Assessing the Atlanta United Roster for 2021

Following a dismal 2020 campaign for Atlanta United, it’s been an offseason of change in Georgia.

Gabriel Heinze is the new head coach, several big-name players have joined the club, and perhaps most notably, star striker Josef Martinez is nearing a return from the lengthy ACL injury that ruled him out of last season.

So, can the 2021 Atlanta United roster bring the good times back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium?

In this post, I look at the Five Stripes’ offseason transfers, detail Atlanta’s roster for the 2021 MLS season, and analyze ATL UTDs Designated Players.

Let’s kick things off by looking at Atlanta United’s transfers in 2021.

Santiago Sosa headlines the Five Stripes’ list of incoming players this year. The 21-year-old was acquired from Argentine giant Boca Juniors for over $5 million and will add dynamism to the team’s midfield.

Fellow Argentine Franco Ibarra cost Atlanta around $3 million, while Alex DeJohn, Ronald Hernandez, Lisandro Lopez, and Machop Chol arrived on free transfers.

As you can see, Andrew Gutman features in both columns here. The defender was signed from Scottish club Celtic but will spend the 2021 MLS season on loan with the Red Bulls.

Fernando Meza and Franco Escobar have also signed loan deals elsewhere, while Eric Remedi has joined San Jose following three years in Georgia.

To learn more about Atlanta’s biggest offseason acquisition, you can check out our blog below.

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Here is Atlanta’s 2021 roster in full.

36-year-old Brad Guzan is likely to be Gabriel Heinze’s first-choice goalkeeper this year, although Alec Kann could soon stake a claim for Atlanta’s number-one jersey.

The aging Guzan endured a testing season between the sticks in 2020. Kann has been waiting patiently in the wings for a while now, so we could see the understudy become the main man in 2021.

In Miles Robinson, Atlanta possesses one of the top homegrown center-backs in Major League Soccer. Former USL Championship pair Alex DeJohn and Josh Bauer will provide competition for places in central defense, having recently joined the club.

At left-back, George Bello will aim to build on last year’s breakout campaign. And on the other side of the backline, new arrival Ronald Hernandez could challenge Brooks Lennon for the right-back spot.

Sosa joins a strong Argentine contingent in Atlanta’s midfield, alongside compatriots such as Franco Ibarra, Marcelino Moreno, and Ezequiel Barco. In fact, Atlanta United’s 2021 roster is packed with exciting midfield options.

Following a quiet 2020 campaign, Barco is one of the designated players who need to step up in 2021.

Emerson Hyndman, Matheus Rossetto, and Jake Mulraney established themselves as important players for the Five Stripes last season, meaning Heinze is spoiled for choice in this department.

I could argue that Atlanta’s depth at right-wing is now among the best in MLS. Jurgen Damm and Tyler Wolff both arrived last year, while new signings like Darwin Matheus and Machop Chol offer even more options in that area.

Ex-Porto and Lyon striker Lisandro Lopez add heaps of experience to Atlanta’s squad for 2021, but all the focus will be on returning DP Josef Martinez this year.

Can the Five Stripes’ DPs get back to their best this year? Let’s take a closer look at Atlanta’s Designated Players in 2021.

Atlanta spent somewhere in the region of $7.5 million to bring Moreno to Major League Soccer back in September 2020. But at that point, the Georgia outfit’s campaign was already beyond saving.

The central midfielder showed everyone glimpses of what he is capable of towards the end of the previous season, chipping in with two goals and one assist in six MLS appearances. Still, as one of Atlanta United’s DPs, Moreno will be expected to up his game in 2021.

You can check out how Moreno opened his ATL UTD account in the video below.

By his own high standards, Barco was nowhere near good enough in 2020. We had gotten used to the Atlanta DP dominating defenses, yet just like his team, Barco endured a season to forget last year.

Of course, it is important to remember that the former Independiente youngster is still only 22. But having joined Atlanta for a whopping $15 million in 2018, there is a sense that Barco is yet to live up to his price tag.

It is no exaggeration to say that Martinez will feel like a brand-new signing for the Five Stripes this year. The Venezuelan striker spent the entirety of the 2020 campaign sidelined through injury – and his team sorely missed him.

Not only is Martinez Atlanta’s best Designated Player, but he is arguably one of the greatest DPs in MLS history. You only have to look at his outrageous scoring record to see exactly how much he means to the club. I mean, he pretty much averages a goal involvement per game for ATL UTD.

As this post details, a lot has changed at Atlanta United since the end of the previous campaign.

On paper, Atlanta’s roster for 2021 is one of the strongest in Major League Soccer. But we all know what happened last season, right?

A lot will depend on how Heinze settles into his new role. The 42-year-old is one of several new MLS head coaches in 2021, but it will naturally take him time to adapt to the league and get to grips with the Five Stripes’ squad.

In my eyes, Sosa is an excellent acquisition. Not only is he a gifted player, but he has also added to the club’s Argentine contingent – and that is likely to help Heinze.

Above all, the return of Martinez is massive. If the prolific striker can stay fit this year, Atlanta United’s 2021 roster could return to the glory days.

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