The 2020 Atlanta United FC season was the fourth season of Atlanta United FC's existence, and the twelfth year that a professional soccer club from Atlanta, Georgia competed in the top division of American soccer. Atlanta United played their home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Outside of MLS, the team made their second appearance in the CONCACAF Champions League, and were set to participate in the 2020 U.S. Open Cup as defending champions, before the tournament's cancelation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the club's elimination from the MLS is Back Tournament, manager Frank de Boer was fired, with Atlanta United 2 manager Stephen Glass taking over as interim manager for the remainder of the season. The 2020 season was the first time Atlanta United FC finished worse than fourth in the Supporters' Shield table and failed to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs.
Club
Squad no. Name Nationality Position(s) Date of birth (age) Previous club Apps Goals Goalkeepers 1 Brad Guzan (VC) GK Middlesbrough 125 0 13 Brendan Moore GK Rochdale 0 0 25 Alec Kann GK Sporting Kansas City 25 0 Defenders 2 Franco Escobar RB Newell's Old Boys 81 5 4 Anton Walkes RB Portsmouth 43 2 6 Fernando Meza CB Tijuana 17 0 11 Brooks Lennon RB Real Salt Lake 26 2 12 Miles Robinson (GA) CB Syracuse University 77 1 19 Edgar Castillo LB New England Revolution 4 0 21 George Bello (HGP) LB Atlanta United Academy 25 2 26 Jon Gallagher RB University of Notre Dame 16 4 32 George Campbell (HGP) CB Atlanta United Academy 1 0 34 Jack Gurr RB Atlanta United 2 1 0 Midfielders 5 Eric Remedi DM Banfield 78 3 8 Ezequiel Barco (DP) AM Independiente 78 11 9 Matheus Rossetto AM Athletico Paranaense 17 0 10 Marcelino Moreno (DP) CM Lanús 7 2 15 Manuel Castro RW Estudiantes 11 0 18 Jeff Larentowicz (C) DM LA Galaxy 132 5 20 Emerson Hyndman CM AFC Bournemouth 45 5 22 Jürgen Damm RW UANL 14 0 23 Jake Mulraney AM Hearts 21 1 27 Laurence Wyke DM Atlanta United 2 7 0 28 Tyler Wolff (HGP) RW Atlanta United Academy 5 0 29 Mo Adams (GA) CM Chicago Fire FC 22 1 Forwards 7 Josef Martínez (DP) CF Torino 103 90 14 Adam Jahn CF Phoenix Rising 24 3 16 Erik López CF Olimpia 1 0 31 Erick Torres CF Tijuana 14 1 36 Jackson Conway CF Atlanta United 2 1 1
International roster slots Atlanta had eight International Roster Slots for use in the 2020 season. During the 2020 offseason, Franco Escobar, Ezequiel Barco, and Eric Remedi acquired green cards, making them domestic players for MLS roster purposes.
+Atlanta United International Roster Slots Slot Player Country1Manuel Castro Uruguay2Jürgen Damm Mexico3Fernando Meza Argentina4Marcelino Moreno Argentina5Jake Mulraney Ireland6Matheus Rossetto Brazil7Anton Walkes England8Laurence Wyke England
Results
Non-competitive
Friendlies
Competitive
Major League Soccer
On March 12, 2020, the season entered a month-long suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, following the cancellation of several matches. On March 19, the suspension was extended until May 10, and on April 17, the suspension was extended further to June 8. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the first interruption of regular season play since the 2001 MLS season, in which many late regular season games were cancelled due to the September 11 attacks.
On June 10, MLS announced that a bracket format dubbed the "MLS is Back Tournament" would begin July 8 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World, and end with the final on August 11. The three group stage matches would count towards the regular season standings. Following the tournament, the MLS regular season resumed with a revised schedule, concluding with the playoffs and MLS Cup 2020.
