A New Standard: How Atlanta United 2 Turned Development Into a Historic Season
Ahead of the club's first MLS NEXT Pro playoff match, Jose Silva, Jonathan Ransom and Dominik Chong Qui reflect on the growth, chemistry and belief that transformed Atlanta United 2 in 2026.
For Atlanta United 2, the final whistle in Orlando represented something the club had been chasing for years. A 4-2 victory over Orlando City B on September 20 secured the team's first-ever playoff berth, a third-place finish in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference and the opportunity to host a postseason match for the first time in club history.
For head coach Jose Silva, the moment immediately brought back a far different feeling.
"I went back to the final whistle against Chattanooga," Silva told Soccer Down Here.
That heartbreaking shootout defeat at the end of the 2025 season had left Atlanta United 2 one point short of the postseason. This time, there would be no disappointment on Decision Day.
For goalkeeper Jonathan Ransom, who experienced the previous season's disappointment, the emotions were a combination of relief and appreciation. "Last year was heartbreaking. One point away from making history with a great group of guys," Ransom told SDH's Madison Crews.
Defender Dominik Chong Qui shared that feeling. "That's what we've been working for ever since I started playing with the second team, working for a playoff spot," he said. "And now that we finally got there, it feels great. But, you know, the job's not finished. You gotta go on and win."
That opportunity arrives Friday evening when Atlanta United 2 hosts CT United FC at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in the club's MLS NEXT Pro playoff debut. The significance goes beyond making history. For a team built to prepare young players for the highest levels of professional soccer, competing in matches with genuine consequences represents another important stage in their development.
Winning and Development Go Hand in Hand
By virtually every statistical measure, Atlanta United 2 has enjoyed the most successful regular season in its history. The team set club records for wins, points, goals and assists, finishing with a 14-9-5 record and 62 goals, the second-most in MLS NEXT Pro.
Forward Arif Kovac scored 20 goals to claim the league's Golden Boot, while Cameron Dunbar's 13 assists earned him Playmaker of the Year honors and tied the league's single-season record. They became the first teammates in MLS NEXT Pro history to win those two awards in the same season, and both were named to the league's Best XI alongside Chong Qui.
For Silva, those achievements represent something more important than the numbers themselves.
"What we want in the future is to develop players for the first team to help them win games or win points," Silva explained.
Perhaps the clearest example is Kovac. The 20-year-old striker followed a difficult first season in Atlanta by scoring a club-record 20 goals in 2026. Now, his performances could earn him a permanent place on Atlanta United's first-team roster.
Club sources confirmed to SDH that Atlanta United has offered Kovac a first-team senior roster contract. Atlanta United sporting director Chris Henderson subsequently confirmed the offer during an appearance on 92.9 The Game ahead of Wednesday's match against CF Montréal.
For Silva, Kovac's transformation demonstrates why patience is an essential part of player development. "This is the beauty of player development. It's not linear. There are curves," he said.
Silva described the detailed positional work his staff has done with Kovac, including his movement inside the penalty area, timing of runs and positioning as crosses arrive. Those individual improvements, combined with competition for playing time and the opportunity to apply lessons in meaningful matches, have helped unlock the striker's potential.
"A little improvement in the player, but at the end, it's a big improvement because every player improves a little bit, a little bit, a little bit," Silva said.
That philosophy extends throughout the squad. The pathway from Atlanta's academy to the second team and eventually the first team is visible in the progression of several players this season. Silva pointed to Dunbar and Daniel Chica, who stepped into the first-team environment in September and contributed to Atlanta United's 2-2 draw against New York City FC.
Those opportunities are the clearest evidence that the development process is working, while the success of the second team provides players with increasingly important competitive experiences along the way.
Confidence Can Change Everything
Few players illustrate that growth better than Chong Qui. The 18-year-old defender, who signed a Homegrown contract with Atlanta United in 2025, has become one of the second team's most dynamic attacking threats while continuing to develop his defensive responsibilities.
His performances earned him a place in the MLS NEXT Pro Best XI, but Chong Qui was quick to distribute the credit. "It's an award you can't win without the team," he told Crews. "We worked so hard, and we're doing great this year that people get recognized."
