Among Darren Eales’ myriad accomplishments as Atlanta United’s first president, which includes that he helped guide the expansion franchise to three major trophies in its first three years, there is one that he may be the most proud of because he mentions it quite often.
He, his staff, the players and, of course, the supporters, proved that Atlanta is a soccer town.
Even as recently as the World Cup announcement, Eales recounted how much of what he heard about Atlanta before agreeing to become the expansion club’s president in 2014 was that Atlanta was filled with fickle sports fans.
Through grass-roots marketing, a brilliant hire for a first manager, a roster full of exciting players and a dynamic style of play, Atlanta United turned Atlanta into a soccer city with passionate, dedicated fans. The team’s announced attendance average ranks among the largest among the world’s clubs. It holds most MLS attendance records.
“No one can argue that we’re the No. 1 city here in the country of America in terms of that soccer experience because we get it day in and day out,” Eales said at the World Cup announcement June 16.
Now, Eales will try to help turn Newcastle, which already has passionate supporters, into a consistent power in England’s Premier League. Eales will leave Atlanta United on Aug. 8 and join the Magpies on Aug. 22.
Here is a timeline of how Eales built Atlanta United:
Sept. 10, 2014: The Eales hire is announced by the club after he spent the previous four years as director of football operations at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. In a bit of foreshadowing, Eales said this in a statement from the club:
“Soccer is a lifetime passion of mine, and to have the chance to come to Atlanta and build a club from the ground up is extremely exciting. I’m going to have the rare experience of getting to know the fans from the outset, and I’m eager to engage them in the process, from naming the team to creating an incredible atmosphere at our matches.”
Nov. 24, 2014: In Eales’ first interview as the club’s president, Eales told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about his plans for the club.
“As far as a designated player, my personal view is we want to have a winning team on the field. Will this player make the team a winning team? That’s not just talent. Are they going to buy into Atlanta? Are they going to buy into — the important thing about Atlanta — it’s a new club. It’s a club that the fans will have a big say and be a part of. Will they be willing to engage with fans, go out into the community and have that team ethos?”
March 2, 2015: Eales hires former U.S. men’s national team captain Carlos Bocanegra as the team’s first technical director.
“He’s highly intelligent, speaks three different languages,” Eales said. “It’s two years before we start playing. Carlos can be a sponge, learn about Atlanta, learn the offices of MLS. That’s why together it will be a great partnership. Each day he will be learning more and more.”
June 25, 2015: The club confirms its name will be Atlanta United. The name was criticized because of the use of “United,” which is common among teams.
Eales said then that the name is authentic because it reflected the voices of the team’s supporters, some of whom were used in focus groups and surveys designed to get a sense of what they thought about Atlanta and what elements of the city and soccer they wanted associated with the club.
July 7, 2015: The club unveils its crest at an outdoor party on the west side of the city. The name, of course, was Atlanta United. The crest featured five stripes, which became the team’s nickname.
Aug. 4, 2015: The team announces its training site will be built in DeKalb County. That plan eventually was scrapped because of associated costs. A site in Marietta on Franklin Gateway was selected, and the training center was constructed for a reported figure of $60 million. It opened April 11, 2017.
“Our commitment to aspiration, inclusion and excellence are reflected in all aspects of the training ground,” Eales said in a statement from the team at the time of the opening. “The design ensures that we are giving our first team and academy players a top-flight training environment, and it will be a key tool for us in attracting the top players and staff in MLS and globally. This is truly a world-class facility that we are proud to call our home.”
July 12, 2016: Atlanta United unveils its kit sponsor, American Family Insurance.
“We couldn’t be happier to be with a company like American Family Insurance,” Eales said. “They share our values, and the way they work in the community is in step with Atlanta United, our visions and the way we want to be as a club.”
July 22, 2016: Atlanta United signs its first Designated Player, Hector Villalba, a forward from Argentina. He was the team’s seventh signing. Villalba scored 22 goals with 24 assists and was a key part of the club’s MLS Cup run in 2018.
