Executive-2018-fall-winter

Gwinnett County’s Atlanta United 2 Finishes First Season Strong Atlanta United 2, Gwinnett County’s United Soccer League (USL) team, wrapped up its inaugural season with a 5-game unbeaten streak in October 2018. The USL affiliate was officially announced in January 2018 as part of the Atlanta United Football Club, the soccer club Atlanta can’t get enough of. Atlanta United, the club’s Major League Soccer team, continues to set attendance records at Mercedes- Benz Stadium and Atlanta United 2 was created to fill the gap between the professional level and academy level soccer players. “This team gives us a chance to challenge academy players at the professional level while also giving our First Team players an opportunity to stay match fit when returning from injury,” said Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra in a press release from Atlanta United Communications. The team’s home in Gwinnett County also gave the club a chance to bring the sport to a new venue, Coolray Field in Lawrenceville. “I think it’s a good venue because it brings our club to a whole new group of people in Gwinnett County,” said Atlanta United 2’s head coach Scott Donnelly in an interview with ATLUTD.com before the season started. The field seats 10,427 fans for soccer matches, a much more intimate setting than the 70,000+ fans Mercedes-Benz Stadium accommodates. For more information or for tickets, visit www.atlutd.com/2. “That philosophy attracts a certain quality of person.” AMB directly supports the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, multiple Westside Atlanta community improvement projects and job training programs, including Westside Works, which trains residents for jobs in construction, culinary arts, teaching, nursing, and information technology. AMB partners with Westside works to hire trainees for positions at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. These team members will be needed to continue to support the millions of people that turn out for events at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, as Jenkins said he sees no signs of business slowing down in the near future. Though stadium operations will continue as usual, Jenkins said his team is always looking for ways to make tweaks to improve the fan experience. “Arthur always says, ‘There is no finish line,’” Jenkins said. 4 the EXECUTIVE