Atlanta United fans have gotten used to learning about the convoluted MLS roster rules. There’s TAM and GAM, SuperDraft and Expansion Draft, Homegrowns and Designated Players. But from the start, Darren Eales and his team have impressed fans with their ability to build a squad full of talented players within the strict confines of MLS regulations and salary cap.
One of the many complexities Darren Eales deals with is that he’s limited in the number of foreign players he can put on the roster. Each MLS team is given 8 slots for internationals. However, clubs have ways to make room for more foreign players—they can trade for a slot with another team, put a player out on loan, or as Atlanta United and other MLS teams have done, get the player a green card.