The Soccer Reference Desk

Ted Turner died today at 87, and the obituaries are writing themselves. CNN founder. Braves owner. Superstation pioneer. America's Cup winner. The man who put Atlanta on the world map before Atlanta knew it belonged there. All of it is true, and all of it deserves to be said. But there is a chapter in Turner's relationship with this city and with this sport that is not making it into those obituaries, and it is one that soccer people in Atlanta should know. Because before Art

"When you say you're with Atlanta, then people know and understand. Atlanta is U.S. soccer to people around the world." — Vic Rouse, Atlanta Chiefs head coach, February 1969 Atlanta did not discover soccer when Atlanta United arrived. Atlanta United discovered what had been here all along. This is that story. The history of soccer in Atlanta stretches back more than a century, to immigrant communities kicking a ball at Piedmont Park in 1908 and a handful of Scotsmen and Engli

Atlanta United roster building lives inside MLS mechanisms that can confuse even longtime fans. This Reference Desk entry explains how Designated Players, General Allocation Money, U22 slots, international limits, and transfer windows shape what Atlanta can do, and when.