Daniel Chica: Building Something Real at Atlanta United 2
- Jason Longshore
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
There is a moment in the middle of a conversation with Daniel Chica where you realize the 24-year-old defender has figured something out that takes most players much longer. He knows exactly who he is, where he came from, and what he is building toward. And he is in no rush to pretend otherwise.
Chica grew up in Leesburg, Virginia, the son of Elaine and Jaime, and spent two years playing college soccer as a midfielder at George Mason University. He was never supposed to be a center back. Ask him about his youth career and he laughs. "I never played defense in my life. I was always midfield or forward." His childhood idol was Neymar. His game was built on dribbling and creativity. Then came a trial at Loudoun United FC, and somewhere in the process, the club signed him as a center back. That was his first professional contract, about three years ago, and it changed everything.
So how do you become a professional defender when you have never played the position? Chica's answer is both humble and telling. "I learned center back on YouTube." He studied movements, defensive lines, positioning. He watched players like Thiago Silva and took notes. "Playing more, you learn more," he says. "I had no experience. I didn't have one game as a center back in my life before." And yet here he is, now regarded as one of the better young defenders in MLS NEXT Pro.
After Loudoun, Chica spent a season at Lexington SC before joining Carolina Core FC late in the 2024 campaign. He made 28 appearances in the regular season in 2025, logging over 2,400 minutes, and helped the club reach the MLS NEXT Pro playoffs. Head coach José Silva called him one of the best center backs in the league that year, and Atlanta United 2 came calling late in the offseason. Chica signed a one-year deal with a club option for 2027 in December 2025.
The transition to Atlanta has been smooth, by his own account. He is a self-described homebody, content to spend evenings with his roommates, a few of whom are also teammates. He is closest to Santi and Moisés on the squad, and the group downstairs, Liam, Kofi, and Cam, are regulars in the mix too. Afternoons at the training facility involve games of Teqball that Chica insists he wins. "I am the best," he says, with a laugh.
On the field, Chica has started all seven games in the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro regular season and logged 618 minutes. He operates primarily as a right back under José Silva's system, though the shape shifts when Atlanta has possession and the team builds out of a back three with Chica tucking inside. It is a tactical adjustment he is still getting comfortable with. "I'm more of a center back guy," he admits. "I don't have, like, crazy pace like what an outside back should have." But he is adapting, and more importantly, he is contributing going forward. He scored against his former club, and had what appeared to be a second goal called back in a recent match.
The experience he brings to a young locker room is something both he and the coaching staff recognize. At 23, Chica is one of the older figures in the group, and he takes that role seriously. He is the one offering small reminders to younger players: check your shoulder, play simple, do not force it. "They have the quality," he says. "It is just little things that will help them." He does wish the coaching staff would be harder on him at times, wanting the kind of direct, constructive criticism that sharpens a player rather than comfortable affirmation. It is not a complaint so much as a reflection of how driven he is.
As for the bigger picture, Chica holds dual connections to this summer's World Cup on American soil. He was born in Virginia but has deep family ties to Brazil and Colombia, which gives him three teams to follow across the tournament. He was up at 5 AM for matches during the last World Cup and plans to watch every game this summer. "It is awesome," he says of hosting it here. His only frustration is the ticket prices.
He is building something in Atlanta, one game at a time, one YouTube tutorial and one professional season removed from where he started. Ask him about exploring the city and he is unbothered. There is not much to explore yet, because most of his time is spent exactly where he wants to be: at the training ground, working. He goes downtown when Atlanta United's first team plays, watches the game, and heads straight back. Everything else can wait. "There are a lot of opportunities here," he said when asked what drew him to the club. He came here to chase them, and that is precisely what he is doing.