Tag: Atlanta United

USMNT left back Wiley joins Chelsea from Atlanta United

The 19-year-old is expected to join Ligue 1 side Strasbourg on loan this season

Atlanta United has confirmed the transfer of left back Caleb Wiley to Premier League power Chelsea.

The Blues paid a reported £8.5 million ($11m) fee for the 19-year-old, who is expected to join Ligue 1 side Strasbourg on loan for the upcoming season.

Wiley will join up with Chelsea following his participation in the Olympics with the United States.

“Caleb epitomizes the pathway that we envisioned when we started this club,” Atlanta United vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a club release.

“Born and raised in Atlanta, he joined our Academy at 11 years old, played for ATL UTD 2 and went on to earn every step in his path up to signing as a Homegrown. Over that time, he debuted for the U.S. men’s national team and was chosen to represent our country at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“Now he can continue his career at a top club in Europe. We wish Caleb the best in this next challenge of his career and look forward to following his journey.”

Wiley made his pro debut for Atlanta United 2 in 2020 when he was just 15 years old, and made the jump to the first team as a regular in 2022.

Overall, Wiley made 85 appearances for Atlanta’s first team in all competitions, recording six goals and nine assists.

Wiley has earned two caps for the USMNT so far, making his debut in April 2023. He has also represented the U.S. at the U-17, U-20 and U-23 levels.

[lawrence-related id=78461,78410,77531]

‘He destroyed us!’ – McCarty questions Luna Olympic snub after RSL masterclass vs. Atlanta

The veteran midfielder said Atlanta United “felt the wrath of his snub”

Dax McCarty admitted he was baffled by Diego Luna being left off the U.S. men’s national team Olympic roster, a snub that inspired the Real Salt Lake star to a “masterclass” performance against McCarty’s Atlanta United side.

Luna was left off the USMNT squad heading to France, with Colorado Rapids playmaker Djordje Mihailovic named to the team as an overage player in his place.

After receiving the news of his omission, Luna tallied three assists and a goal in Real Salt Lake’s 5-2 win over Atlanta United last weekend.

McCarty was on the receiving end of Luna’s star performance, saying on his Major League Journeymen podcast that the 20-year-old has a right to feel aggrieved about being left off Marko Mitrović’s 18-man roster.

“With Atlanta United, we unfortunately just got our butts kicked by Real Salt Lake and Diego Luna was absolutely fantastic. He was the best player on the field,” the veteran midfielder said.

“We don’t know what goes into these decisions, we can only judge it for what it is. I think Luna has has a right to be perturbed because he absolutely destroyed us with Atlanta. It was a masterclass of a second half from him. We felt the wrath of his snub.”

McCarty played alongside Mihailovic with the Chicago Fire when Mitrović was an assistant coach, saying that he believed the coach opted for the overage Mihailovic over the age-eligible Luna due to his longstanding relationship with the now-Rapids playmaker.

“I think it came down to what overage players are available. What overage players can we bring, and is it going to be Diego Luna or Djordje Mihailovic?” McCarty said. “If we can get Djordje Mihailovic released from Colorado, the preference was Djordje. That’s clear because Marko has a relationship with Djordje, he’s known Djordje for years.

“I’m curious what Marko has seen in the U-23 camps that we don’t know about that led him to the decision to say, ‘I’m not going to bring Diego Luna, who’s age eligible but I’m going to bring Djordje instead.’

“For me it came down to that: Djordje Mihailovic versus Diego Luna. I think Diego Luna should be there.”

[lawrence-related id=77888,77607,77531]

Giakoumakis: It’s OK to lose games in MLS — and I hate it

The Greek striker fired a parting shot after his transfer from MLS to Liga MX

Giorgos Giakoumakis has fired a parting shot at MLS after his transfer to Liga MX, saying that he hates how losing some matches is acceptable in the American top flight.

Giakoumakis left Atlanta United after a season and a half, joining Cruz Azul this week in a transfer worth a reported $10 million.

