Tuesday was one of the more interesting days in the calendar year for Atlanta United and its fanbase: roster decision day.
MLS rosters are a unique breed among North American sports. With websites like spotrac tracking every penny of a player’s salary - not to mention the club’s cap situation - in other leagues, MLS details on salary and length of the deals often exist in a fog. Not a thick fog that you cannot see through, more like one you have to squint through with the aid of the MLS salary release twice a year.
But I digress. The club actually gave people a cane to pull the curtain back earlier this season with details on player’s roster designations and their contract lengths, so some of this we saw coming. But nevertheless, let us take a look at who is staying and who is going and who is in limbo as we approach Thanksgiving.
Options Exercised
Brad Guzan
Our favorite sentient foghorn has his contract option exercised and it makes total sense. Despite being 40, he’s a year further away from his achilles injury and had a healthy and productive year in net and as a leader for the club. When the time comes to hang names in the rafter, he almost certainly will be first.
Efrain Morales
This one was a bit of a pleasant surprise as Morales did not really get as much time as I had hoped. The big centerback stepped up to the plate, however, when his number was called including a strong performance in Chicago on short notice. He is still raw but his size and athleticism are absolutely worth keeping around to see if he can be a major contributor. Between this and getting a start for Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier, it has been a hell of a month for the kid.
Jay Fortune
The homegrown midfielder sorta got pushed into action this season and then proceeded to just start snatching playing time away from others with his work in the midfield. He had to grow up quickly and did and he’s earned his extension to push for more time in 2025 as another homegrown success.
Santiago Sosa
Don’t get it twisted, this does not necessarily mean that Sosa is going to be coming back in a glorious return. There are plenty of reports, reputable and otherwise, that Racing want to buy him outright in the middle of a magical season that has seen the Argentine club reach the Copa Sudamerica Final. Triggering the extension lets Atlanta cash in on his sale vs letting him walk.
Options Declined
Erik Centeno
Centeno, a former Superdraft selection, never really broke in with the first team. The tricky winger had moments with Atlanta United 2 and was a staple in those lineups but his future lies elsewhere. The winger room is already crowded with more homegrown and academy kids chomping at the bit.
Nick Firmino
Maybe in a different universe, Firmino’s 2024 is more impactful. As it stands, he was limited in chances with the first team, and once there was a managerial change and limited time to train, his skillset as a bit of a ‘tweener never found a home. In my opinion, he is an MLS player and hopefully he finds that opportunity elsewhere after making such a fun impact in 2023 with Atlanta United 2.
Ronald Hernández (Club remains in negotiations)
Perhaps one of the most polarizing players in the roster, Hernández might actually bleed red and black if you cut him open. I do not want to check as he is an incredibly pleasant person and cutting him open seems rude. That said, when he got time on the field consistently he put in performances to be proud of. A return on a new deal, possibly at a lower number, feels like a real possibility, especially with Brooks Lennon sidelined until after the 2025 season starts.
Franco Ibarra
What a weird two years for Ibarra. He was 9's and 1's so often in the past, then turned into a little monster in the first half of 2023 before his loan to Toronto and then a season long loan to Rosario Central in Argentina in 2024. His release leads me to believe that Rosario is not going to trigger a purchase and Atlanta will let him walk to go where he wants and jumpstart his career in a similar way Sosa did on his loan.
Jamal Thiare (Club remains in negotiations)
The oft-injured striker radiates athleticism and the ability to get on heaters that can carry a team for a week or three. The problem is the ‘oft-injured’ part where Thiare just struggled to stay available and it is hard to make the roster when you are on the training table. Still, Atlanta needs a backup striker and he has shown he can score and would make a more than serviceable backup 9 in 2025 if a deal can be reached. And if not, we will always have the moment where he picked Toronto’s pocket at the death in a result that ended up being monumental.
Tyler Wolff (Club remains in negotiations)
The homegrown attacker went through his own odyssey over the last year or so. Once he was not sent to the youth world cup, he responded in the best way possible by showing out as a bench goal scoring option in the second half of 2023 but that did not carry over to 2024 where it sometimes looked like he was overthinking every step of the game instead of just playing loose. I will say I am happy he got to put a goal away against the Red Bulls in the last regular season home game. His negotiation is the one I am most unsure about. He could stay on a small number or decide a change of scenery will benefit him. I think he has shown he has the ability to produce in MLS, he just needs the right situation and we will see if 2025 Atlanta United is that situation.
Daniel Rios (Loan ended)
Rios overperformed his expectations while on loan here in Atlanta. I do not expect him back but I do expect him to try and parlay this into a new deal and opportunity.
Dax McCarty (retired)
Dax finally gets to make those vacation plans with the family after a 19 year career that Atlanta refused to let end for a while there. Put him in the hall of fame as soon as possible.
Quentin Westburg (retired)
Westburg played the role of veteran backup keeper well and now moves on to the next chapter in his life after six seasons in MLS.
Just in case you thought this was done, Atlanta United 2 also announced their moves.
The 2's operate on a more unique structure with most of their dedicated 2's players being on one year deals. That said there are still some players on board going into 2025.
Kaiden Moore, Rodrigo Neri and Cooper Sanchez are under contract for 2025. Moore and Sanchez are out of the academy and both will almost certainly be asked to take on larger roles going forward. Neri joined the club in the summer and hit the ground running when they took a flier on him after his time with Valencia’s youth setup. Expectations will be high for the 19 year old.
Joining them is Javi Armas who had his contract option picked up. I am hoping Armas can pick up the role that we have seen players like Robbie Mertz and Aiden McFadden take up, as veteran leader who can mentor younger players on being a professional on and off the field.
Ashton Gordon and Jayden Hibbert spent 2024 on MLS NEXT Pro deals and will join the first team in 2025, however you will almost certainly see their names on the teamsheet for the 2's a lot.
Jacob Williams and Ramzi Qawasmy had their contract options declined, as their time on the field will most likely be ceded to younger players.
Veteran goalkeeper John Berner will also depart, along with Ethan Dudley, Alan Carleton, Matias Gallardo, Noble Okello and Karim Tmimi.
Daniel Russo is also out of contract but after his early season injury, he is in negotiations to return for 2025 with the club.
As far as the players leaving, it is disappointing seeing Carleton go after seeing him make strides, however he will surely get a chance to catch on somewhere. Same goes for Gallardo who flashed moments of brilliance while Okello used 2024 to post a healthy and productive season after dealing with injury woes. Tmimi’s future will be interesting to track as he took on a leadership role with Atlanta United 2 and could land in a number of places around the country.
While the 2's roster looks thin right now, remember that there will almost certainly be some Atlanta United 2 specific signings in early 2025 to supplement the roster while academy and homegrown players will also get plenty of time on the field.
✍️: Jarrett Smith
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