For a season that started with so much promise, Atlanta United’s 2025 has gone anything but to plan.
After spending a record $22 million to bring in striker Emmanuel Latte Lath and splashing other cash this offseason, the club has had its worst-ever start to an MLS campaign and only claimed their third win in their 15th match on Saturday.
While the Five Stripes’ reeling status subsided briefly with a 4–2 win over FC Cincinnati, it was a rare bright moment.
“I’m very happy for my teammates and for the effort they put in,” midfielder Miguel Almirón said after the match. “We still haven’t won anything, it’s one game, an important step forward against a good team. We have to keep going.”
Still, the season has been a disappointing struggle for Atlanta. At times, it has looked like head coach Ronny Deila has run out of ideas, and the signings of new sporting director Chris Henderson, recently added by new president and CEO Garth Lagerway, have not worked out.
On opening night against CF Montréal, it looked like the Atlanta United of old might be back. A packed Mercedes-Benz Arena, with hopes of an electrifying and flowing attack team leading them to a second MLS Cup.
Atlanta had a reinvigorated squad and fanbase and were just a few months removed from eliminating the record-breaking 2024 Inter Miami CF in the MLS Cup Playoffs. They had serious hopes for a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference in 2025.
Fifteen games into this year, though, and they’re just trying to climb back into playoff contention.
Where has it all gone wrong? How did a team with no hesitancy to spend find itself at the bottom of the standings, struggling to create positivity within the club?
