#3: Atlanta’s First Trip to Vancouver
Opponent: Atlanta United FC
Date: Saturday June 3rd, 2017
Location: BC Place, Vancouver, BC
Last season:
No matches
Forget about the established MLS teams for a moment. There are two new teams coming to town this year. First up is Atlanta United FC, who will come to BC Place for the first time at the start of June.
Expansion teams often struggle in their first season. Just look at the Whitecaps. In their inaugural season in 2011, the ‘Caps finished dead last with six wins and 18 defeats. It takes time to build a team as a cohesive unit.
Atlanta might just be an exception to the rule, however. Led by former Barcelona and Argentina head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino, they’ve gone for a more expensive version of the Whitecaps’ own Latin American strategy. Atlanta have signed Miguel Almirón and Héctor Villalba as Designated Players. They also took advantage of their number two draft pick to select Miles Robinson, a Generation adidas player. Experienced names on their roster include Kenwyne Jones and Jeff Larentowicz.
This is a squad built to compete immediately, and by the time Atlanta come to Vancouver, they will have had three months to gel. A first ever match against a new team in the league is not one to miss. Which brings us to the next selection.