It’s the hope that kills you. Just when you think this was going to be a fun run to the U.S. Open Cup final, culminating with Atlanta United and Tata Martino triumphantly hoisting the trophy, it’s gone in the blink of an eye. Atlanta United’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup hopes for 2018 are done after a 0-1 loss to the Chicago Fire.
A huge opportunity has been squandered
Atlanta United’s brand is built on brash confidence—to the point of arrogance at times—and there’s no doubt that it’s working. It’s a marketing strategy that has paid off in spades for the club and has helped guide the franchise to its current place among the most prestigious MLS clubs in only its second season of existence.