ATLANTA, GEORGIA—The Atlanta United 2 FC will be playing its final year in the United Soccer League (USL) Championship in 2022.
According to reports, United 2 FC will transfer to the Major League Soccer NEXT Pro in 2023.
The new league’s goal is to create an “integrated player pathway from MLS NEXT through to MLS first teams” by serving as a bridge from the Academies into the professional system.
The league is scheduled to debut in March 2022.
This year United 2 FC failed to get a playoff slot in the USL Championship.
Despite failing to get a playoff spot, two of the significant things that happened in 2021 for United 2 FC is the remarkable performance of striker Aiden McFadden.
The fire and attacking mentality of McFadden carried the team to numerous wins this USL season.
The solid performance of McFadden also made become the recipient of numerous USL player of the week honors this year.
Aside from McFadden, homegrown talent Tyler Wolff also played very well this year.
Aside from McFadden and Wolff, the decision to hire Jack Collison on June 3 as head coach of the team is also another great move for the team.
With over 70 appearances for West Ham in the English Premier League and two years of experience coaching in Atlanta United’s Academy, Collison brought a wealth of knowledge to the table. But this would be his first test coaching at the professional level—a new challenge for the then 32-year-old from Watford.
His pedigree as a mentor and motivator for this young group was evident from the start. He came into the job having already built a strong rapport with the Academy players in the fold. Now, it was a matter of cultivating relationships with the older players on the team.
United 2 FC at the moment has only three players with a live contract with the team namely: Ajani Fortune, Darwin Matheus, and McFadden.
The team is also currently negotiating for a possible contract extension with players Matías Benítez, Bradley Kamdem Fewo, Robbie Mertz, and Rocco Ríos Novo.
The team has also declined its options on Chris Allan.
Moreover, the team has decided to cut ties with Abdoulaye Diop, Alex Garuba, Phillip Goodrum, Amadou Macky Diop, and Connor Stanley.
The team is hopeful with a retooled roster they can better compete in the USL next year and hopefully get a playoff spot.
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