It was an incredible first year most couldn't have foreseen for the expansion club, not only with record-breaking attendance numbers but a consistently performing team getting results on the field. While the squad as a whole was a force to be reckoned with, the individual efforts were also recognized with 47 MLS player awards earned by Atlanta United players throughout the course of the season.
3 MLS All-Stars
Greg Garza, Miguel Almirón and Michael Parkhurst all represented Atlanta United as the club's first-ever MLS All-Stars in Chicago against Real Madrid in the league's annual all-star game.
2 MLS Player of the Month Awards
Josef Martinez earned the MLS Player of the Month award in March as well as September. The Venezuelan was the only player across the league to win the award twice this season despite only playing just over half the matches due to injury.
4 MLS Player of the Week Awards
Josef Martinez and Miguel Almirón each earned themselves two MLS Player of the Week awards throughout the season. Martinez's three hat-trick performances earned him the honors at the beginning and end of the season while Almirón's hat-trick and brace earned his awards in back-to-back weeks in May.
20 MLS Team of the Week Honors
Voted on by the MLSsoccer.com editorial staff, Miguel Almirón led Atlanta United in MLS Team of the Week appearances with a total of seven over the course of the year. Martinez earned the honor four times while Michael Parkhurst and Greg Garza were each named twice. Tito Villalba, Brad Guzan, Leandro González Pirez, Yamil Asad and Jeff Larentowicz all worked their way into the MLS Team of the Week once as well.
9 MLS Goals of the Week
Headlined by Tito Villalba's screamers from distance against Orlando and Montreal, Atlanta United won the MLS Goal of the Week vote nine times during the 2017 season. Including Villalba's curler against NYCFC, the Argentine won the award three times, equaling Miguel Almirón – who had a few of his own miracle shots,, including the epic volley in the snow against Minnesota United. Josef Martinez, Greg Garza and Kevin Kratz also got in on the fun. You can watch all nine of Atlanta's MLS Goal of the Week winners here.
3 MLS Saves of the Week
Though only joining the squad in July, Brad Guzan made an immediate and crucial impact in the team's success. In the second half of the season, he notched eight clean sheets and some miraculous saves which were noticed, as he earned MLS Save of the Week on three occasions. Watch all of them here.
1 AT&T MLS Goal of the Year
Tito Villalba's long-range screamer had already taken home the honors for MLS Goal of the Week, but Atlanta United fans made it the MLS Goal of the Year in an online vote. Who could argue with the quality of the strike –– certainly not Orlando City goalkeeper Joe Bendik.
1 MLS Save of the Year
Brad Guzan made it a clean sweep of the fan-voted MLS end-of-season awards, with his mind-boggling point blank save against the New York Red Bulls taking home the award for MLS Save of the Year.
1 AT&T MLS Rookie of the Year
The #8 pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, Julian Gressel quickly made himself an indispensable part of Atlanta United's inaugural season. The 23-year-old made 32 appearances and registered 8 assists, the third-most ever for an MLS rookie.
1 MLS Newcomer of the Year
Miguel Almirón was the next player to add to the list of Atlanta United end-of-season awards, being named the 2017 MLS Newcomer of the Year. The award recognizes players with previous professional experience, which makes rookies ineligible for consideration. The Paraguayan #10's nine goals and 14 assists put him above candidates like Nemanja Nikolic, Victor Vazquez and his teammate Josef Martinez as the best newcomer to MLS this year.
2 MLS Best XI Selections
Atlanta United's breakout attack got deserved recognition in the MLS team of year selection, voted by coaches, players and media. Josef Martinez joined Miguel Almirón in the MLS Best XI, one of just three times to have two or more players in the lineup.
