After the 2018 season, Tata Martino will move on from Atlanta United after making a profound impact on the club in their first two seasons in existence.
Before he leaves, of course, Martino has the prime opportunity to win two trophies, beginning this weekend on Decision Day presented by AT&T where a win would seal the Supporters' Shield while breaking the record for points and extending their record for most wins in a season, set last weekend. Then, Atlanta will attempt to navigate the 2018 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
What are Tata's five greatest accomplishments in MLS to date?
Forging a pipeline from South America to Atlanta
That sample of players includes the 2017 MLS Newcomer of the Year, 2018's favorite for MVP, the league's record breaker for goals in a single season, the 2017 Goal of the Year winner, the player who commanded the league's record-breaking transfer fee, two members of the 2017 MLS Best XI and three 2018 MLS All-Stars. Check back once all of 2018's awards are doled out, too, and there'll be more accolades to add to this list.
To truly encapsulate Martino's impact on those signings, there's no better testimonial than an article Almiron penned for The Players' Tribune after last season under the title "Atlanta, Tata and Me":
"I didn’t know much about MLS," he wrote. "I didn’t know where Atlanta was. I didn’t know anything. But Tata was manager, and that was all I needed to know."
Establishing a soccer foundation in Atlanta
A lot of the credit goes to ownership for spending money and the front office for identifying Martino, as well as selling him on the idea of becoming Atlanta's first head coach. But Martino maximized all of the tools at his disposal.
ATL forged what many clubs struggle to create, curate and accentuate: an identity. We know how Atlanta are going to play before a ball is kicked. They play fast, attacking soccer; they give their attackers freedom; they score goals; and they win games. Their recruitment and development have run congruent with Tata's tactical ethos, creating a beautiful on-field product.
This season, Atlanta have scored the most goals in the league. Last season, they scored the second-most goals in the league. It's what will be expected next season, and many seasons to come, regardless of who is marauding on the touchline (with or without the sweater-around-the-shoulders look he pioneered in the league.)
Tying the league's single-season point record (with a game left)
On Decision Day, Atlanta can win the Supporters' Shield, break the record for points and put themselves in the conversation for greatest regular season team in MLS history. With a playoff run culminating in lifting MLS Cup, they can challenge for greatest team in MLS history.
That would be quite a dismount for Martino's time in Atlanta.
Qualifying for the Concacaf Champions League
Next season, Atlanta will test themselves against the region's elite and represent the league in a competition an MLS club has yet to win, after Toronto FClost the final in penalties this year. That run helped establish TFC as a continental team, something that Atlanta have the opportunity to do as well.
It also helps underline how great ATL have been in their first two seasons of existence. They qualified for the tournament due to sustained excellence, more than just a hot run, by having the best aggregate record over the 2017 and 2018 seasons — ahead of the New York Red Bulls, New York City FC, Seattle Sounders and the rest of the league.
Dominating the headlines
Admittedly, it's a loose definition of what constitutes an accomplishment, but it's an accomplishment nonetheless: ATL have been ever-present at the heart of conversations around the league, for on-field play or otherwise, since Martino joined.
Whether it's because of the amount of goals they scored, or a great performance, or a disappointing performance, or skipping a handshake with Chris Armas, or having a strong quote, or being the subject of rumors anytime an international job opened — interest was never far away from Atlanta.
Or from Tata.
