Atlanta, GA
Atlanta United bold predictions for 2023: What I got right and (mostly) wrong
OK, I’ll fall on the sword.
In my defense, sometimes predictions are tough. There’s a chance you can nail it with no problem. Other times, you can get things very, very wrong.
Let’s just say that my bold predictions for Atlanta United in 2023 ended up in the latter column. I will say, though, that there’s a reason they were called “bold” predictions and not “this will, beyond the shadow of a doubt, happen in 2023” predictions.
Without further ado…let’s look back at how I did.
Gonzalo Pineda will win the Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Award
I wrote this back in January:
“When you lose your starting goalkeeper, a CB that would have been in Qatar a few months back if healthy, and a veteran midfielder brought in to provide a steady hand of leadership to your locker room, you’re going to struggle a little bit.”
And this:
“[Pineda] will have … MLS veteran Derrick Etienne on the roster, along with other possible additions. Brad Guzan and Miles Robinson — plus Ozzie Alonso — will need time to get their sea legs underneath them, but their presence on the team sheet should lift the team’s spirits.”
Well, Guzan and Robinson were back, but Robinson, while still good, didn’t quite show the form he showed pre-Achilles. Guzan’s performance between the sticks was decent at best and, well, flat out not great at worst. Ozzie Alonso’s knee never healed up and he rarely played. Derrick Etienne? Less said the better.
The new guys helped a lot! Giorgos Giakoumakis came close to winning a Golden Boot in Year 1 save for some minor injury concerns. Saba Lobjanidze, Xande Silva, and Tristan Muyumba had instant impact at the back end of the season. But that couldn’t rescue a defense with an alarming tendency to capitulate at key moments of games which, to be fair, doesn’t fall 100 percent at the feet of the manager.
Still — and in short — this prediction didn’t come to pass, no matter where the blame lies.
Luiz Araújo will win Landon Donovan MLS MVP
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From January:
“I’m predicting that [Luiz Araújo] finally puts everything together this season and emerges as the league’s MVP.”
Narrator: He never did.
Araújo’s tenure with Atlanta wasn’t a complete disaster: there were glimpses of the player that commanded a $12 million transfer figure when signing for the team from Lille in 2021. Therein lies the problem: they were just glimpses. More often than not, he left Atlanta fans in fits of frustration for reasons that has been discussed both here and elsewhere.
Eventually the front office decided enough was enough and sold the beleaguered winger to Flamengo, closing the door on an overall disappointing spell in MLS and adding another player to the list of failed “buy low, sell high” attempts (see: Pity Martinez, Ezequiel Barco).
Jackson Conway emerges as the backup option at striker we’ve all been waiting for
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“Absent a loan move to a 2nd-division European side or something along those lines, I’m of the opinion that [Jackson] Conway will see the pitch on a somewhat routine basis in 2023 and…let’s give him perhaps 5-7 goals, while we’re at it.”
The long-standing Atlanta United tradition of lacking a quality backup striker continued into 2023, unfortunately. I really thought it would be Conway as he’d more than proven his worth at the USL Championship level and was too good to be left in MLS Next Pro.
And, well, it turned out to not be Conway. Atlanta signed Miguel Berry, sent Conway on loan to Phoenix in the USL Championship…a frustrating spell that ended just shy of 3 months later and with Conway ultimately being loaned to ATL UTD 2. Ultimately, the club declined to pick his option up for 2024, with the former Homegrown Player scoring just 2 goals with the 1st team.
As for that backup striker? Berry didn’t work out, either. Maybe Jamal Thiaré will?
Derrick Etienne will be top 10 in MLS in assists
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“I’ll go on a limb and say that [Derrick Etienne] hits double digits in helpers and puts himself in the top 10 in that department in 2023.”
Um…well. This didn’t come close to happening.
I know I said “The less said the better” earlier when bringing Etienne up, and by no means is this a character assassination since he’s been nothing but pleasant in media settings, but Atlanta didn’t sign Etienne to a low-TAM level contract to contribute – checks notes – 2 assists across 21 matches.
Consider, too, that in Atlanta’s final 7 regular season matches, Etienne was an unused sub on 5 occasions. He played 7 minutes in Games 1 and 3 of the MLS Cup Playoffs and wasn’t on the team sheet for Game 2. Saba Lobjanidze, Xande Silva, and Tyler Wolff’s respective performances, and, frankly, Etienne’s lack thereof — have made the veteran expendable, and it’s fair to assume he’d be not long for a move elsewhere if not for a weighty contract through 2025.
Atlanta United make the Leagues Cup quarterfinals
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To be fair, the edition of Atlanta United that took the field for Leagues Cup was much, much different than the one that ended the season. Alas, it wasn’t a “fun summer diversion” for Atlanta as I predicted last year: it got played off the pitch by Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Inter Miami (this still feels surreal to type) before succumbing to Cruz Azul in penalties at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Maybe 2024 will be different, though.
Atlanta, GA
As FIFA World Cup nears, some MARTA riders raise safety concerns after recent attacks on transit system
Multiple recent attacks on MARTA have some riders questioning how safe they will feel using Atlanta’s public transit system as the city prepares to welcome thousands of visitors for the FIFA World Cup.