The Greece international striker was hugely productive during his time with the Five Stripes, tallying 24 goals and seven assists in 43 matches across all competitions.

In 2023, his only full season in MLS, Giakoumakis was named an All-Star, earned a spot on the Best XI and was named the league’s Newcomer of the Year.

In his introductory press conference with Cruz Azul, Giakoumakis was clear in his belief that he had moved to a higher level of competition.

“I was really excited and I wanted to make it happen,” the 29-year-old said of his transfer to La Máquina. “Cruz Azul showed me how much they want me and that was a crucial factor for me to make my decision.

“Cruz Azul is a team for sure that I think is a level higher than MLS. It’s a team that is chasing records, chasing trophies and is trying to win always every single trophy.

“For me I love to work for these teams, to play for these teams because the expectations are high. Your motivation has to be always there. And it’s not OK to lose sometimes. That’s a bad thing in MLS, it’s OK to lose some games — and I hate it.”

In MLS, 18 of the league’s 29 teams currently make the playoffs, bolstering the Greek striker’s point that teams can afford a loss or two on their way through the season.

However, 10 of 18 teams make the postseason in Liga MX, which is 55 percent of the league’s teams — a figure not dissimilar to the 62 percent that reach the MLS playoffs.

Giakoumakis will aim to help Cruz Azul go one step further than it did in the recently completed Clausura campaign, which saw the Mexico City giant fall in the final against city rival Club América.

[lawrence-related id=75912,75805,75532]

Atlanta United fires head coach Gonzalo Pineda

The move had been expected for some time with the Five Stripes in freefall

Atlanta United has announced that it has fired head coach Gonzalo Pineda, with assistant Rob Valentino taking over on an interim basis.

The move has been anticipated for some time, as the Five Stripes are in the midst of a run of just one win in 11 matches and five straight home defeats.

Pineda’s final game in charge was a 3-2 home loss to Charlotte FC on Sunday, dropping Atlanta to 13th in the 15-team Eastern Conference.

“We are grateful to Gonzalo for his commitment and dedication to the club over the last four seasons. He has been an exemplary ambassador for the organization, and we want to thank him for his contributions to the club,” Atlanta United CEO and president Garth Lagerwey said in a club statement.

“We made this decision in an effort to move the team in a new direction. As we continue to evaluate all aspects of our sporting operation, Rob will have our full support to turn our season around in the second half.”

Pineda took over as head coach in August 2021 after previously serving as an assistant with the Seattle Sounders. The 41-year-old led Atlanta to the postseason twice, in 2021 and 2023, but the club exited in the first round on both occasions.

Overall, Pineda led the club to a record of 34W-29D-34L in league play.

[lawrence-related id=67608,49440,74527]

Restaurant that delivered Messi’s pizza now unsurprisingly mobbed

Messi tagged Banchero Miami in a post sent to his 487 million Instagram followers

Business is booming at Banchero Miami, and the Argentinian pizza restaurant has more than 487 million reasons to explain it.

That is the approximate number of Instagram followers Lionel Messi shared his pizza delivery with on Friday night, as the Inter Miami star ordered the “Don Antonio” pizza that comes with mozzarella, tomato sauce, tomato slices, onion, anchovies and olives.

Messi was roundly mocked online for the pizza that only slightly resembled a pizza, though it should be noted that Banchero specializes in the Fugazza, a focaccia-like pizza popular in South America.

The truth is, it doesn’t really matter how appetizing said pizza does or does not look. If Messi posts about it and tags the restaurant, the customers will follow.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CxTo3r9Oj5T/?hl=en

“The corner of 71st and Collins Ave, look at it!” the restaurant said on Instagram alongside a picture of a line out the door. “Thanks to everyone for choosing us, thanks [goat emoji] for life.”

The restaurant also changed its bio to read “Leo Messi’s favorite pizza.”

Messi’s pizza delivery seemed to confirm the rumors that he didn’t travel for Saturday’s MLS matchup against Atlanta United. After his post on Friday night from Miami, Messi’s absence was confirmed the following day as his side fell 5-2 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

After handing Inter Miami its first loss of the Messi era, Atlanta United’s social team was ready.

