Atlanta United: Finding Gold in MLS SuperDraft
By Drew Hubbard
In Miles Robinson and Julian Gressel, Atlanta United have unearthed two stars from the MLS SuperDraft. Perhaps there is talent in the college game after all.
The 2019 regular season hasn’t gone exactly to plan for Atlanta United. Dropping out of the CONCACAF Champions League and yet to win a league fixture, Frank de Boer has not enjoyed the easiest start to life Stateside.
That said, there has been one bright spot for the Five Stripes: MLS SuperDraft product Miles Robinson, who is building upon Atlanta’s young success discovered in the draft.
The Syracuse defender arrived in Atlanta after being selected with the second overall selection in the 2017 draft, making him the club’s first-ever draft choice. However, he failed to appear for Atlanta in their inaugural season, instead featuring for Atlanta’s previous USL affiliate, the Charleston Battery.
It took until April 7, 2018 to play for Atlanta, when he made his Major League Soccer debut against league newcomers Los Angeles Football Club on the way to a 5-0 win in front of the Five Stripe faithful. That year, he would also appear throughout Atlanta’s short-lived U.S. Open Cup run. But now, with defender Franco Escobar out with a shoulder injury, the young defender was given the chance to impress new manager de Boer. He has done exactly that and much more.
His performances of late have turned the American into a fan favorite, and with Atlanta struggling to start the season, Robinson has become a steady source of good form despite the troubles around him.
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And his run of good form has even caught the attention at the national level, with Robinson being called up to the U.S. U-23 Roster in March. But Robinson is only a piece of Atlanta’s success in the Major League Soccer Super Draft.
Following Robinson in the 2017 draft was German midfielder Julian Gressel, who was selected with the eighth overall pick. Unlike Robinson, Gressel made his MLS debut as soon as possible when he appeared in Atlanta’s first-ever MLS starting XI, later steamrolling his way to the 2017 MLS Rookie of the Year award.
Since then the Providence graduate has become one of the most consistent men on the pitch for both de Boer and previous manager Tata Martino. His ability to track back and defend while also sending in near-perfect balls for Josef Martinez and others gives opposing teams headaches when they try to defend the Five Stripes. Gressel is an assist machine and is proof that top-tier talent can still be uncovered in the college game.
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The MLS Super Draft has become somewhat of a nuisance for supporters, but with Atlanta reaping more than enough rewards from their draft selections, there is no telling what future stars are waiting for their chance.