Atlanta United’s roster for the 2021 MLS season:
Mo Adams
Position: Defensive midfielder
Number: 29
Age: 24
Hometown: Nottingham, England
2020 starts/appearances (regular season in league play): 9/13
2020 summary: Started to perform better as he earned consecutive starts.
2021 preview: Playing time may be tough with the addition of Santiago Sosa and Franco Ibarra.
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Mikey Ambrose
Position: Fullback
Number: 33
Age: 27
Hometown: El Paso, Texas
2020 starts/appearances: 3/6 with Inter Miami
2020 summary: He scored one goal.
2021 preview: Signed to provide competition to George Bello and leadership in training.
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Ezequiel Barco
Position: Midfielder
Number: 8
Age: 22
Hometown: Villa Gobernador Galvez, Argentina
2020 starts/appearances: 11/15
2020 summary: Two goals and three assists.
2021 preview: A huge year for the Designated Player and what may be his last chance to prove that he is a player worthy of interest from clubs in Europe. Can see him scoring at least five goals and adding at least 10 assists if he remains healthy.
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George Bello
Position: Fullback
Number: 21
Age: 19
Hometown: Douglasville
2020 starts/appearances: 19/20
2020 summary: One goal, one assist.
2021 preview: He has the speed and technical ability, now he has to show he is learning from his experiences. Should he have a productive year; he may soon draw interest from clubs in Europe.
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George Campbell
Position: Centerback
Number: 32
Age: 19
Hometown: Atlanta
2020 starts/appearances: 0/1
2020 summary: Played in only 46 minutes.
2021 preview: He has the size, speed and ability on the ball. Now, he needs minutes. He has a lot of potential.
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Machop Chol
Position: Winger
Number: 30
Age: 22
Hometown: Tucker
2020 starts/appearances: N/A
2020 summary: N/A
2021 preview: He may find playing time difficult to come by with Barco and Marcelino Moreno ahead of him, but has the speed and intelligence to provide quality minutes off the bench. College soccer at Wake Forest provided him with Julian Gressel-like calmness on the ball.
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Jackson Conway
Position: Forward
Number: 36
Age: 19
Hometown: Atlanta
2020 starts/appearances: 0/1
2020 summary: One important goal against Club America.
2021 preview: Likely will spend a lot of time with Atlanta United 2 so that he can gain experience.
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Jurgen Damm
Position: Winger
Number: 22
Age: 28
Hometown: Veracruz, Mexico
2020 starts/appearances: 7/14
2020 summary: Provided four assists.
2021 preview: Has the speed now he has to show that he can do more than run past people. Must improve his crossing and shooting. If he does, he will make the striker’s role that much easier because defenses will have to shift slightly to try to remove his angles of attack.
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Alex De John
Position: Centerback
Number: 3
Age: 29
Hometown: Marlboro, N.J.
2020 starts/appearances: 0/6 with Orlando
2020 summary: A spot player for the Lions expected to add depth.
2021 preview: A depth piece.
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Alan Franco
Position: Centerback
Number: 6
Age: 24
Hometown: Avellana, Argentina
2020 stars/appearances: Played for Independiente in Argentina
2020 summary: N/A
2021 preview: Expected to start beside Miles Robinson and be another ball-playing centerback.
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Jack Gurr
Position: Fullback
Number: 26
Age: 25
Hometown: Newcastle, England
2020 starts/appearances: N/A
2020 summary: A solid performer for Atlanta United 2 last season.
2021 preview: Likely a depth piece at fullback behind Brooks Lennon and Ronald Hernandez.
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Brad Guzan
Position: Goalkeeper
Number: 1
Age: 36
Hometown: Evergreen Park, Ill.
2020 starts/appearances: 23/23
2020 summary: Six shutouts, 59 saves, 30 goals against.
2021 preview: Perhaps no one was more frustrated with last year than Guzan was. He will continue to lead the team’s defense.
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Ronald Hernandez
Position: Fullback
Number: 2
Age: 23
Hometown: Barinas, Venezuela
2020 starts/appearances: N/A
2020 summary: A disappointing year with Aberdeen, who loaned him to Atlanta United in the offseason.
2021 preview: He’s supposed to challenge Brooks Lennon for time at right fullback. Didn’t make the game-day roster for the first Champions League, which was curious. He said he thinks he can be one of the better wingbacks in MLS.
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Emerson Hyndman
Position: Midfielder
Number: 20
Age: 24
Hometown: Dallas, Texas
2020 starts/appearances: 16/20
2020 summary: Two goals, two assists.
2021 preview: He doesn’t do a lot of things that show up in the box score, but is an intelligent player who has a knack for getting into scoring positions.
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Franco Ibarra
Position: Midfielder
Number: 14
Age: 19
Hometown: Tigre, Argentina
2020 starts/appearances: N/
2020 summary: N/A.
2021 preview: Normally a defensive midfielder, Heinze is using him higher up the field. Will be interesting to see how he adapts. Earned a start in the Champions League opener and performed well.
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Alec Kann
Position: Goalkeeper
Number: 25
Age: 30
Hometown: Decatur
2020 starts/appearances: 0/0
2020 summary: N/A
2021 preview: Will back up Guzan.
