The first-year team has sold more than 30,000 season tickets, a record for a Major League Soccer expansion team. The team announced Friday a sellout of about 55,000 is expected for Sunday night's opening match against the New York Red Bulls. Jones said the impressive ticket sales prove "the fever is catching on properly" in Atlanta, which hasn't had a professional soccer team in 36 years. The Atlanta Chiefs won the 1968 North American Soccer League championship, and a revived version of the team folded in 1981. U.S. national team goalkeeper Brad Guzan will join the team this summer after he finishes his English Premier League season with Middlesbrough.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 04, 2017 16:46 UTC