Atlanta United will launch a United Soccer League team that will play at Coolray Field in Gwinnett in 2018.
This ends Atlanta United’s two-year partnership with the Charleston Battery.
The affiliate team’s name, crest and jerseys will be unveiled at a later date. A manager hasn’t been named.
The USL team will give some of Atlanta United’s Homegrown and others who need experience opportunities for more game time in competitive situations. The team has five Homegrown players: Andrew Carleton, Chris Goslin, George Bello, Lagos Kunga and Patrick Okonkwo. The team loaned two players, Romario Williams and Jeffrey Otoo, to Charleston for the 2017 season.
The USL team will train at Atlanta United’s headquarters in Marietta. Tryouts for the USL team will be held on Dec. 16.
USL is the second division of soccer in North America. The league played a 32-game schedule this season that started in late March ended last week. It will play a 34-game schedule in 2018.
The league this season was composed of 30 teams ranging geographically from Vancouver to Orlando. Twenty-two MLS teams owned or were affiliated with USL teams this season. Three expansion franchises will launch in 2018, including a team in Nashville. Birmingham will come online in 2019.
Coolray Field is the home of the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A affiliate and seats more than 10,000.
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