What was said about the opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium after Atlanta United defeated Dallas 3-0 on Sunday in the first soccer game in the $1.5 billion building:
Atlanta United manager Gerardo Martino
“The stadium is so impressive that it’s tough not to talk about what the stadium represents but I have to
talk about how the team played. With everything that we have coming and the eight games in 23 days, I
think the most important is the performance against an opponent that generally we were better than but
in some situations, they put us through tough moments.”
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“This stadium is imposing. It’s a beautiful stadium and we’re very proud to call it our own. I think we have
to thank Arthur (Blank) and I think it’s a point of pride for not only Atlanta but the state and all of the
United States.”
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“It was important because we had to adjust quickly to our new stadium. We’re in the final stage of the
league and today’s game was a big challenge for us and I think we overcame it. We still have the support
of the fans who came from Bobby Dodd (Stadium) and we were able to win what was
-- in my opinion -- our best game of the season.”
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Atlanta United fullback Greg Garza
“These fans are incredible. I don’t think there’s any comparison to any other team in the MLS. In my opinion, they’re the best fans in this league. They put on a show for us once more and thank goodness we were able to put on a show for them on the field as well. We’ve got to take advantage of these next five games we have at home. I know it’s a tight schedule but I’m glad we got the win today to build the momentum for the next games.”
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“We actually enjoyed Bobby Dodd (Stadium) and we enjoyed (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) so I have no
complaints whatsoever. These people are amazing. These fans are amazing and I think they do a great job
of cheering us on the whole 90 minutes.”
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“As I’ve said before, these are the best fans in the league. I think the setup they had where we can walk
out and the fans can give us a high-five before the warmups is great. Hopefully, we can bring a win every
single game because I don’t have to see their faces (and) how they’re going to look at us after a loss but it
was awesome. The people have always supported us no matter what. Winning or losing, it’s great to have
the support of the wonderful city of Atlanta.”
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Atlanta United captain Michael Parkhurst
“Coming out of the tunnel, it was hot - spewing a lot of fire at us - that is the first thing I noticed. It was
exciting. We were all looking forward to this game for a while. It lived up to expectations. The crowd
was fantastic. The performance was fantastic. It was a very good evening to start things off here.”
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“I will tell them about the crowd, the sellout, the noise, the support that we got leading up to this game
and coming into this game. Everything was just amazing. The walkout and the anthem was great. Obviously, the score was fantastic. A lot of positives to take way from it. A lot of memories.”
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Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan
“This one is up there for sure. In terms of the atmosphere and in terms of the walk out, everything about
the stadium is world class. For us to be able to call this place home, we are lucky.”
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“I think it is probably the same people coming from Bobby Dodd (Stadium) that are coming here so for
us, we are lucky because they are boisterous and excited to be in the stands and they support us and they
let their voices be heard. For us, it is an extra boost. You want to play for these guys. You want to play for
the fans and put together a good performance.”
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Dallas’ Victor Ulloa
“It was absolutely amazing. The atmosphere was great. The stadium is awesome. Too bad we couldn’t ruin their party today.”
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Dallas’ Maynor Figueroa
“The truth is it was wonderful to play in this type of stadium with a great fanbase that supports their team
from start to finish. As a player, I like to play in atmospheres like that -- in my favor or against -- and I
don’t think it affected us but it made them more motivated. Hopefully, (we) have the opportunity to have
more stadiums like this in the league and that this league keeps growing day by day.”
