On Jan. 22, George Bello woke at 6 a.m. to make sure he was on time to speak to the media at the team’s headquarters in Marietta.
He smiled for the camera in the Five Stripes kit, answered questions for reporters and participated in an afternoon practice -- a full day for any professional. Bello said he was exhausted by the time he got home at 8 p.m., but he had to squeeze in a slice of cake with his family before “knocking out” in bed.
He owed them that much. It was his 17th birthday, after all.
Bello, along with a handful of other teenage prodigies, was cast into the spotlight at a young age as Atlanta United captured the MLS Cup in 2018. Bello, Andrew Carleton, Chris Goslin, Patrick Okonkwo and Lagos Kunga are the five players to join Atlanta United as designated “Homegrown Players.”
To receive that designation from the MLS, a player has to sign a professional contract with Atlanta United after graduating from the team’s youth academy and spending at least one year living in the “territory” that the team occupies, which, in Atlanta’s case, is the state of Georgia. It’s a rule found buried in the fine print of MLS salary-cap regulations, but one that brought together a group of young men who became more than just teammates.
For that group of youngsters, three of whom were born in the year 2000 or later, the foundations of Atlanta United’s overnight glory were built in the academy and forged in the fires of friendship.
Band of brothers
The nature of professional soccer is that teams are pulled together across many countries and cultures to perform under the common language of the game. Just look at Atlanta United. Venezuelan goal-merchant Josef Martinez takes direction from his manager, Frank de Boer, who was raised halfway across the world in Amsterdam.
Since Bello (Douglasville), Carleton (Powder Springs), Goslin (Locust Grove), Okonkwo (Suwanee) and Kunga (Tucker) all lived in metro Atlanta and came through the academy around the same time, they developed a local bond that is unique in the scope of professional soccer.
"We all grew up together," said Andrew Carleton, 18. "We've known each other since we were young young. For us to be here on the same professional team is pretty sick."
In the United States, youth soccer is very regional. Players who live near each other and excel at a young age often end up playing with or against each other in various regional teams and tournaments, similar to AAU basketball.
Carleton was that type of talent. Outside of his club experiences, the dynamic central midfielder has represented the United States National Team at every level from under-14 all the way through to the under-20 team. He knew the other Homegrowns years before Atlanta United was founded.
“I played with George when I was 12. I’ve played against Chris and Lagos since I was 10, and I played with Chris since we were 14. We’re all best friends. We all hang out off the field together.”
Bello said that for the Homegrowns, their bond is much deeper than just friendship or being teammates.
“We’re really close. We’re basically like brothers to each other because we’ve known each other for so long, before Atlanta United was even a thing,” he said.
The five have gone different directions since signing their professional contracts. Bello, Carleton and Kunga are the only ones to see minutes for the first team, with Bello and Carleton as the only regulars on Atlanta United’s MLS squad.
Kunga, Goslin and Okonkwo have rotated through Atlanta United’s United Soccer League (USL) affiliates, Atlanta United 2 and the Charleston Battery. Atlanta United 2 played its inaugural USL season in 2018, another step in the development of Atlanta United’s prolific academy system.
“It’s great for us because it’s still a competitive level,” said Bello, who split time between the USL and MLS last season. “It’s a place where you can get a lot of competitive minutes and show what you can actually do in a game. Its beneficial to all those young guys - me, Andrew, Miles (Robinson), Lagos, Patty, Chris - to show what we can do, and then get called up to the first team whenever we’re needed.”
The new Atlanta
Atlanta United’s MLS Cup triumph in 2018 gave the city its first professional sports title since the Braves won the World Series in 1995, an accomplishment that meant something extra to the Homegrowns who now represent the city.
“Growing up here and being able to see the team grow and start from nothing to where we are now is pretty crazy,” Carleton said. “It’s something that, honestly, when I was growing up, I couldn’t even dream about because there wasn’t a team … to be a part of something that has brought a championship to Atlanta is beyond special for us.”
Bello thought that it was about time the fans of Atlanta got what they had been cheering so hard for.
