In less than a year, Atlanta’s MLS team has reached 17,500 seats reserved by slightly more than 6,000 members in the Founder’s Club.
Owner Arthur Blank asked those interested in the team to try to reach 25,000 seats by the end of 2014. While the team didn’t quite make it, team management seems thrilled with the interest in those wishing to reserve seats, as well as to the participation in a survey sent out a few weeks ago.
“(We) expect founding memberships to continue to grow rapidly as we begin the brand identity process this year,” a spokesperson said in an email.
With two years remaining before the inaugural 2017 season, Atlanta’s MLS team has a realistic shot at overtaking Seattle, which had a league-record 22,000 season tickets earmarked before its first season.
Orlando SC recently surpassed 10,000 season tickets. NYCFC surpassed that mark in October.
MLS Draft: Two players with ties to Georgia went in the final two rounds of the MLS SuperDraft last week.
Andy Craven, a native of St. Simons, went to Seattle in the third round. The Sounders are stacked at forward with Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, but watching them should give Craven a chance to learn what it takes to be a professional. He said that was a goal if he got to play with Robbie Keane at Los Angeles, which was one of the teams he was pegged to go to in mock drafts. Craven tied for the Division I lead with 15 goals his senior season at North Carolina.
Goalkeeper Andrew Wolverton, formerly of St. Pius and Penn State, went to Los Angeles in the fourth round. Wolverton went 38-23-8 record as a starter for the Nittany Lions.
Atlanta Vibe: The survey results are in and organizers are moving forward in efforts to bring a professional women's soccer team to Atlanta.
The team would possibly play as early as 2016 in the NWSL, which hasn’t commented on the team and would still need to approve the franchise, and its home would be at Grady Stadium.
“Everything on our side looks very, very promising,” Trey Brantley, spokesman and one of the organizers, said. “We’re excited to see where we go from here.”
Brantley declined to provide any of the results of the survey. However, the team’s organizers have put another survey on www.atlantavibe.com asking for help in choosing the team colors.
Brantley thanked the youth clubs and Georgia Soccer for promoting the first survey on their websites and by emailing the link to their members.
Silverbacks fall schedule: Atlanta will open the Fall portion of the NASL schedule on the Fourth of July with a trip to Tampa. Five of Atlanta's first six games will be on the road.
The Silverbacks will play their home opener on July 11 against Jacksonville.
Atlanta will open the Spring season on April 4 against Indy.
U.S. friendlies: Atlanta's Sean Johnson was one of three goalkeepers picked by Jurgen Klinsmann for the team that will face Chile and Panama.
The U.S. will play Chile on Wednesday in Rancagua. The team will play Panama on Feb. 8 in Carson, Calif.
Johnson should get a run-out in at least one of the games. The other two goalkeepers are Nick Rimando, who is mostly a known commodity with 16 caps for the national team, and Sporting K.C.’s Jon Kempin, who isn’t.
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