League tables
Eastern Conference
Overall
MLS is Back Tournament - Group E
Results summary
*Table does not include three group stage matches of MLS is Back Tournament*
Results by round
Matches
MLS Cup Playoffs
U.S. Open Cup
Originally, Atlanta United FC were to begin play by the 19th or the 20th of May. However, the tournament was suspended and eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CONCACAF Champions League
Round of 16
Quarter-finals
Statistics Appearances and goals
! colspan=16 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Goalkeepers
! colspan=16 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Defenders
! colspan=16 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Midfielders
! colspan=16 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Forwards
! colspan=16 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center|Players who have played for Atlanta United this season but have left the club:
Top scorers
PlacePositionNameTotal1MF Jon Gallagher40004MF Pity Martínez200243FW Adam Jahn300034FW Ezequiel Barco20002MF Emerson Hyndman20002MF Jeff Larentowicz20002DF Brooks Lennon20002FW Josef Martínez00022MF Marcelino Moreno2000210DF George Bello10001MF Jake Mulraney10001MF Eric Remedi10001FW Erick Torres10001FW Jackson Conway00011Total 23 0 0 5 28
Player movement In No.Pos.PlayerTransferred fromTypeUSFee/notesDateSource — DF José Hernández Atlanta United 2 Loan return Non–US Free November 21, 2019 35 FW Patrick Okonkwo Atlanta United 2 Loan return US Free November 21, 2019 23 MF Lagos Kunga Memphis 901 Loan return US Free November 30, 2019 11 DF Brooks Lennon Real Salt Lake Trade US $300K in GAM & TAM December 2, 2019 20 MF Emerson Hyndman AFC Bournemouth Transfer US Undisclosed December 9, 2019 32 DF George Campbell Atlanta United Academy Transfer US Signed as a Homegrown Player (HGP) January 1, 2020 4 DF Anton Walkes Portsmouth Transfer Non-US Undisclosed January 9, 2020 6 DF Fernando Meza Tijuana Transfer Non-US Undisclosed January 10, 2020 19 DF Edgar Castillo New England Revolution Transfer US Free January 17, 2020 14 FW Adam Jahn Phoenix Rising Transfer US Undisclosed and 2020 loan rights to Lagos Kunga January 21, 2020 23 MF Jake Mulraney Heart of Midlothian Transfer Non-US Undisclosed January 23, 2020 9 MF Matheus Rossetto Athletico Paranaense Transfer Non-US Undisclosed February 3, 2020 27 MF Laurence Wyke Atlanta United 2 Transfer Non-US Undisclosed March 5, 2020 24 FW JJ Williams Generation Adidas Transfer US Undisclosed March 8, 2020 22 MF Jürgen Damm UANL Transfer Non-US Free July 1, 2020 28 FW Tyler Wolff Atlanta United Academy Transfer US Signed as a Homegrown Player (HGP) July 2, 2020 31 FW Erick Torres Tijuana Transfer US Free July 31, 2020 — MF Marcelino Moreno Lanús Transfer Non-US $7 Million, Signed as Designated Player September 22, 2020
SuperDraft picks Draft picks are not automatically signed to the team roster. Only trades involving draft picks and executed after the start of 2020 MLS SuperDraft are listed in the notes. Atlanta had two selections in the draft.
Round Selection Player Position College Status 1 23 Patrick Nielsen DF Michigan State Non-US 3 75 Phillip Goodrum FW UNC Wilmington US
Loan in
No.Pos.PlayerLoaned FromUSStartEndSource15MF EstudiantesNon-USFebruary 12, 2020End of Season33FW Atlanta United 2USFebruary 18, 2020February 22, 202027MF Atlanta United 2Non-USFebruary 29, 2020March 3, 202037GK Atlanta United 2USDecember 15, 2020December 19, 202034DF Atlanta United 2Non-USDecember 15, 2020December 19, 202016FW Atlanta United 2Non-USDecember 15, 2020December 19, 202033FW Atlanta United 2USDecember 15, 2020December 19, 2020
Out No.Pos.PlayerTransferred toTypeUSFee/notesDateSource 3 DF Michael Parkhurst N/A Retired US Free October 31, 2019 6 MF Darlington Nagbe Columbus Crew Trade US $1.05 Million in TAM & GAM, 2020 International Roster Slot November 13, 2019 19 FW Brandon Vazquez Nashville SC Expansion Draft US $50K in GAM November 19, 2019 4 DF Florentin Pogba Sochaux Option Declined Non-US Free November 21, 2019 14 MF Justin Meram Real Salt Lake Option Declined US Free November 21, 2019 20 DF Brek Shea Inter Miami CF Out of Contract US Free November 21, 2019 22 DF Mikey Ambrose Inter Miami CF Option Declined US Selected in first round of re-entry draft November 21, 2019 27 MF Chris Goslin End-of-Year Waivers Option Declined US Free November 21, 2019 32 MF Kevin Kratz End-of-Year Waivers Out of Contract US Free November 21, 2019 35 FW Patrick Okonkwo End-of-Year Waivers Option Declined US Free November 21, 2019 — DF José Hernández Atlético Venezuela Option Declined Non-US Free November 21, 2019 28 MF Dion Pereira Free agent Released Non-US Free January 9, 2020 5 DF Leandro González Pírez Tijuana Transfer US Undisclosed January 10, 2020 24 MF Julian Gressel D.C. United Trade US Up to $1.1M in TAM January 21, 2020 15 MF Héctor Villalba Club Libertad Transfer US Undisclosed January 31, 2020 22 MF Luiz Fernando Free agent Waived Non-US Free July 1, 2020 10 MF Pity Martínez Al-Nassr Transfer Non-US $18 Million September 7, 2020
Loan out No.Pos.PlayerLoaned toStartEndSource26MF AberdeenJune 21, 2019May 30, 202023MF Phoenix RisingJanuary 21, 2020 End of season30MF Indy ElevenJanuary 24, 2020End of season24FW Birmingham LegionSeptember 10, 2020End of season
Non-player transfers AcquiredFromForSourceDiscovery rights for Jürgen Damm Houston Dynamo$50K in GAM
Honors
Weekly / monthly
MLS team / player / coach of the week
Week Team of the week Player of the week Coach of the week Ref Starting XI Bench1 Ezequiel Barco2 Ezequiel Barco (2) Pity Martínez MLS is BackRound 1 Brad Guzan6 Pity Martínez (2) 10 Adam Jahn13 Fernando Meza 15 Jon Gallagher Brooks Lennon 16 Brad Guzan (2) 18 Brad Guzan (3)22 Marcelino Moreno
MLS goal of the week Week Player Ref1 Emerson Hyndman6 Pity Martínez15 Brooks Lennon
References