Players you want to see come to an Atlanta team:

[Eleven Bravo]

i would love to see a Southern team with a good number of southern players. I think that would be the best thing to attract fans to the games. However, we would need to mix it up with southerners, leadership, stolen club strugglers, youth, foreign, and our million dollar man :) *feel free to add to the list

here's some southerners on my list:
Ricardo Clark-M
Josh Wolff-F
Cling Mathis-M/F
Marshall Leonard-D/M
Blake Camp-M
Omar Jarun-F
Lawson Vaughn-D/M
Justin Moore-D
*Jason Moore-M if possible?
Will Hesmer-G
Justin Mapp-M
Kyle Martino-M
Matt Reis-G
Blake Wagner-D/M
Jared Montz-D
Eddie Pope-D
Jason Garey-F
Richard Mulrooney-M
Logan Pause-M
Jonny Walker-G
Clyde Simms-M
Eddie Robinson-D
John Wilson-D
Carey Talley-D
Brian West-M/F
Stephen Shirley-D
Trevor McEachron-D
Matt Crawford-D/M
Nathan Sturgis-D
Dax McCarty-M

A few good young players that i wouldn't mind stealing from their club:
Santino Quaranta-M/F
Doug Warren-G
Matt Jordan-G
Alex Yi-D
Danny Karbassiyoon-D/M/F
David Yelldell-G
Jemal Johnson-F
Jay Denny-M
Charlie Kazlauskas-M
Jeremiah White-M
Heath Pearce-D/M*if we can get him!
Ryan Caugherty-F
Quavas Kirk-F
Memo Gonzalez-M
Chad Barrett-F*i would love to get this kid. reminds me kind of Rooney(just not as good)
Grover Gibson-M
Robbie Russell-D
Jeff Rowland-M
Knox Cameron-F
Craig Capano-M
Jon Conway-G
Zach Wells-G
Justin Moose-M

Some Leadership to bring:
Gregg Berhalter-D
Adin Brown-G

Some Foreign Players:
Fabian Dawkins-M/F *Jamaica
Rodrigo Rios-M/F * Chile
Chen Tao-F* China
Mouhsinne Iajour-F *Morocco
Chinedu Ogbuke-F *Nigeria
Tarik Bendamou-M *Nigeria
Tawye Taiwo-M *Nigeria
Ever Guzman-F *Mexico
Cesar Villaluz-F *Mexico
Elias Figueroa-F *Uruguay
Mommodou Ceesay-F *Gambia
Yusef Ali-F *Qatar
Andres Guardado-M *Mexico
Hossein Kaebi-D *Iran
Emmanuel Mathias-M *Togo
Prince Tagoe-F *Ghana
Nick Ward-M *Australia
or some of the African, American, Asian or Oceanian on this list:
http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/ptw/zones/index.html

Some Youth Players to Draft:
Joe Bendik-G
Justin Papadakis-G
Phil Marfuggi-G
Danny Irizarry-M
Brian Mascarenhas-M
Kyle Helton-D
Cameron Lewis-D
John Collier-D
Bryan Dominguez-F
Havrid Ursy-D
Greg Dalby-D/M
Kevin Alston-D
Ofori Sarkodie-D
Omar Gonzalez-F
Kevin Guppy-G
Mike Gustavson-G
Sonny Guadarrama-M
Mike Grella-F
Jeremy Hall-M
Daniel Kelly-D
Kyle Nakazawa-M
Jordan Seabrook-F
Ryan Soroka-M
Neven Subotic-D
Robbie Rogers-M
Brad Evans-M/F
Justin Hughes-G
Stephen Sandbo-G
Andrew Kartunen-G
Michael Harrington-D
Sam Arthur-D
Perica Marosevi-F
Brian Perk-G
Sheannon Williams-M/F

Also, if we could get our million dollar man:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=365846&root=mls&cc=5901
i would LOVE to see Edgar Davids!

[BigKahuna]

Yeah, obviously the first few names that come to mind when you think of Atlanta soccer are Josh Wolff, Clint Mathis, Matt Reis, and Ricardo Clark. Also Jason Moore (is he even playing anymore?) and his brother who is a rookie for FCD, Justin Moore. I know that Atlanta is a hot bed for youth soccer talent and it would definately help if we could bring some of these guys home.

As far as foreign imports are concerned, a top Mexican or Guatemalan player would be fantastic and definately help attract some of the latino community.

[Poachin_Goalz]

Yeah, obviously the first few names that come to mind when you think of Atlanta soccer are Josh Wolff, Clint Mathis, Matt Reis, and Ricardo Clark.

