When Sounders FC earned a 1-1 draw on the road against Atlanta United on Sunday, it was the second meeting between the two clubs that week. On Tuesday, July 10, Seattle and Atlanta’s U-17 teams squared off in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy championship, which the young Sounders won 5-1 as they secured the first youth national title in club history.
Since Atlanta United joined MLS in 2017, there have been countless columns and stories comparing the Georgia side’s whirlwind introduction to American soccer to that of the Seattle Sounders back in 2009.
Both clubs defied expectations in their inaugural seasons as they drew massive crowds, made big-money signings, and embedded themselves in the fabric of their respective communities.