Atlanta United: 5 New Year’s resolutions

2019 is set to be a huge year for Atlanta United. Defending their MLS Cup, challenging for the Supporters’ Sheild and embarking on a CONCACAF Champions League run. So, here are five New Year’s Resolutions for the Five Stripes.

It’s New Year’s, the time for making resolutions and changes to your life. And for any MLS organisation, given that this is the peak of the offseason, it is the perfect time to reflect on the past year and look forward to what is to come over the next 12 months.

For Atlanta United, while their inaugural MLS Cup was a monumental achievement in 2018, there is much more to come in 2019.

So, here are five New Year’s resolutions for the Five Stripes:

5. Sell Miguel Almiron for at least $25 million

This should be well within the club’s reach. Atlanta has said it wants to move players on to bigger clubs and bigger leagues. Miguel Almiron has said his ambition is to play in Europe. He has been the best player in MLS over the last two years and is now ready and deserving of a move. And, with the recent transfer of Christian Pulisic to Chelsea for more than $70 million, Almiron should be able to command $25 million or more.

4. Have the highest selling jersey in MLS

This resolution may seem U.S. centric, but it also supports the club’s global ambitions. Dominating MLS merchandise sales creates news stories, which translates into recognition around the world. Take a look at this article last month in the Daily Mail, a paper based in the UK. It makes a point of stating that Josef Martinez’s jersey was the top-selling jersey on Fanatics for a day. It was the first time an MLS player had ever outsold every other American sports star, including LeBron James, Odell Beckham Jr., Steph Curry. Shirt sales, like it or not, have an impact on the global brand of the team.

3. Unlock the potential of Ezequiel Barco

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Ezequiel Barco is the most expensive signing ever in MLS. In 2018, his year was a roller coaster: he started out hurt, recovered and played well as a consistent part of the starting 11 for the middle third of the season, then was suspended and benched for unannounced reasons. He slowly worked his way back into the team, but only to play a role as a kind of “super sub” in the playoffs, maintaining possession, drawing fouls, and using up time to close out games.

If Barco can regain his confidence and take control of games like he did in the 2018 Copa Libertadores final, his stock will increase significantly. That, in turn, will drive up his attractiveness to the big clubs in Europe, which will ignite his transfer fee and enhance Atlanta United’s global reputation and, well, you get the picture. This is the model the club wants to follow over and over again.

2. Win at least two trophies in 2019

In order to grow internationally, Atlanta needs to keep moving forward. It must back up its ambitions with results on the field, or the club will be forgotten about outside of MLS. Atlanta will compete for at least five trophies in 2019: the U.S. Open Cup, the Supporters’ Shield, MLS Cup, Campeones Cup, and the CONCACAF Champions League. The club won one of the big prizes in 2018 in the MLS Cup. Now it must add to its trophy cabinet with at least two more in 2019.

1. Win the CONCACAF Champions League

This is the biggest — and most ambitious — goal of the year. No MLS team has ever won the CCL. Three MLS teams lost in the finals: RSL in 2011, Montreal Impact in 2015, and Toronto in 2018. In addition to claiming a prestigious trophy, the CCL offers a bigger prize to a team with global ambitions: admission to the FIFA Club World Cup. The tournament pits the winners of each confederation’s club competition against each other every December. This year Real Madrid won. Yes, THAT Real Madrid, with Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos, and reigning player of the year Luca Modric. Playing in the Club World Cup is the real prize that Atlanta United should shoot for; winning the CCL is the way to get there.

Atlanta United has often stated its ambitions are to be bigger than MLS, bigger than just a U.S. team; it wants to be a global brand and powerhouse. These five resolutions for 2019 will move them a long way towards that goal. What do you think? Are there other goals the team should aspire to this year? Let me know in the comments!