Atlanta United asked fans on Twitter "how the experience was" at Saturday's home game against the Fire "compared with two weeks ago," according to Doug Roberson of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. Some of the 45,000 fans on hand said that it took "just five minutes" to get into Bobby Dodd Stadium and "purchase a beer" after it took 45 minutes just to get into the venue for the first game. Other fans reported that "lines were still more than 10 minutes long to purchase beer at halftime." The club and the Georgia Tech Athletic Association spent the past two weeks "trying to improve the experience" with the "addition of more food and beverage vendors, more ushers at the gates, more beer pourers" and other changes (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 3/19).
HOTLANTA HOT FOR SOCCER: The AP's Paul Newberry wrote though it is "early," Atlanta has "really embraced" MLS. While Atlanta United has been "impressive on the field, winning the last two games by a combined score of 10-1," the club's "best work has [come] in the stands." The club's inaugural home contest attracted a sellout of 55,297, which was "larger than any crowd drawn this past season" by Georgia Tech football. That was followed by turnout of 45,922 for Saturday's game, another sellout since the school "closed off 10,000 seats in the upper deck for previously planned renovation work." That is "not too shabby, considering United won’t even move into its permanent home," Mercedes-Benz Stadium, until late July. Atlanta United D Michael Parkhurst said, "The support has been just amazing. We’re very, very fortunate that we’ve got this atmosphere to play in front of." The club "hardly has the look of a neophyte organization." Saturday's crowd was on its "best behavior," even "unveiling a banner before the game that said, 'Give Racism A Red Card'" (AP, 3/18).
