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All the while, Atlanta have slipped below the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs line as the midsummer Leagues Cup break nears. They’re now 11th in the Eastern Conference standings, averaging just 1.04 points per game. Interim coach Rob Valentino is at the helm after Gonzalo Pineda was let go in early June.
As for transfer rumors, they’ve been linked to Atalanta attacking midfielder Aleksei Miranchuk and Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson. And in newly-signed Portuguese left back Pedro Amador, they already have Wiley’s potential replacement.
As this unfolds, Lagerwey believes Atlanta can push the boundaries of what’s possible in MLS. He even coined their city, with U.S. Soccer relocating there, the “epicenter of soccer in North America” for club and international competition.
“We’re sitting here with the highest fan base, but we’re an NFL organization,” Lagerwey said. “We have much greater ambitions in terms of what can we do, what can we become, what do we want this to be? Hopefully we can be a leader within MLS in terms of the players we acquire, but also the culture we build and the infrastructure we have.
Lagerwey added: “We think Atlanta is the soul of soccer in North America, it’s going to become that. Part of that is signing some good players, but again, it’s getting the culture right and it’s getting the long-term growth path right.”
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