely makes up for some hard times,” the native of Decatur said. “Opportunities are few and far between. I’ve known that for the past couple of years. I’ve always said to myself that when you get an opportunity you have to take it and put your best foot forward. I did that today.
“The team performance was unreal to put another trophy in the cabinet for this club.”
Before Wednesday, Kann had one start for Atlanta United this season. It came in the U.S. Open Cup win against Charleston at Kennesaw State. He was supposed to start another U.S. Open Cup game, which was also on the road, but was sidelined by the flu.
His last start at Mercedes-Benz Stadium came in last year’s U.S. Open Cup loss to Chicago on June 20, 2018.
But Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer wanted to reward Kann because he said he’s a great guy and teammate who trains hard every day.
“I always say we do it, not with 11 men, we will do it with the whole roster,” de Boer said. “He deserved to play this type of game, and he didn’t disappoint. I’m very happy for him.”
Kann said his first save was his best and helped him quickly settle into the game. It came in the third minute when Paul Aguilar sent a weak header toward the upper right corner. Kann stretched out his left arm and tipped it over the crossbar.
“It’s tough to get into a game sometimes, especially when you haven’t played in a while,” he said. “It was nice confidence-wise to make an early save and not let us go into a while against a very good team. Once that happens you feel like you are in the game.”
Kann pushed a knuckling shot over the crossbar in the second half and got down low to swat away another dangerous shot a few minutes later.
When the final whistle blew, Brad Guzan, Atlanta United’s typical starting goalkeeper, sprinted onto the field to hug Kann.
“I’m overjoyed, especially seeing the responses of my teammates,” Kann said. “Everyone is just as happy for me as I was for the team. That means a whole lot.”
About the Author