Chong Qui returned from an MCL injury early in the season and immediately sensed something different about the group. "As soon as I came back from my MCL injury at the beginning of the season versus Carolina Core, I realized we had a special group of people," he said. "A special group, special team, special coaching staff."
Individually, the biggest change has been confidence. Silva and his staff have encouraged Chong Qui to play with more freedom, particularly when attacking from the left side. That trust has helped produce one of Atlanta's most effective partnerships.
Dunbar, a natural playmaker who can operate between the lines, frequently moves inside to create passing combinations and attacking opportunities. His movement opens space for Chong Qui to advance down the left flank, allowing each player to use his strengths without restricting the other.
"We know what type of player each of us are," Chong Qui said. "He's a more technical, quick-paced, fast playmaker. And I'm more of a strong, fast, more direct type of player to go down the line."
Silva has encouraged Dunbar to become a more versatile attacker, capable of creating from wide areas or moving into central spaces where opponents struggle to track him. For Chong Qui, that tactical flexibility has provided greater opportunities to contribute in the attacking third while maintaining his defensive responsibilities.
"He gives me the confidence," Chong Qui said of Silva. "Yes, I'm gonna defend, and I'm also gonna attack because I love doing both."
His growth hasn't been without challenges. Chong Qui described a difficult stretch in the middle of the season when he felt pressure to prove himself. Eventually, he realized the solution was to simplify his approach.
"I just need to calm down, just play my game, just play how I normally play," he said.
Meditation before matches and at halftime has also helped him maintain his focus. The results have been evident on the field, culminating in his memorable solo goal in Orlando that restored Atlanta's two-goal advantage in the regular-season finale.
Growing Into Leaders Together
Ransom's development offers a different perspective on the same process. The 18-year-old goalkeeper has experienced the difficult introduction to professional soccer, the frustration of individual mistakes and the disappointment of narrowly missing the postseason. He has also grown into one of Atlanta United 2's leaders, wearing the captain's armband for the first time in his career.
"It's taught me a lot," Ransom said. "Finding what type of leader I am, whether I'm a talker, whether I'm a motivator."
He credits teammates including Matthew "Kofi" Senanou, Dunbar and Mohamed Cisset for helping him understand the different ways players can lead.
"At the end of the day, wearing the captain's armband doesn't mean I'm the leader of the team. Everybody as a collective leads the team together."
Chong Qui expressed almost the same philosophy. "It's been really easy for me because I don't feel like I have to lead anybody on the team because it feels like everybody knows what they have to do," he said. "Everybody knows their job."
For Chong Qui, that responsibility carries additional significance because of his journey through Atlanta United's academy. He remembers being a younger player looking up to Noah Cobb and Efraín Morales, studying how they trained and trying to follow their example. Now, he finds himself in a similar position with the next generation of academy players.
"It's crazy to think that that's me now," Chong Qui said.
Several younger academy products have played important roles for Atlanta United 2 this season, including Andrew Jardines, David "DD" Sibrian, Ignacio Suarez-Couri and Santiago Pita. Chong Qui has known many of them since their academy days and takes pride in watching them develop.
For Silva, that continuity between the academy and the second team is a major advantage. Young players arrive familiar with the club's principles of play, allowing his coaching staff to concentrate on the positional details that will make them more effective at the professional level.
Those lessons extend beyond tactics. Ransom identifies decision-making as the biggest improvement in his own game, whether communicating with defenders, distributing the ball or deciding how to deal with a shot. But the mental side of goalkeeping has been just as important.
"How can I just move on? Because the past is the past and the future just awaits," Ransom said.
The ability to respond to adversity is a lesson that applies throughout the squad, particularly as the team prepares for its first experience of postseason soccer.
A Team That Became a Family
The collective approach to leadership reflects a close-knit locker room that both players believe has made an enormous difference this season.
Ransom sensed something special as early as preseason. "There's an energy in this group that I haven't really felt within a professional group," he said.
That connection was evident before the decisive match in Orlando, when Ransom recalled the players singing together in the locker room. Cisset and Enzo Dovlo frequently bring French music into the mix, while Ransom prefers country music, much to the amusement of his teammates. Dunbar usually handles the playlist, mixing styles to keep everyone involved.