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Brooks Lennon
Position: Midfielder
Number: 11
Age: 23
Hometown: Paradise Valley, Ariz.
2020 starts/appearances: 19/23
2020 summary: Two goals, three assists.
2021 preview: Likely the starter on the right side because he typically fills up the box score and can run up and down the wing for days.
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Erik Lopez
Position: Forward
Number: 16
Age: 19
Hometown: Asuncion, Paraguay
2020 starts/appearances: 0/1
2020 summary: Showed potential against Club America in Champions League play.
2021 preview: Manager Gabriel Heinze is using him as a winger instead of a striker. In either position, playing time will be difficult to earn because of the depth of competition.
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Lisandro Lopez
Position: Forward
Number: 15
Age: 38
Hometown: Rafael Obligado, Argentina
2020 starts/appearances: N/A
2020 summary: N/A
2021 preview: Signed to provide leadership by example. The formidable striker still has life in those legs.
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Ben Lundgaard
Position: Goalkeeper
Number: 18
Age: 25
Hometown: Wilmington, Del.
2020 starts/appearances: 13/13 with Atlanta United 2
2020 summary: Played well in a tough season for Atlanta United 2.
2021 preview: Likely the third-choice keeper behind Guzan and Kann.
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Josef Martinez
Position: Forward
Number: 7
Age: 27
Hometown: Valencia, Venezuela
2020 starts/appearances: 1/1
2020 summary: He played less than a half because of a knee injury sustained in the first MLS game.
2021 preview: If he’s at least 90 percent of what he was, he still will be one of the better strikers in MLS. Scoring at least 15 goals is a safe bet.
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Efrain Morales
Position: Centerback
Number: 35
Age: 17
Hometown: Suwanee
2020 starts/appearances: N/A
2020 summary: N/A
2021 preview: Likely will spend the season with Atlanta United 2 or one of the Academy teams to gain experience.
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Marcelino Moreno
Position: Midfielder
Number: 10
Age: 25
Hometown: Mendoza, Argentina
2020 starts/appearances: 5/6
2020 summary: Two goals, one assist.
2021 preview: Could be a hugely important player on the wing because of his pace, dribbling ability in tight spaces and eye for a pass. Heinze expects the wingers to attack. Moreno is more than capable. Also has the versatility to switch positions across the midfielder, making scouting him that much more of a challenge.
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Jake Mulraney
Position: Forward
Number: 23
Age: 25
Hometown: Dublin, Ireland
2020 starts/appearances: 8/18
2020 summary: One goal, one assist.
2021 preview: He said he didn’t think he played particularly well last year. He has the pace and, perhaps most important, the ability to put crosses into dangerous spots. If he and Lennon start together, that’s a potentially effective passing combo for the striker. At least five assists is a safe bet.
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Miles Robinson
Position: Centerback
Number: 12
Age: 24
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.
2020 starts/appearances: 16/17
2020 summary: Playing through minor injuries, he was one of the few bright spots on the team.
2021 preview: Looked like the 2019 Robinson in the Champions League opener with his aerial ability, tackling and speed. Hit several quality passes and is showing the confidence to carry the ball into the opponent’s half if opponents choose to give him space. Could be an MLS Best XI performer this season.
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Matheus Rossetto
Position: Midfielder
Number: 9
Age: 24
Hometown: Santo Amara da Imperatriz, Brazil
2020 starts/appearances: 10/15
2020 summary: No goals or assists.
2021 preview: He played a lot last season but didn’t really contribute a lot and has now missed a good bit of training camp because he is in Brazil dealing with a personal issue. Will be curious to see how much he plays this season.
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Santiago Sosa
Position: Midfielder
Number: 5
Age: 21
Hometown: La Plata, Argentina
2020 starts/appearances: N/A
2020 summary: N/A
2021 preview: Perhaps no player other than Josef Martinez will affect Atlanta United’s success more than Sosa because he is the guy who will be expected to break pressure and/or start attacks. It’s a role similar to Darlington Nagbe’s when he was with the team, but Heinze will want him to be a slightly more adventurous with long passing.
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Erick Torres
Position: Striker
Number: 31
Age: 28
Hometown: Guadalajara, Mexico
2020 starts/appearances: 4/13
2020 summary: One goal and one assist.
2021 preview: Likely a backup striker to Josef Martinez and Lisandro Lopez who will be used depending upon the scouting report of the opponent.
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Anton Walkes
Position: Centerback
Number: 4
Age: 24
Hometown: Lewisham, England
2020 starts/appearances: 15/17
2020 summary: One assist.
2021 preview: Walkes looked very good in the Champions League games. Don’t assume that he will lose his spot.
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Tyler Wolff
Position: Forward
Number: 28
Age: 18
Hometown: Braselton
2020 starts/appearances: 1/5
2020 summary: Earned his first minutes with the first team.
2021 preview: Like the other Homegrown signings, Wolff needs playing time. I think he will end up starting a lot of games for Atlanta United 2 and making a few game-day rosters for Atlanta United.
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