Sept. 27, 2016: The club hires Gerardo Martino as its first manager. Martino’s hire is considered a coup for the team because he previously managed Barcelona. He was introduced at the World of Coke.
“Barcelona, Argentina, Atlanta United, it has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?” Eales said.
Oct. 5, 2016: The club announces it will play its first games at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium while construction of Mercedes-Benz Stadium is completed. Eales later revealed that the work to make the stadium ready to host soccer was dubbed “Project Lemonade.”
“This gives us a chance to be as competitive as we can be from the start,” Eales said.
Nov. 16, 2016: The club unveils its red-and-black striped primary kit at an event at The Tabernacle.
“When you look to that first game at Bobby Dodd, the reason we had all our fans in the crowd wearing our shirts is because we had an opportunity to sell them,” Eales said in 2020. “This was important to us that we had a launch event, ideally, around Thanksgiving time because it was part of our brand, it was an important part of our identity, we didn’t know at the time that it would be part of our nickname. That’s why we wanted to make it an event to celebrate. Let’s not be shy. Let’s make it fun.”
Dec. 4, 2016: The club reportedly signed Miguel Almiron. That was followed two months later by the signing of Josef Martinez on Feb. 2. The two would become key parts in the team’s success in 2017 and MLS Cup in 2018. Almiron was sold to Newcastle following the 2018 season for $27 million, fulfilling one of Eales’ goals of the club being a developer of talent and then selling them.
March 5, 2017: Atlanta United plays its first MLS game at Bobby Dodd Stadium. It loses 2-1 to the New York Red Bulls in front of an announced attendance of 55,000.
“It was difficult because if you think about the level of fans that we had because we already had season-ticket holders that were 30,000-plus, so that really limited the venues that we could go to,” Eales said in 2020. “We were fortunate, really, that Georgia Tech were great partners for us. They knew as well that they were the only option we had. They could have been quite awkward about it, but they were far from that. They were great to work with and really good partners.”
Dec. 8, 2018: Atlanta United sets an MLS single-game attendance record of 73,019 in its MLS Cup 2-0 win against Portland. That record was broken by Charlotte earlier this season.
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Atlanta United’s 2022 MLS schedule
Feb. 27 Atlanta United 3, Sporting KC 1
March 5 Colorado 3, Atlanta United 0
March 13 Atlanta United 2, Charlotte 1
March 19 Atlanta United 3, Montreal 3
April 2 Atlanta United 1, D.C. United 0
April 10 Charlotte 1, Atlanta United 0
April 16 Atlanta United 0, Cincinnati 0
April 24 Miami 2, Atlanta United 1
April 30 Montreal 2, Atlanta United 1
May 7 Atlanta United 4, Chicago 1
May 15 Atlanta United 2, New England 2
May 21 Atlanta United 2, Nashville 2
May 28 Columbus 2, Atlanta United 1
June 19 Atlanta United 2, Miami 0
June 25 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 1
June 30 New York Red Bulls 2, Atlanta United 1
July 3 Atlanta United 2, NYCFC 2
July 9 Austin 3, Atlanta United 0
July 13 Atlanta United 2, Real Salt Lake 1
July 17 vs. Orlando, 3 p.m., ABC
July 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 9:30 p.m., FS1
July 30 at Chicago, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
August 6 vs. Seattle, 3 p.m., ABC
August 13 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. BSSO/BSSE
August 17 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
August 21 at Columbus, 5:30 p.m., FS1
August 28 vs. D.C. United, 4 p.m., UNIV
August 31 at Philadelphia, 7 p.m., FS1
Sept. 4 at Portland, 5:30 p.m., FOX
Sept. 10 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept. 14 at Orlando, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Sept 17 vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 1 at New England, 1 p.m., UniMas
Oct. 9 vs. NYCFC, TBD, BSSO/BSSE
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