MLS youth academies are, for the players who are good enough, springboards that propel talented players to the next level in their soccer careers. In America, that springboard sends players down two pathways: the professional path and the collegiate path.
Two graduates from the Atlanta United Academy became friends despite ultimately going down the two different pathways: Takuma Suzuki, who now plays at Wake Forest, and George Campbell, the newest homegrown player to play for Atlanta United’s first team.
As the only top level professional club in Georgia, very few players in the local area experience playing for a youth academy that rivals European youth academies’ quality in facilities, coaching, and opportunity.