Atlanta United fullback Caleb Wiley described scoring in his MLS debut as a dream following Sunday’s 3-1 win against Sporting KC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Wiley, just 17 years old, signed his first professional contract with the club six weeks ago after coming up through its academy.
“It just shows how much love I have for this city and this club. They've given me so much. So it's just a way of giving back.
He came on in the 75th minute for Josef Martinez and scored 14 minutes later, running onto a pass into space from Marcelino Moreno and hitting a left-footed shot past Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia. Wiley celebrated the goal by blowing several kisses to the more than 65,000 in the announced attendance.
“It just shows how much love I have for this city and this club,” he said. “They’ve given me so much. So it’s just a way of giving back. And I said, I mean, it was a huge special moment for me to do it in front of these amazing fans, friends and family.”
Wiley said his mother, father, sister and family friends were on hand to watch. He became the second Atlanta United Homegrown player to score in his debut at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. George Bello, whom the club sold to Arminia Bielefeld in Germany a few weeks ago, was the first in 2018. Like Bello, Wiley is also a left fullback, though he was playing as a winger against Sporting KC.
“I mean, being asked to warm up early minutes of the game, and then I’m back and forth,” he said. “So my emotions were definitely going up and down. But I had a feeling that I was going to go in toward the end. So I was just mentally preparing for it.”
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Atlanta United’s 2022 MLS schedule
Feb. 27 Atlanta United 3, Sporting KC 1
March 5 at Colorado, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
March 13 vs. Charlotte, 4:30 p.m., FS1
March 19 vs. Montreal, 4 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
April 2 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
April 10 at Charlotte, 1:30 p.m., ABC, ESPN Deportes
April 16 vs. Cincinnati, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
April 24 at Miami, 1 p.m., ESPN
April 30 at Montreal, 4 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
May 7 vs. Chicago, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
May 15 vs. New England, 2 p.m., ESPN
May 21 at Nashville, 7:30 p.m. FOX
May 28 vs. Columbus Crew, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 19 vs Miami, 4 p.m., ESPN2
June 25 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
June 30 at New York Red Bulls, 8 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 3 at NYCFC, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 9 vs. Austin, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
July 13 vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
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
Aug. 6 vs. Seattle, 3 p.m., ABC
Aug. 13 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 17 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE
Aug. 21 at Columbus, 6 p.m., FS1
Aug. 28 vs. D.C. United, 4 p.m., UNIV
Aug. 31 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
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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