Josef Martinez Inaugural Goal
Atlanta United: The Five Stripes' rise from expansion side to MLS champions.
Atlanta United FC is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Domestically, the club has won one MLS Cup, one U.S. Open Cup, and one Eastern Conference championship.
Quick Facts
- Opponent
- Minnesota United
- Competition
- MLS Regular Season
- Match result
- 6-1 Atlanta United Win
Lore & Background
Founded in 2014, Atlanta United began play as an MLS expansion team in 2017, as the 22nd team in the league. It is the first MLS franchise to be based in Atlanta, and the club plays home games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which they share with the city's National Football League (NFL) franchise, the Atlanta Falcons. The club is operated by Arthur Blank, owner of the Falcons and co-founder of the Home Depot. The club also owns Atlanta United 2, a reserve team that competes in MLS Next Pro.
Gerardo Martino was appointed as the club's first head coach and guided Atlanta to their first playoff appearance in the team's debut season, before securing the team's first trophy in just their second season by winning MLS Cup 2018. After a series of declining seasons under other managers, the club has continued to evolve. Atlanta has set several league records for highest single-match and average attendance.
Reader's Guide
Atlanta United's first regular season MLS game was played on March 5, 2017, at Bobby Dodd Stadium with 55,297 in attendance. Yamil Asad scored the first goal in team history in a 2–1 loss to New York Red Bulls. A week later, the team registered its first win with a 6–1 away defeat of fellow expansion team Minnesota United FC. On March 18, 2017, the team registered its first win at home, beating Chicago Fire, who went down to ten men in the eleventh minute, 4–0 in front of a sold-out Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Following its move to Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the team continued leading the league in attendance and averaged more than 48,000 in its home league matches, breaking records for attendance for a non-doubleheader MLS game and average single-season attendance for a U.S. soccer team. Atlanta clinched a berth in the playoffs, becoming the third MLS expansion team to do so in their inaugural season, by finishing tied for third place in the Eastern Conference; due to tiebreaking rules Atlanta was seeded fourth.
In its first playoff game, the team faced Columbus Crew and set a then-MLS attendance record for a playoff game with 67,221 spectators in attendance. After 120 minutes of scoreless action, the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out, which Columbus won 3–1 to eliminate Atlanta.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Josef Martinez score Atlanta United's first goal?
He netted the historic strike on March 5, 2017, during the club's maiden MLS regular season match against D.C. United. This event took place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and officially kicked off the franchise era.
Who scored the inaugural goal for Atlanta United FC?
The Venezuelan striker was responsible for finding the back of the net in that historic home debut match. This feat propelled him toward becoming the first player ever to reach 30 goals in a single MLS season.
What was the final result of the match featuring this iconic goal?
The Red and Black finished with a 2-1 victory against their opponents on that night. Winning this opening fixture helped establish momentum for the rest of the 2017 campaign.
How did Martinez's first goal impact the franchise identity?
This strike set the tone for how the team would play, emphasizing high-intensity offense from the start. It demonstrated to the league and supporters that Atlanta was prepared to challenge top teams right away.
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