Atlanta United: Champions League not about continental dominance

Atlanta United has stated that winning the CONCACAF Champions League is a major goal for 2019. However, winning it is means more than mere continental dominance.

Editor’s Note: This piece was written before Wednesday night’s 3-0 defeat to Monterrey in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final.

Atlanta United are in the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time. Their goal, like all MLS teams in the tournament, is to win it. No MLS club has completed the feat since the competition reformatted in 2008, so naturally, today’s MLS teams want to be the first. At least, most of them do.

This particular Sporting KC writer says winning MLS Cup is more important and, while I understand his viewpoint, I personally disagree. My view is rooted in what Atlanta United are trying to achieve, and all of it stems from winning the CCL. The reason being? The FIFA Club World Cup.

Often times you may hear about ‘global clubs.’ The first one that may pop into people’s minds is Manchester City of the English Premier League. Manchester City is owned by City Football Group, who have gone as far as to buy clubs around the world to expand the City brand. City Football Group are currently majority owners of clubs in England, United States, Australia, and Uruguay. They are also part owners of clubs in Spain, China, and Japan, bringing their ownership of clubs to a total of seven.

While Atlanta United may not be looking to buy clubs around the world, they are certainly looking to become a presence on the world stage. They are approaching the door with the CCL. They will be opening it by appearing in the Club World Cup. They will fully enter the room and take their seat at the table by winning the Club World Cup.

If you’re not paying attention to Atlanta United, you may not see the early signs of what the club is trying to achieve. However, it started with the hiring of Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino and signing of Miguel Almiron.

Martino is a legend in South America. His appointment sent waves through the Americas. It immediately put Atlanta on the map, although they took up a small surface area on said map. Not only was his signing crucial on a surface level, but it allowed Atlanta to bring in loads of South American talent, such as Almiron.

Almiron found immediate success in MLS and was sold just this January for around $27M to Newcastle United, both a record for an outgoing transfer fee in MLS and a club signing fee for Newcastle. Once again, Atlanta sent waves through the Americas by showing that it can not only lure in top talent but sell it to bigger and better clubs on the global market. Atlanta’s surface area on the map began to expand, especially as English clubs took notice of Almiron’s transfer.

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And the Five Stripes continue to mine top talent, including 20-year-old Ezequiel Barco and 2018 South American Player of the Year, Gonzalo “Pity” Martinez, both from Argentina. With top talent comes success, and Atlanta is experiencing it both on the pitch and off. They have homegrown players like George Bello, who is gaining interest from English clubs already.

The fan base is ravenous and the world is taking notice. Atlanta continues to break attendance records in MLS and routinely has some of the largest attendance numbers on any given day. Their average attendance numbers rival the likes of Liverpool, Marseille, and Ajax. The world is beginning to pay attention and will only continue to do so as Atlanta’s soccer fandom expands.

This all circles back to the original point: winning CCL isn’t about continental dominance, it’s about getting a seat at the world table. Is the Club World Cup the most important tournament in the world? Maybe, maybe not. But imagine Atlanta United facing off against River Plate or Kashima Antlers or Real Madrid. These are teams recognized around the world and just playing against them presents the opportunity of exposure.

Where does the exposure lead? Growth. You can bet that just about no one in Argentina had heard of the city of Atlanta before a few years ago. Now, after hiring Tata Martino, signing Miguel Almiron and Pity Martinez, and winning a trophy, Atlanta is a topic in Argentina. Against Herediano in the first leg, Atlanta United was trending in Argentina on Twitter.

Exposure and success beget more exposure and success. South American players are beginning to see and will continue to see the fun players have while playing in Atlanta. As more successful players join the club, more will follow; as more players see the way Atlanta’s players realize dreams (a la Almiron), more will follow still.

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And Atlanta will continue to grow its talent and footprint on the world, just the way they want. It all starts, however, with the CCL.

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