I agree and you could also expand your talent pool to players who played their college ball in the southeast. Mark Lisi played at Clemson and I always wanted to see his passing game in a side with fast forwards like Wolff and the Silverbacks' Fabian Dawkins.

[Eleven Bravo]

the main thing i hope is that we get a bunch of young players mixed with a few famous older veterans.

A roster i would love to see:
GKs
Jonny Walker(i would prefer Reis since he's from Atlanta but Walker isn't starting and could be easier to acquire)
Chris Seitz(Weird! i actually forgot him in my orginal list)
Joe Bendik
DFs
Marshall Leonard
Justin Moore
Nathan Sturgis
Alex Yi
Blake Wagner(he's actually is from GA)
Lawson Vaughn
Kyle Helton(Former U-17)
Cameron Lewis(former U-17)
Jonathon Collier(Former U-17)
MFs
Edgar Davids!!!!(in the words of Randy Macho Man Savage "OH! YEAAAAAH!!!)
Ricardo Clark
Blake Camp
Dax McCarty
Brian West(he's from Lagrange) or Sonny Guadarrama
Kyle Martino(he's from Atlanta)
Sheannon Williams
Brian Mascarenhas(former u-17 and Tottenham player)
FWs
Josh Wolff
Clint Mathis
Omar Jarun
Fabian Dawkins
Rodrigo Rios
Bryan Dominguez
Perica Marosevi

------------------Wolff---Mathis------------------
Martino--------------------------------------West
----------------Davids--------Clark---------------
Leonard------------------------------------Vaughn
----------------Sturgis--------Moore-------------
----------------------Walker---------------------

Bench:
G Seitz
D Wagner
D Yi
M McCarty
M Camp
F Jarun
F Dawkins

[Michael CM1]

I agree and you could also expand your talent pool to players who played their college ball in the southeast. Mark Lisi played at Clemson and I always wanted to see his passing game in a side with fast forwards like Wolff and the Silverbacks' Fabian Dawkins.

Speaking of college soccer, it sure would be nice if UGA and/or GT had a varsity soccer team. I think the main reason they don't is Title IX. Maybe with this $24 million profit UGA is making they could find the scholarships to create a men's team. The battles with Clem(p)son and SC would be awesome.

As far as pro players: Wolff would be a definite on a local team. Pair Clint Mathis with him if he would accept the money he's worth and not the money he's accustomed to. :)

[Eleven Bravo]

Speaking of college soccer, it sure would be nice if UGA and/or GT had a varsity soccer team. I think the main reason they don't is Title IX. Maybe with this $24 million profit UGA is making they could find the scholarships to create a men's team. The battles with Clem(p)son and SC would be awesome.

As far as pro players: Wolff would be a definite on a local team. Pair Clint Mathis with him if he would accept the money he's worth and not the money he's accustomed to. :)

If Atlanta does get a team that would be great publicity to have the old Wolff/Mathis gang back together again. we would definately have to have Ricardo Clark. Also, imagine if we could some how get Edgar Davids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he's without a doubt! one of my all time favorite players and i would love it if we could somehow steal him away.

[Michael CM1]

If Atlanta does get a team that would be great publicity to have the old Wolff/Mathis gang back together again. we would definately have to have Ricardo Clark. Also, imagine if we could some how get Edgar Davids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he's without a doubt! one of my all time favorite players and i would love it if we could somehow steal him away.

The Omar Jarun guy the Silverbacks signed sounds like a great prospect. You can never have enough 6'5" forwards. I wish that darned stadium would hurry up and open. Another month? ARRGH!

[DavidP]

Speaking of college soccer, it sure would be nice if UGA and/or GT had a varsity soccer team. I think the main reason they don't is Title IX. Maybe with this $24 million profit UGA is making they could find the scholarships to create a men's team. The battles with Clem(p)son and SC would be awesome.

As far as pro players: Wolff would be a definite on a local team. Pair Clint Mathis with him if he would accept the money he's worth and not the money he's accustomed to. :)

I heard from a Tech student a few years ago that the AD at the time said that it was cheaper to pay the fine to the ACC for not having soccer than it was to field a program. This is no reason for not having a soccer program at either UGA or GT, but if they did, it would probably kill the program at Georgia State, or at least make them the perennial (sp?) doormat of the CAA.

[USvsIRELAND]

I heard from a Tech student a few years ago that the AD at the time said that it was cheaper to pay the fine to the ACC for not having soccer than it was to field a program. This is no reason for not having a soccer program at either UGA or GT, but if they did, it would probably kill the program at Georgia State, or at least make them the perennial (sp?) doormat of the CAA.

