The History of Atlanta Soccer

In this special mini-episode, we cover the history of Atlanta United Special Olympics Unified, a team of athletes (those with intellectual disabilities) and partners (those without intellectual disabilities) that come together to play soccer in an inclusive manner. On Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, Unified plays their first home match of the season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Followin...

Atlanta United and Charlotte FC have a budding rivalry. But the two soccer clubs also have a lot in common. In this special bonus episode, we honor the life of Anton Walkes , an English fullback who played for both Atlanta United and Charlotte FC in the Eastern Conference during his MLS career. Tragically, Walkes passed away in 2023. A year-and-a-half after his death, we take a moment to remember...

In this special mini-episode of The History of Atlanta Soccer, presented by Piedmont, we discuss the history of the Atlanta-Charlotte rivalry which is slowly brewing since the "Queen City" club joined MLS. Ahead of their first meeting in 2024 we talked we player who knows both sides well, Atlanta United forward Daniel Ríos . Ríos signed for Charlotte FC when they joined the league in 202...

It's Rivalry Week at Atlanta United! In this special mini-episode, we discuss the history of the Atlanta-Nashville rivalry ahead of their first meeting in 2024 with an MLS veteran who knows both sides well, Atlanta United midfielder Dax McCarty . McCarty previous played for Nashville SC from 2020-2023 before signing with Atlanta United this past offseason. He was also part of the club's in...

Sandy McAfee and Jason Longshore sit down at Brewhouse Café for a LIVE episode of The History of Atlanta Soccer podcast, presented by Piedmont. April 16, 2024 marked 10 years since MLS announced that the league was expanding with a club in Atlanta. The announcement in 2014 signified Atlanta as the 22nd franchise in MLS. The club began MLS play in 2017 and won the MLS Cup in 2018. The event was a j...

Together, we reminisce with our listeners about the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. We asked local residents to provide their stories and memories from 1996, and we've gathered them in this very special episode. We explore how soccer became an instrumental part of the city following the Olympic Games. We also cover how 1996 was the first year that women's soccer was included as a...

Today’s episode is a continuation of Part 2 of the Atlanta Chiefs, where we look at what brought the ending of the Chiefs franchise and how their success in DeKalb paved the way for a new team, the Georgia Generals. Subscribe and review so we can continue to reach more Atlanta soccer and history fans. The History of Atlanta Soccer , presented by Piedmont is a new audio series from Atlanta United....

This is Part 2 of the Atlanta Chiefs. Part 1 is already available on your podcast feed . In this episode, we take a look at the revival of the Atlanta Chiefs in the 1970s when Pelé had already joined the New York Cosmos in the NASL. Former players and staff of the club share their memories of what it was like to play soccer in the United States during that time. We also look at how the Chiefs even...

In this episode, we take a look at the Atlanta Apollos, a "one-year wonder", which picked up where the first iteration of the Atlanta Chiefs left off. We talk to those who were part of the last few months of the original Atlanta Chiefs that were successful towards the end of the 1960s, and those who moved on to be part of the Apollos organization, that only lasted one year. Listen to Atl...

In this episode, we take a look at the launch, success and legacy of the original Atlanta Chiefs, the first professional soccer club in the city and the first professional sports team to win a championship for Atlanta. Former players share their memories of what it was like to play soccer in the United States during that time. We also look at how two friendly matches against English powerhouse Man...

With this bonus episode, we wanted to take a moment to honor and remember Dick Cecil. He was a pioneer of Atlanta soccer during a time when professional sports in Atlanta were forming their identities. He led the way for Atlanta soccer. Sadly, he passed away in August.  Cecil’s career began in baseball, as a scout for the Atlanta Major League Baseball franchise before taking on various roles withi...

Atlanta United introduces a new audio series, The History of Atlanta Soccer , presented by Piedmont. Hosted by Sandy McAfee and Jason Longshore, we kick off the podcast with The Beginnings, a two-part episode where we set the scene on what Atlanta was like during the early 1900s. In Part 2, we go through what happened during the Great Depression and how hard the South got hit by the economic crisi...

Atlanta United introduces a new audio series, The History of Atlanta Soccer , presented by Piedmont. Hosted by Sandy McAfee and Jason Longshore, we kick off the podcast with The Beginnings, a two-part episode where we set the scene on what Atlanta was like during the early 1900s, moving through the first two decades of the century and discussing the little pockets of soccer developing in the city....

Atlanta United introduces a new audio series launching in October called "The History of Atlanta Soccer."