The tournament is expected to bring an unprecedented influx of travelers to metro Atlanta, putting additional attention on MARTA’s ability to safely move residents and visitors throughout the region.
Many Atlantans rely on MARTA every day as their primary mode of transportation.
“I ride the system every day to go to work and other places,” MARTA rider Joshua Hudson told CBS News Atlanta.
“It is kind of unsafe on the weekends, but weekdays it’s pretty fine,” rider Kimiya Sawanat said.
Concerns about transit safety intensified after a woman was fatally stabbed aboard a MARTA train on May 30. The attack prompted some riders to question what additional steps MARTA can take to prevent violence, particularly as the city prepares for major international events.
Several riders told CBS News Atlanta they would like to see more police officers stationed throughout the system, especially at high-traffic stations. While they acknowledged concerns about safety, many said they believe MARTA can strengthen its security strategies ahead of the World Cup.
“We have been on the trains when the Braves play, and it is packed, but this is going to be a different level. It is almost like the Olympics all over again,” Hudson said.
MARTA officials said the agency plans to enhance security during the World Cup by utilizing its Emergency Response Center, deploying its mobile command vehicle and increasing officer presence at stations. MARTA also expects support from law enforcement agencies across the region.
“I’m concerned but not worried,” Hudson said. “I think it will be a good time, but we just have to do public safety.”
Atlanta, GA
Miguel Almirón: World Cup profile | Paraguay & Atlanta United midfielder | MLSSoccer.com
MLS background
An Atlanta United icon, Almirón is in his second stint at the club.
After initially joining in 2017, Almirón led Atlanta to a historic MLS Cup triumph in 2018 alongside Venezuelan striker Josef Martínez. That came in the Five Stripes’ second year as a team.
Almirón’s success fueled a blockbuster move to English Premier League side Newcastle United, where he spent seven years. But Atlanta brought Almirón back stateside in 2025, and now, alongside head coach Tata Martino, he hopes to return the Five Stripes to their previous heights.
- 27g/38a in 101 MLS appearances
- 2x MLS Best XI (2017, ’18)
- 2x MLS All-Star (2017, ’18)
- 2017 MLS Newcomer of the Year
International experience
Almirón is among Paraguay’s most experienced players; his 75 caps are second-most on the squad.
The 32-year-old enters the World Cup as La Albirroja’s leader in goals. He’s scored nine international goals, with Antonio Sanabria (seven) the next-closest player.
This will be Almirón’s first World Cup appearance.
World Cup schedule
Paraguay are in Group D alongside the United States, Australia and Türkiye.
- June 12: Paraguay vs. United States, 9 pm ET | Los Angeles, California
- June 19: Paraguay vs. Türkiye, 11 pm ET | San Francisco, California
- June 25: Paraguay vs. Australia, 10 pm ET | San Francisco, California
The 2026 World Cup has expanded from the usual 32 nations to 48 total. The top two teams advance from each group, and the top eight third-place finishers also make the knockout phase (Round of 32).
The tournament, which is co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, spans from June 11 to July 19.
World Cup history
This is Paraguay’s ninth overall World Cup trip and first since South Africa 2010.
Last time out, La Albirroja reached the quarterfinals for the country’s best-ever finish.
How Paraguay qualified
Paraguay finished sixth in South American World Cup qualifying with 28 points.
The top six nations in Conmebol’s 10-team round robin secured automatic spots.
Nearly a dozen restaurants closed during the month, including the Alden.
The waakye served at Ike’s Cafe and Grill shown on Monday, March 24, 2025. The bean and rice mixture is served with spaghetti, plantains, a tomato stew, fish, beef, a boiled egg, dried cassava and a chili sauce. (Natrice Miller/AJC)
May was another strong month for restaurant openings in metro Atlanta, with at least 19 new food businesses setting up shop.
But nearly a dozen restaurants closed during the month, as well — including the Alden, which was unexpectedly shut down when the Chamblee apartment building where it occupied a ground-floor space was destroyed by a fire.
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Joupe Jeht’s fresh spring rolls. (Courtesy of Jude Downs)
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A rendering of the Ledger Bar and Lounge at the recently renovated JW Marriott Downtown Atlanta hotel. (Courtesy of Marriott)
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PopUp Bagels offers five kinds: plain, salt, sesame, poppy and everything. They are sold whole and meant to be ripped and dipped into schmears. (Courtesy of PopUp Bagels)
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Showdown Social opens this May in Alpharetta with host-led card games. (Courtesy of Showdown Social)
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Waffle with Chicken Tenders made and styled by Johnny’s Chicken & Waffles in Atlanta, Ga., Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (Aaliyah Man for the AJC)
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Metro Atlanta restaurant openings
Metro Atlanta restaurant closings
Henri Hollis is a restaurant critic and food reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he covers Atlanta’s restaurants, chefs and dining culture. As part of the AJC’s Food & Dining team, he reviews new restaurants, reports on industry trends and explores metro Atlanta’s culinary scene through the neighborhoods and people that shape it.
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