Atlanta United announce roster decisions following 2022 MLS season
By Chris Smith
Atlanta United have announced their roster changes following the 2022 MLS season.
The Five Stripes have exercised contract options on Ozzie Alonso, George Campbell, Jackson Conway, Aiden McFadden, Miles Robinson, Matheus Rossetto, and Juanjo Purata - with the latter impressing on an initial loan from Liga MX side Tigres.
Meanwhile, options have been declined on Dylan Castanheira, Raúl Gudiño, and Bryce Washington. Mikey Ambrose, Alex De John, and Amar Sejdic are out of contract, though the club remains in discussions with the latter over a new deal.
The loans for Rocco Rios Novo and Ronaldo Cisneros are set to expire at the end of the current calendar year.
As it stands, the Atlanta United roster for the 2023 MLS season is as follows:
Goalkeepers (2): Justin Garces, Brad Guzan
Defenders (11): George Campbell, Noah Cobb*, Alan Franco, Andrew Gutman, Ronald Hernández, Brooks Lennon, Aiden McFadden, Efrain Morales, Juanjo Purata, Miles Robinson, Caleb Wiley
Midfielders (10): Thiago Almada, Ozzie Alonso, Ezequiel Barco**, Ajani Fortune*, Emerson Hyndman, Franco Ibarra, Marcelino Moreno, Matheus Rossetto, Santiago Sosa, Tyler Wolff***
Forwards (8): Luiz Araújo, Erik Centeno, Machop Chol, Jackson Conway, Dom Dwyer, Erik López, Josef Martínez, Edwin Mosquera
*Effective Jan. 1, 2023
**On loan to River Plate through 2023 season
***On loan to SK Beveren through 2022-23 season
It's understood, however, that Josef Martinez will not be returning to the club. The Five Stripes are believed to be looking for a solution to the final year of his contract, while 90min sources say multiple MLS clubs have shown an interest in bringing the iconic striker on board.
Atlanta United suffered a disappointing 2022 campaign, finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference and missing out on the MLS Cup Playoffs for the second time in three years. Technical director Carlos Bocanegra and head coach Gonzalo Pineda face an important offseason rebuild as pressure mounts from supporters to deliver the sort of success enjoyed between 2017 and 2019.
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