Atlanta United: Trophies or bust

After a dominant two seasons in MLS, Atlanta United supporters look ahead in 2019 expecting more silverware. It is trophies or bust for Frank de Boer.

As the 2018 dream season lies in the rear-view mirror for Atlanta United, newly appointed manager Frank de Boer looks ahead to the 2019 schedule with a rowdy and proud fan base right beside him. And while the supporters will be there no matter what, the Five Stripe faithful know the feeling of silverware, and they want more.

The competitive season for Atlanta United begins Thursday night when they face off against Costa Rican champions C.S. Herediano in leg one of the first round of the CONCACAF Champions League.

Atlanta head into the tie as heavy favorites and have some of the best odds to take home the title for the first time in club and MLS history. And after lifting the 2018 MLS Cup along with a legitimate chance to become champions of North America, it leaves Atlanta supporters expecting trophies out of the 2019 campaign.

After two seasons of dominating MLS both on and off the field, Atlanta United have established themselves as a super club in Major League Soccer. But with the super-club status comes a price.

The price is simple: Trophies or bust.

United head into the season with a match-heavy schedule, but with a squad full of talent and depth that is able to take on the upcoming burden. Fans are all too aware of this, leaving Mercedes Benz Stadium packed out with supporters hoping that the this year’s Five Stripes will become the best team in MLS history.

And while the title of best-ever seems a haughty one for a three-year-old club, the goal is more than possible for de Boer’s team.

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In 2018 Atlanta United earned their way into the conversation of best-ever, having tied the second-highest points total in league history and winning MLS Cup. But a chance for the champions league title still waited. Now, as Atlanta’s time has come, there is no excuse for this team to not become the best we’ve ever seen.

Many fans in MLS find their club owners cheap and unwilling to invest money in the team, but in Arthur Blank, Atlanta United supporters have perhaps the best and most willing owner in MLS. This offseason, he dug into his pocket to put a quality team on the field by signing South American Player of the Year Gonzalo “Pity” Martinez and extending Josef Martinez’s contract. With this amount of quality on the field (and on the bench as well), the Five Stripe faithful are right to expect silverware out of the 2019 season, and for seasons to come, as long as Uncle Arthur keeps getting high-quality players on the pitch.

The 2018 Atlanta United season will be one that Atlanta sports fans will remember for the rest of their lives. But a new challenge approaches. And with a team more than prepared to take on those challenges, fans down south are ready to add a little more weight to the trophy cabinet.