Supporters' groups for Atlanta United have all "wrapped their arms around" the expansion club as it gets set for its first MLS game on Sunday, according to Timothy Pratt of the N.Y. TIMES. Terminus Legion, The Faction, Footie Mob and Resurgence are among the organizations that have "forged an identity and a following" for the club, which has "shown an unusual diversity of fan groups, as well as a surprising appetite for tickets." The club has "already set an MLS expansion team record, with 30,000 season tickets sold." When Atlanta United turned up for its first official preseason game in Chattanooga, it "arrived with 8,000 fans in tow." For Sunday night's game in Atlanta, it "will do so in front of more than 40,000 fans -- a near-capacity crowd" at Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium. Supporters’ groups have "long been the leading edge of fan culture in MLS." Terminus Legion "continues to grow" four years after its founding, while The Faction and its 100 or so members "raises money to support the Fugees Family, an Atlanta-area program that supports refugee children from 23 countries." Footie Mob will "announce its presence in a different way, by seeking to imprint two Southern traditions onto MLS: tailgating and barbecue." Footie Mob members are "planning chants based on the greats of Atlanta hip-hop, like Outkast, YoungBloodZ and Migos." There also will be "nods to such Georgia bands as REM and the Allman Brothers." Footie Mob founding member Curtis Jenkins said the goal is to make it so that “if we were going to bring a blind man into the stadium, they should know they’re in Atlanta" (N.Y. TIMES, 2/28).
