ATL Standard

As Atlanta United and Major League Soccer (MLS) deepen their knowledge and use of data analytics, the club is offering a closer look at specific statistics it values. In a new weekly content series, the team examines one metric provided by StatsBomb that may not be immediately apparent but is useful for measuring performance. This series, titled "Staying on Track" and presented by MARTA, highlights Atlanta United's commitment to player development.

Since its inception, Atlanta United has prioritized player development. The Atlanta United Academy began playing matches months before the first team had players or a head coach. This week’s focus is on Weighted Average Outfield Player Age, a statistic that evaluates all players on the pitch (excluding the goalkeeper) by considering Matches Played and Minutes Played per Match. A weighted average assigns relative importance to each data point—in this case, the age of soccer players—providing more accurate insights than a simple average.

This metric is relevant when assessing how many minutes young players are actively participating in games compared to merely being in the squad without making an impact. Currently, Atlanta United ranks 23rd in MLS in Weighted Average Outfield Player Age, making it the sixth youngest team in the league.

Atlanta United made history as the first MLS team to field five homegrown players simultaneously during their 1-0 away win against D.C. United last week. When Luke Brennan substituted for Xande Silva in the 81st minute, he joined Noah Cobb, Caleb Wiley, Efraín Morales, and Ajani Fortune on the pitch—the first instance of any MLS team achieving this feat in 2024.

Fortune also came off the bench during that match and assisted Almada in scoring the decisive goal. His performance earned him his second start of the Regular Season against St. Louis CITY SC, where he registered one of the highest accurate pass percentages among his homegrown teammates who played full time.

Interim head coach Rob Valentino praised Fortune’s contributions: “He was big. He’s always nipping at other players’ heels... These guys know that this kid is right there and he deserves an opportunity.”

Defender Noah Cobb achieved a 94.1% accurate pass percentage while playing full time for three consecutive matches—a career high for him due to injuries sidelining veteran center backs Derrick Williams and Stian Gregersen.

Efraín Morales has also stepped up recently, starting two consecutive matches and earning trust from both coaching staff and teammates. His defensive efforts were crucial against D.C.’s forward Cristian Benteke.

In attack, Luke Brennan played significant minutes over three consecutive matches for the first time in his career, registering a 0.36 xG (expected goals) this season.

Caleb Wiley stands out as the most experienced homegrown player among those featured recently with over 5,000 MLS minutes logged as Atlanta’s starting left back for three seasons running.

Atlanta United's dedication to developing its homegrown talent remains strong under interim head coach Rob Valentino who has been with the organization since 2018. Recently added to Valentino’s coaching staff is Matt Lawrey—former Academy Director turned individual development coach.

The team will return home on Saturday, June 29th to host Toronto FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Contributions to this story were made by Atlanta United's Data Scientist & Analyst Arjun Balaraman along with Data Engineer Akshay Easwaran.