Atlanta United has agreed to terms with free agent Jeff Larentowicz.
The 33-year-old midfielder has 324 regular season appearances in Major League Soccer, including 23 last season with Los Angeles. He has scored 38 goals with 19 assists in a career that includes stops at New England (2005-09), where he appeared in three consecutive MLS Cup finals, Colorado (2010-12), where the won the MLS Cup in 2010, Chicago (2013-15) and the Galaxy.
Terms weren’t disclosed.
Larentowicz will bring needed depth and experience to a roster that features numerous players 25 years or younger. He also played for the U.S. men's national team four times. He played in college at Brown, which is also an alma mater of Atlanta United President Darren Eales.
“We’re pleased that a player of Jeff’s quality and experience chose to sign with our club through free agency,” Eales said in a statement from the team. “It’s important for us to find the proper balance between up-and-coming talent and experienced league players, and we feel Jeff will fill a valuable role for us.”
Larentowicz has played in 22 playoff matches and won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2007).
“Jeff gives us another dimension because of his natural passing and possession abilities,” Atlanta United Technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement from the team. “His experience and leadership will be invaluable for our younger players, and he’s capable of making a big impact on the field. He’s proven to be a winner throughout his entire career.”
With the signing, Atlanta United has 19 players on its roster: two goalkeepers (Alex Tambakis and Alex Kann), four defenders (Michael Parkhurst, Zach Loyd, Mark Bloom and Mikey Ambrose), nine midfielders (Larentowicz, Hector Villalba, Miguel Almiron, Junior Burgos, Andrew Carleton, Chris Goslin, Chris McCann, Kevin Kratz and Harrison Heath), and four forwards (Kenwyne Jones, Brandon Vazquez, Romario Williams and Jeffrey Otoo).
The club reportedly is trying to sign U.S. men's national team goalkeeper Brad Guzan and also reportedly is on the verge of adding midfielder Oscar Romero as its third designated player. An Atlanta United spokesman declined to comment on either player.
MLS will hold its waiver draft Thursday. That draft is for less-experienced players who don’t meet the criteria for free agency, or the re-entry draft, which starts Friday. The SuperDraft, for college players, will be held Jan. 13 in Los Angeles. Atlanta United has the Nos. 2 and 8 picks in the first round of a four-round draft.
Atlanta United’s new players
Atlanta United has added nine players since Sunday:
Mikey Ambrose
Position: Defender
Height: 5-9
Age: 23
From: El Paso, Texas
How acquired: Selected in expansion draft.
Made five appearances for Orlando last season. … Began his career with Austin in USL. … Played in college for Maryland. … Has played for U.S. youth national teams at Under-17, U18 and U20 levels.
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Mark Bloom
Position: Defender
Height: 5-11
Age: 29
From: Marietta
How acquired: In trade with Toronto for goalkeeper Clint Irwin following expansion draft.
Twitter: @markbloom21
Has 39 appearances in MLS, all with Toronto. … Played at Lassiter High. … Played at Berry College. … Typically used as a right back. … Played for the Silverbacks.
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Harrison Heath
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-11
Age: 20
From: England, though he counts as a domestic player.
How acquired: In exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2019 draft.
Twitter: @harrisonheathy1
Has played in six games, including five starts, with Orlando the previous two seasons. … Appeared in 13 games with Orlando City B in the USL last season, scoring one goal. … Son of former Orlando coach Adrian Heath, now the coach of Minnesota United. … Seems like more of a role player for Atlanta United while he continues to develop.
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Alec Kann
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6-4
Age: 26
From: Decatur, Ga.
How acquired: Selected in expansion draft.
Twitter: @akann90
Kann made seven starts for Sporting KC in 2016. … Played at Lakeside High School. … Originally signed with Chicago in 2013. … Played in college at Furman.
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Kevin Kratz
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-8
Age: 29
From: Germany.
How acquired: In exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2020 draft.
Made 122 appearances in the Bundesliga, including 89 with 12 goals for Bayer Leverkusen’s B team. … Didn’t make an appearance for Philadelphia after arriving on loan earlier this year. … Though some are slotting him into Atlanta United’s seems that it’s too early to tell how he will fit into Gerardo Martino’s team and the league.
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Jeff Larentowicz
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-1
Age: 33
From: Pasadena, Calif.
How acquired: As a free agent, the first signed by the team.
Among field players in MLS, he is No. 11 all-time in minutes played (27,640) and No. 19 in appearances (324). … He has played in at least 23 games each year since the 2006. … Teams he has been on have won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2007), four MLS Eastern Conference Championships (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010) and the MLS Cup (2010).
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Zach Loyd
Position: Defender
Height: 5-10
Age: 29
From: Tulsa
How acquired: In expansion draft.
Twitter: @zachloyd
Made 180 appearances for Dallas. … Can play multiple positions in defense. … Has made three appearances for U.S. men’s national team. … After sustaining a concussion last season, he has been cleared to play. … Good with his feet, which is important in manager Gerardo Martino’s system.
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Michael Parkhurst
Position: Defender
Height: 5-11
Age: 32
From: Providence, R.I.
How acquired: Undisclosed amount of General Allocation Money in trade with Columbus.
Twitter: @mfparkhurst
Has made 215 appearances, including 214 starts, in seven seasons in MLS with New England and then Columbus. … Also played in Denmark and Germany. … Has made 24 appearances in the U.S. men’s national team, including the 2007 and ’13 Gold Cups. … Seems to certainly be a starter in the back line for Atlanta United. … A four-time MLS all-star.
“Michael is a fantastic addition for us, give his veteran leadership and MLS experience. He’s proven to be an effective captain and is an ideal role model for some of the younger players on our club,” Atlanta United Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said in statement provided by the team. “Also, he’s a very intelligent defender and good on the ball, which fits in nicely with our style of play.”
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Romario Williams
Position: Forward
Height: 5-11
Age: 22
From: Jamaica
How acquired: In exchange for a third-round pick in 2018 draft. If he plays in 2017, the pick instead becomes a second-round selection.
Twitter: @williams_romy17
Picked third in 2015 SuperDraft after scoring 18 goals at UCF. … Has started just two games in two seasons with the Impact. … Was loaned to Charleston in the USL this season, where he played with Atlanta United players Alex Tambakis, Andrew Carleton and Jeffrey Otoo. … Played in 27 games for the Battery with 10 goals and an assist. … Has potential to become a starter for Atlanta United, but perhaps not in the 2017 season.
