Atlanta United's home matches are special for many reasons, but it's hard to top the anticipation of the tifo unveiling on matchday just before the opening whistle. Each tifo is designed, produced, and revealed by the club's most important element: the Supporters. The long-standing tradition in the sport of soccer has found its way to Atlanta throughout the course of ATL UTD's inaugural season and now it's time to look back on all the fan-created works of art that pay tribute to the city, the club and much more.
March 5, 2017 vs New York Red Bulls
The inaugural match gave Atlanta supporters their first chance to cheer on their team live and they delivered. The tifo depicted a phoenix – the mythological bird rising from the ashes – complete with Atlanta United’s "Unite & Conquer" mantra.
March 18, 2017 vs Chicago Fire
Atlanta United fans decided to send a message about their values in the second home match, unfurling a banner that read “Show Racism the Red Card.”
April 30, 2017 vs DC United
Anyone in Atlanta can tell you what an ATLien is. But when an ATLien spaceship shoots red and black lasers down onto the DC United skyline "Independence Day"-style? Now that's a tifo.
May 20, 2017 vs Houston Dynamo
The five stripes of Atlanta United’s home kit has become an iconic symbol for the club and its fans. The supporters stand opted for cards over a banner to show their support for the red, black and gold.
May 28, 2017 vs New York City FC
Looking for revenge after the road loss at Yankee Stadium, Atlanta United took the field and finished the match with an emphatic home win. And the fans made their claim for fruit-based seniority over the Big Apple.
June 17, 2017 vs Columbus Crew
From Atlanta’s history as a railroad town to the club’s Golden Spike ritual, trains have played a major part in the city’s, and club’s, history. Make no mistake: the Atlanta United hype train is humming at full steam, and Columbus's Crew Cat mascot – pictured running away – better look out!
The hype train is real
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) June 17, 2017
Tifo game #UniteAndConquerpic.twitter.com/EM0foijSEt
June 24, 2017 vs Colorado Rapids
Atlanta United and its fans owe a massive thanks to owner Arthur Blank, whose vision helped bring MLS to the city and this club to life. Five Stripes Nation decided to show their appreciation with a special jersey for the man they call Uncle Arthur.
#UncleArthurpic.twitter.com/LplbG1aMHT
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) June 24, 2017
July 4, 2017 vs San Jose Earthquakes
And last but certainly not least, a July 4th matchup against San Jose was always going to have an American-themed tifo in honor of Independence day, and the supporter section didn’t disappoint with an Uncle Arther twist on the classic Uncle Sam.
July 29, 2017 vs Orlando City
In the final match at Bobby Dodd Stadium, Atlanta United fans decided to pay tribute to all those who had showed up to support the club at the historic stadium downtown, acknowledging the 412,000 total attendance through the nine games (With a little Atlanta-made Waffle House flair).
September 10, 2017 vs FC Dallas
For the first game at their new home of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the Supporters created arguably the most popular tifo of the year. It was a nod to The FX Show Atlanta which first aired in 2016 starring ATLien Donald Glover has turned heads around the world, winning awards and keeping everyone's mind on the city. The play on the show's cover poster depicted Josef Martinez, Tito Villalba and Miguel Almirón biting into Georgia's state fruit - the peach. It was uncanny.
September 16, 2017 vs Orlando City
The third matchup between the two clubs that occupy the Southeast was always going to be a heated one, so the Supporters thought 'why not stir the pot?'. The tifo from their match against Orlando City makes another tv reference to the popular show Stranger Things displaying Atlanta (while climbing the table) headed for playoffs up top and Orlando in the show's "Bad Place" (near the bottom of the table).
September 20, 2017 vs LA Galaxy
A midweek matchup against the visitors from the West Coast, it was important to show them where they're playing and who they're competing against. In a collaborative card play, the fans displayed A-T-L in gold letters across the club's hailed red and black stripes.
September 24, 2017 vs Montreal Impact
On a roll at their new home and riding a ten-match unbeaten streak in Atlanta, the fans opted to call out their streak of dominance over the opposition in their city. Referencing the famous "PAC-MAN" arcade game, the tifo shows various jerseys already eaten (defeated) as well as blue and black striped ghosts (Montreal) floating around and a peach colored, crowned PAC-MAN representing Atlanta chasing them. The Impact were doomed before the whistle blew.
September 27, 2017 vs Philadelphia Union
A historic day for many reasons as ATL UTD officially clinched their playoff berth with a midweek victory over the Union and it also happened to fall on the birthday of club owner Arthur Blank. The fans gave him a birthday shout in their tifo unveiling and the day only got better as they rolled 3-0 over Philadelphia. Coincidence or fate? You decide.
October 22, 2017 vs Toronto FC
For the regular season finale, the fans decided that less is more and simplicity speaks much louder than any complex creation could - the club's Five Stripes and text reading "17, Our Number, Our Year" – a perfect summation of the incredible inaugural year this club and this city has journeyed through.
Those are all the tifos crafted by the Atlanta supporters in 2017, but remember, this is only year one. While the anticipation grows for the return of MLS action in March, the suspense of what tifo will be unveiled in the 2018 home opener also lingers in the minds of every ATL UTD fan.