Maybe, but Tech and UGA are much better schools than GA State, and more players from GA would want to go there because they are higher profile and there parents want them to go to good schools. Also it would be a plus for them on many fronts
1. Good schools
2. Hope scholarship
3. Any type of Soccer Scholarship

GA State isn't really an option for many players that want to go to good schools. Many of GA's best players go to non-GA schools.

[Michael CM1]

Maybe, but Tech and UGA are much better schools than GA State, and more players from GA would want to go there because they are higher profile and there parents want them to go to good schools. Also it would be a plus for them on many fronts
1. Good schools
2. Hope scholarship
3. Any type of Soccer Scholarship

GA State isn't really an option for many players that want to go to good schools. Many of GA's best players go to non-GA schools.

Many of them go to SC. I know Josh Wolff and another guy who played forward with him at Parkview went there. Jason Moore went to Virginia. The Georgia or Georgia Tech program would be awesome if they could keep some in-state players like the football teams do.

[Georgia Empire]

It's the most retarded thing in the world that UGA and GT don't have soccer programs. I can't believe people are that retarded that they would go out of their way to put down soccer. UGA and GT both would be able to take on 90% of the teams in the US.

[Michael CM1]

It's the most retarded thing in the world that UGA and GT don't have soccer programs. I can't believe people are that retarded that they would go out of their way to put down soccer. UGA and GT both would be able to take on 90% of the teams in the US.

It's all monetary. The only reason most SEC schools have women's teams is because of Title IX rules. Of course now that we know that UGA has a $24 million surplus I think they could do something about this. The deal is football has 85 scholarships. That's about 5 or 6 other varsity sports.

[Poachin_Goalz]

Speaking of college soccer, it sure would be nice if UGA and/or GT had a varsity soccer team. I think the main reason they don't is Title IX. Maybe with this $24 million profit UGA is making they could find the scholarships to create a men's team. The battles with Clem(p)son and SC would be awesome.

As far as pro players: Wolff would be a definite on a local team. Pair Clint Mathis with him if he would accept the money he's worth and not the money he's accustomed to. :)

A friend of mine coached Vince Dooley's grandson on a local select soccer team. This was a few years ago when Coach Dooley was still the AD at UGA. My friend asked Coach Dooley about this and he stated that UGA wanted to add men's soccer and that it would be the next men's sport added. I'm not holding my breath but the way youth soccer is exploding around here, it seems like a crazy decision for UGA at least to not have a team.

[Cornnolio]

It's the most retarded thing in the world that UGA and GT don't have soccer programs. I can't believe people are that retarded that they would go out of their way to put down soccer. UGA and GT both would be able to take on 90% of the teams in the US.

Same goes for the Florida schools. They would be a force.

[BigKahuna]

I think an Atlanta team would do well to have some big name central American players. Either a Mexican international or someone like Ruiz or Guevara (although I can't stand either one of them) would be crucial to get some latino fans out to the games. Just like how DC had Etch, Arce, and Moreno and drew out large groups of Bolivians who have now become United fans even if now Bolivians aren't on the roster. We have to make that good first impression.

[Eleven Bravo]

I think an Atlanta team would do well to have some big name central American players. Either a Mexican international or someone like Ruiz or Guevara (although I can't stand either one of them) would be crucial to get some latino fans out to the games. Just like how DC had Etch, Arce, and Moreno and drew out large groups of Bolivians who have now become United fans even if now Bolivians aren't on the roster. We have to make that good first impression.

Carlos Hernandez from Costa Rica?? that guy has a wicked shot.

[BigKahuna]

Carlos Hernandez from Costa Rica?? that guy has a wicked shot.

I was also thinking of Ricardo Philips from Panama. I think he is a fantastic and entertaining player...I'm still not sure why he never really caught on with the Revolution.

[Eleven Bravo]

now i could be dead wrong on this because i got this article sent in the mail when i was in Iraq (And I never really got the time to read all my mail) but it said something in the AJC about an Ethiopian international game played in Atlanta and had like a 35,000 turn out. does anyone know anything about that?

also, if we want to play it like that, what nationality of foreigners make up the greatest population of foreigners in Atlanta? Because that might be a good way to increase fan base. However, i hope they don't get carried away because they also would need to pay attention to their traditional southern audience too.

[AtlantaUnited]

At least my Georgia Southern has a soccer team! w00t! They are middle of the pack in the Socon, of course it's hard to compete when you have so many private Carolina schools in your conference.

[oldie]

I know that this will be hard to believe(it was for me) , but a brazilian friend of mine told me that there were 50,000 Brazilians that lived in Cobb County.