The camaraderie has continued away from the field. Chong Qui recalled a group trip to Universal Orlando after the team's playoff-clinching victory, another opportunity for the players to enjoy time together following a demanding regular season.
Those relationships have translated into trust on the field, particularly between Ransom and the defenders in front of him.
"They trust me. I trust them. They listen. I get feedback from them. I give them feedback," he said.
That trust has also helped the group respond to adversity, including the loss of Daniel Chica.
Chica, an important part of Atlanta United 2's defense and a leader in the locker room, earned his MLS debut against New York City FC on September 26. He completed 95 percent of his passes and won both of his duels as Atlanta United fought back for a 2-2 draw, demonstrating precisely what Silva hopes his young players can achieve.
But his milestone appearance ended in disappointment when he suffered an injury following a foul from behind. The knee injury will keep him out for the remainder of the season, including Atlanta United 2's historic playoff run.
Silva described Chica as a "silent leader" whose influence extends beyond his performances on the field.
"It's a big loss because he's a player that is really important for us on the field and also in the locker room," Silva said.
The coach has challenged his players to recognize the opportunity in front of them, knowing that Chica cannot share it with them on the field.
"Being on the soccer field, training every day, is a privilege," Silva said.
He reminded the squad that Chica would give anything to be available for Friday's match, providing another source of motivation for a group that has repeatedly emphasized its collective identity.
The Next Challenge
Friday's meeting with CT United FC represents exactly the kind of experience Silva believes his young players need.
Unlike many MLS NEXT Pro opponents, Connecticut is an independent club whose first team competes in the league. Silva believes these opponents create a different kind of challenge, placing greater emphasis on the immediate result and often playing a more direct, physical style than the positional approaches commonly associated with MLS-affiliated reserve teams.
When Atlanta's young players eventually reach the first team, they will face opponents who don't allow them to dictate every match through possession. Friday provides another opportunity to prepare for that reality.
Connecticut presents a particular threat in transition. "They are really organized," Silva said. "They are really, really dangerous in counterattack."
Silva described a team that typically defends in a compact midfield block, directs opponents toward wide areas and looks to attack quickly after regaining possession. Atlanta knows the opponent well, having defeated CT United 4-1 at home on September 8, but the demands of a playoff match will be different.
Maintaining defensive organization while in possession will be critical, ensuring Atlanta is prepared to stop Connecticut's counterattacks when the ball is lost. At the other end, the team must continue creating chances from wide areas, one of the strengths that helped make it one of the league's most productive attacks.
The players have had nearly four weeks since their victory in Orlando to prepare for their postseason debut. Chong Qui said the focus on winning was established immediately when the team returned to training, while Ransom believes the break helped the squad recharge physically and mentally after a demanding regular season.
Now, the anticipation has taken over.
"Everybody's ready," Ransom said. "Everybody's calm. I think they're just ready for the whistle to blow and us to show what we've done this whole year."
Setting a New Standard
Atlanta United 2 has already accomplished something no previous team in the club's history had achieved, but neither Silva nor his players view qualification as the final destination.
The season has produced individual breakthroughs, first-team opportunities, league honors and a place in the postseason. Kovac's first-team contract offer demonstrates the possibilities available to players who take advantage of their opportunities. Chong Qui has grown into an influential player and an example for the next generation coming through the academy. Ransom has developed as both a goalkeeper and a leader while embracing new responsibilities.
Silva has brought together players at different stages of their careers, balancing individual development with the collective demands of winning matches. The result is a team that has achieved unprecedented success while continuing to fulfill its primary purpose within Atlanta United's development structure.
For Ransom, reaching the playoffs isn't simply a reward for one successful season. It's an expectation he believes should define Atlanta United 2 moving forward.
"Jose said this sets the standard for years to come," Ransom said.
The club has spent years chasing its first postseason appearance. Now, it has an opportunity to establish what comes after it.
Making the playoffs was history. Making the playoffs an expectation is the next step.
Match information: Atlanta United 2 vs. CT United FC, Friday, October 16, 2026, at 6 p.m. ET, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground, Marietta, Georgia. Streaming on MLSNEXTPro.com, OneFootball and Soccer Down Here.
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