[lawrence-related id=28414,28243,28309]

Messi confirmed out for Inter Miami vs. Atlanta United, enjoys very Floridian day instead

Messi’s enjoying a day off with some pizza and youth soccer

Inter Miami faced yet another more or less must-win game in the club’s pursuit of a playoff spot, but Lionel Messi wasn’t there to help.

The iconic No. 10’s status for Saturday’s game against Atlanta United was the subject of some speculation, with Miami head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino saying that the club wouldn’t decide on whether Messi would travel or not until after Friday’s training session.

“We will be careful with him because we have a lot of important games in a short span,” Martino told reporters. “But the idea is to not get Leo or any other player injured.”

Martino later declared that Messi doesn’t have an existing injury, but the realities of international travel while playing in MLS remain daunting. Messi produced a free kick goal in Argentina’s 1-0 win over Ecuador, then traveled but did not play in a 3-0 road win over Bolivia.

Before sitting out that World Cup qualifier in La Paz, Messi had played 12 games in a 48-day span thanks to Miami’s Leagues Cup run, a congested MLS regular season slate, an Open Cup semifinal, and the Albiceleste’s win in CONMEBOL qualifying.

Given all that, hints started to emerge that Messi might not be heavily involved against Atlanta. Following Martino discussing Messi’s status, Messi posted an Instagram story Friday night showing what appeared to be a “Don Antonio” pizza from Banchero, a Miami Beach pizzeria known for its Argentine-style pies.

Credit: Leo Messi on Instagram

Messi then turned up at his son Thiago’s match with Inter Miami’s Under-12 team with what looked for all the world like a full cup of maté and some rolled-up jean shorts.

Banchero is located right on Miami Beach, while Inter Miami’s academy teams play at the club’s training facility. Both of these places are nowhere near Atlanta.

There were also reports from ESPN Argentina saying that Messi did not make the 664-mile trip north, but whatever, that’s not as fun. What’s on a Don Antonio? Jorts? That’s the good stuff.

(By the way, the Don Antonio comes with mozzarella, tomato sauce, tomato slices, onion, anchovies, olives, and the official position of Pro Soccer Wire is that it looks a little odd, but we’d try it for sure)

Anyway with kickoff approaching, the club delivered confirmation: no Messi in the starting 11, or on the bench.

Without Messi, Martino started Robert Taylor and Facundo Farías to either side of Leo Campana.

Following what ended up being a 5-2 Atlanta rout, Martino said that both Messi and Jordi Alba (who, like his former Barcelona teammate, played no part in the defeat) were simply in need of some rest.

“They both have muscular fatigue,” Martino told reporters after the match before alluding to the artificial turf playing surface. “It has nothing to do with the field.” Messi had previously shrugged off worries about playing on plastic.

[lawrence-related id=28349,28371,27821]

Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami: How to watch as Messi returns to MLS play

A massive crowd is expected at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the marquee matchup

The international break felt a lot different this time around in Major League Soccer.

Plenty of players in the league reported for international duty, but few have ever done so after riding the highs Lionel Messi has been hitting recently with Inter Miami.

Despite having to play a match against Sporting KC over the international break without Messi (a 3-2 win), Miami remains unbeaten in 12 games since the Argentine arrived — with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba joining shortly after.

Now Messi and Co. return to MLS play against Atlanta United, with a massive crowd expected at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

In the Leagues Cup in July, Inter cruised to a 4-0 win over Atlanta in a contest where Messi bagged a brace. However, it’s expected to be a much tighter affair in MLS play.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Inter Miami vs. Atlanta United on Apple TV” link=”https://apple.co/3sSTT7L”]

In fact, in a rare occurrence, Miami is the slight underdog. Atlanta, sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, has a decent shot to become the first team to beat Miami since Messi’s arrival.

Meanwhile, Inter Miami is on 28 points after 26 matches, sitting six points behind D.C. United in the final postseason position.

