tottie beck
Well-Known Member
MLS expansion side Atlanta Utd, where ex-Ranger Carlos Bocanegra is the club's Technical Director, set a new MLS attendance record today with 70,425 fans watching an entertaining 3-3 draw with Orlando City. Georgia was thought by many to be a strange choice for a MLS side with many questioning whether the locals would come out and support "soccer". Well Atlanta have shown "if you build it, they will come" By providing exciting attacking football on the park, crowds have flocked to see 'the five stripes'
Bocanegra has done a great job in his short spell with Atlanta putting together an exciting attack minded young side built mainly around up and coming South American talent such as Hector Villalba 23, from Argentina, Josef Martínez 24, from Venezuela, and Miguel Almirón 23, from Paraguay. All three players have enjoyed a sensational season and no doubt will ultimately to go on to bigger and better things, be it in Europe or back in the bigger Latin American leagues. However, Bocanegra got his scouting spot on in identifying young players with potential and giving them the stage on which to prove themselves. All the are "Designated Players" which means they can be paid above the salary cap, but in a league where DP's are usually over 30 European stars nearing the end of their careers Bocanegra has bucked that trend and is reaping the rewards. In midweek Atlanta put seven without reply past a New England (who it should be pointed out were reduced to nine men) and have proven to be a team who can simply destroy their opponents with speed down the flanks converted by devastating supporting runs. It is no coincidence this strategy is more often than not lead by their three young DPs
It's nice to see an ex-Ranger enjoy some success and although it's unlikely we'll ever see Bocanegra back at Ibrox as anything other than a fan, it might be an idea to open a channel of communication regarding future prospects because even this early in his post-playing career Carlos has shown he has an eye for a player
Bocanegra has done a great job in his short spell with Atlanta putting together an exciting attack minded young side built mainly around up and coming South American talent such as Hector Villalba 23, from Argentina, Josef Martínez 24, from Venezuela, and Miguel Almirón 23, from Paraguay. All three players have enjoyed a sensational season and no doubt will ultimately to go on to bigger and better things, be it in Europe or back in the bigger Latin American leagues. However, Bocanegra got his scouting spot on in identifying young players with potential and giving them the stage on which to prove themselves. All the are "Designated Players" which means they can be paid above the salary cap, but in a league where DP's are usually over 30 European stars nearing the end of their careers Bocanegra has bucked that trend and is reaping the rewards. In midweek Atlanta put seven without reply past a New England (who it should be pointed out were reduced to nine men) and have proven to be a team who can simply destroy their opponents with speed down the flanks converted by devastating supporting runs. It is no coincidence this strategy is more often than not lead by their three young DPs
It's nice to see an ex-Ranger enjoy some success and although it's unlikely we'll ever see Bocanegra back at Ibrox as anything other than a fan, it might be an idea to open a channel of communication regarding future prospects because even this early in his post-playing career Carlos has shown he has an eye for a player
