Atlanta United FC: 3 Takeaways from the Chicago Fire Match

3. Atlanta IS a Soccer Town!!!

When Don Garber and MLS announced that Atlanta would be receiving an expansion franchise, many analysts scoffed at the idea. They said that Atlanta was NOT a sports town and that they definitely were NOT a soccer town. Plenty have wondered if soccer would ever be successful in “the South,” the land where College Football is KING.

The second home game of the year for Atlanta United proved that the interest in this team is not going anywhere. Fans who showed up for the week one matchup against the New York Red Bulls out of pure curiosity should have faded away after a crushing opening week defeat.

Instead, Atlanta posted their second straight sellout and have had more than 100,000 tickets sold, total, at their first two games. But it is not that fans are simply showing up. They are invested. At each of the two games, the majority of the fans have stood for the entire game.

And while the supporter’s groups are still working hard to establish the culture for a team that started from scratch, there are some chants that are cementing themselves as staples for this team. One of which is a PERFECT adaptation of the Viking Clap:

Then, there is this amazing call and response bouncing back and forth across Bobby Dodd Stadium:

The team for its part has also done a ton to help lay the groundwork for the fan culture. One unique tradition that calls back to Atlanta’s history is the Golden Spike, which is driven in by a celebrity in the pre-game and by a fan-voted Man of the Match in the post-game.

Next: Is Walker Zimmerman on his way to Germany?

Atlanta is quickly setting itself apart as a unique and dynamic fan culture inside of Major League Soccer.