Here is everything you need to know to catch all the action:

Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami (Major League Soccer)

  • When: Saturday, Sept. 15
  • Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
  • Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
  • Channel/streaming: Apple TV

MLS Starting Lineups

Atlanta United possible lineup:
Guzan; Lennon, Robinson, Abram, Wiley; Sosa, Sejdic, Wolff, Almada; Giakoumakis, Lobzhanidze

Inter Miami possible lineup:
Callender; Yedlin, Miller, Aviles, Alba; Arroyo, Busquets, Gomez; Taylor, Martinez, Messi

MLS Odds and betting lines

MLS odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Odds were last updated Friday at 1:39 p.m.

Atlanta United (+135) vs. Inter Miami (+150)

Draw: (+300)

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Messi and Inter Miami on Apple TV” link=”https://apple.co/3sSTT7L”]

We recommend interesting sports viewing/streaming and betting opportunities. If you sign up for a service by clicking one of the links, we may earn a referral fee.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Martino to make late Messi call for Atlanta United match

The Inter Miami coach insisted that his star is not injured

Inter Miami head coach Tata Martino said Lionel Messi is healthy and available for his side’s match at Atlanta United on Saturday, but cautioned his team would still have to be careful with the Argentina star.

Messi only played in one of Argentina’s two matches over the recent international break. The 36-year-old scored the winner against Ecuador last week before being substituted late due to what he called fatigue.

Though he traveled to Bolivia, Messi would then sit out Argentina’s second match of the window — a 3-0 victory for the World Cup champions.

With his team’s superstar back for a playoff push, Martino said he would make a decision on his involvement after training on Friday.

“[Messi] is fine. But we will wait until after training today to make a decision,” Martino told the media on Friday, adding that Messi trained with the team on Thursday as well.

“We will be careful with him because we have a lot of important games in a short span. But the idea is to not get Leo or any other player injured.”

When asked if Messi was injured at all, Martino replied: “He doesn’t have an injury.”

(UPDATE: Messi reportedly didn’t travel to Atlanta, which he appeared to confirm on Friday night by posting a video on Instagram of his pizza order in Miami)

Currently on a 12-game unbeaten run in all competitions, Inter Miami is getting closer to climbing back into MLS playoff position. Martino’s side is still second-bottom in the Eastern Conference, but is now only six points back of D.C. United in the last playoff position, with two games in hand.

The match against Atlanta was set to be the first time Messi played on artificial turf since his arrival to Inter Miami. Though there had been some speculation he could opt out of such matches, Messi said last month he was happy to play on turf.

“I played all of my youth career on artificial turf,” Messi told reporters. “It’s been a long time since I played on turf, but I don’t have a problem with it.”

[lawrence-related id=28243,27972,27821]

Argentina calls up nearly as many MLS players as USMNT

A record three MLS players will be joining Argentina ahead of World Cup qualifiers

Argentina has called in a record three MLS players for its upcoming World Cup qualifiers, with Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Thiago Almada (Atlanta United) and Alan Velasco (FC Dallas) all getting the call.

The world champions will play Ecuador on September 7 and Bolivia on September 12 as they begin their qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup in North America.

With three call-ups, Argentina is only one short of the four MLS players the U.S. national team called in for its upcoming friendlies against Uzbekistan and Oman.

Ironically, one of those USMNT call-ups — Inter Miami midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi — is still eligible to play for Argentina. The other three MLS players called in by Gregg Berhalter are Drake Callender (Inter Miami), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United) and Cade Cowell (San Jose Earthquakes).

Almada and Messi were teammates on Argentina’s 2022 World Cup winning squad. Almada, who played six minutes total in the tournament, became the first active MLS player to win the World Cup.

Messi, of course, played a considerably bigger role, winning the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player as he finally lifted the game’s biggest international prize with Argentina.

For Velasco, the call-up represents the first time he’s been invited to join Argentina’s senior national team. The 21-year-old winger has been previously called into the Albiceleste’s U-17 side.

[lawrence-related id=27153,26854,27032]