It all seemed wonderful. Mercedes-Benz Stadium was rocking, the chants were lively, the 17’s were rowdy, and Luiz Araujo had just scored the opening goal of Atlanta United’s 2022 campaign against Sporting Kansas City.
As he ran to the sideline he clearly winced at some pain and grabbed the bag of his leg; the beautiful run he’d made in behind tweaked something. That particular moment could be bottled and sold as the essence of 2022 Atlanta United. Glory, excitement...and then agony. Araujo would go on to miss about a month, and was the first of many injuries throughout the season.