Atlanta United and Charlotte FC pass head-to-head for the primary time on Sunday afternoon in a fit that need to mark the start of an interesting new rivalry in Major League Soccer.
But that's the query on every person's lips proper now: is that this really rivalry in any respect?
Away from the sphere, fans had been doing their component to stoke things up ahead of the big day. On the Atlanta side, everyday reminders have been despatched to the upstarts that they're the 'Kings of the South'. And on the Charlotte aspect, they're making clear they're right here to take the crown.
Just last week, Charlotte additionally took Atlanta's apparently unassailable MLS attendance document when they packed seventy four,479 into Bank of America Stadium for his or her first-ever home healthy against the LA Galaxy. And boy have the membership and its enthusiasts made lots of noise to rejoice the success.
Battle Royale, the I-85 derby, the Game of Thrones. There are plenty of names to give this in shape, and in the long run, it'll be the supporters that define the lifestyle, hostility, and depth round it.
"Atlanta and Charlotte may be a rivalry, because the fanatics appear to have some stake in it already. There's personnel from Atlanta at Charlotte too," Atlanta United Fan TV host AJ told 90min.
"Maybe there's greater competitive juice to overcome a nearby neighbor and to have bragging rights. But it seems not going the gamers on the pitch are feeling that quite yet. It will be extra of a pleasant competition among enthusiasts as opposed to a hatred à la Atlanta and Orlando City."
David Gussler, president of Charlotte FC fan organization Mint City Collective, believes the contention will form organically with supporters of the cities' other sports teams already putting the degree.
"Atlanta is a close-by southern city that Charlotte often gets as compared to," he stated. "You have the rivalry between the 2 towns already with different sports, which helps gas familiarity and the feel of a 'rival' for maximum folks in Charlotte and Atlanta. While I listen people say that rivalries need to be organic, I sense Atlanta will and already is turning into one earlier than we even play each different."
On the pitch, things appear to be a bit more placid. Atlanta United captain and goalkeeper Brad Guzan is taking something of a professional technique and doesn't see the value in looking to pressure a competition.