“I just feel like Atlanta really deserved (a championship). They took Atlanta United in with open arms. It was big when we first got here, and now it’s even bigger,” he said.
Beyond their performances on the pitch, the Homegrowns have injected a regional flair that has blended into the overall personality of the club.
“Our style is a little bit different, being from Atlanta,” Carleton said. “Everywhere you go, there’s different styles of soccer. I think that’s what makes our team special. From all the different cultures, we all have different styles, but when you put them all together, we mesh well.”
Carleton was the first player to sign as a Homegrown, in June 2016. He thinks that as the first, he has a legacy to begin of Homegrown players who are active leaders in the Atlanta community, with the goal of “putting as many smiles” on people’s faces as he can. Bello also expressed the desire to use his visibility to be a positive role model.
“We want to show the people watching us that we are good characters and that we are working hard. Hopefully one day, when we make it, that’ll be a great example for young people who are striving to do the same.”
Making an impact
Carleton and Bello serve as the face of the Homegrowns because they have had the most experience breaking into Atlanta United’s MLS squad.
Carleton appeared in seven MLS matches for Atlanta United last season, recording one assist and five shots from the midfield in 161 minutes of action. He has been a valuable player in Atlanta United’s U.S. Open Cup competitions as well. He played three matches in that competition over the past two seasons, contributing one goal and drawing a penalty kick.
Bello gained traction at left back last year. In his debut season, he made three appearances in the MLS, two of which were starts. In his third appearance against New England Revolution, Bello used his attacking instincts to bomb up the left flank and find the back of the net at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Bello’s finish made him Atlanta United’s first Homegrown player to score in an MLS game. He also became the sixth-youngest player to score in MLS history, at 16 years, 257 days old.
“When I scored, they were all rushing toward me and they were happy for me,” Bello recalled. “It made me feel like the team cared for me, so it was a big moment. I knew it before, but to see how the team had my back was really cool.”
The team rallied behind Bello to make his first goal a special moment, but at the end of the day, that type of play is what they expect from the young fullback. Michael Parkhurst, a central defender who plays next to Bello and carries 280 career MLS starts, holds the 17-year-old to the same standards as anyone else.
“He’s been very impressive. If he does play, we don’t handicap him as a 16- or 17-year-old. We expect him to be at the level of the rest of the team and he expects that of himself as well,” Parkhurst said.
Defending the crown
Two offseason changes will prove integral to the success of the Homegrowns this season.
The first was the appointment of de Boer as Atlanta United’s new manager. The Dutchman has a history of including talented players in his rosters, no matter their age.
“One player can’t play all the games in the same position, so there will be opportunities for me and for all the other young players and Homegrowns,” Bello said. “I’m pretty sure Frank loves the youth, so I think he’ll give us all opportunities. We just have to take that and run with it.”
So far, Bello started the team’s first competitive game, a CONCACAF Champions League match against Herediano of Costa Rica on Feb. 21. Carleton did not travel to that match Costa Rica, but he has been an unused substitute in all three fixtures since. As the season begins, it appears both players will feature in the Five Stripes plenty.
That brings us to the other preseason move that will impact Homegrown playing time this year -- the changes at left back. Greg Garza, the team’s first choice at left back in 2018, left for new MLS member FC Cincinnati. Atlanta United then brought in Brek Shea from the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Shea is naturally a more attacking left-sided player, but in de Boer’s 3-4-3 formation, he would play the same wingback role as Bello, on the left side of the four. With two good options at one spot and plenty of games to play, de Boer stressed how much he needs both players.
“We have to rotate. For example, Bello. He’s 17,” de Boer said with enthusiasm. “You can’t play him every game, so we need Brek, and vis-a-vis, we need Bello. It’s the same for all the young players. You have so many traveling hours and so many games in front of us, so we have to rotate.”
With opportunities abound, there’s no telling what Bello and Carleton can accomplish this season, or who will be the next Homegrown to join them on the senior roster. Bello sees a Homegrown reunion as a distinct possibility.
“We’re just trying to work as hard as we can so that hopefully one day, we can all be out there on the first team together.”
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