Jul. 16—MARIETTA — Atlanta United vice president of business operations Georgia O'Donoghue spoke of brighter and better things for the team in her talk to the Marietta Area Council of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce.
That brighter future for the soccer club's practice facility includes serving as a World Cup training site, as well as a new media coverage deal with Apple TV, according to O'Donoghue.
As keynote speaker at the council's monthly meeting, O'Donoghue spoke about the team, their practice facility, and the impact the facility has on the community.
While the team plays their regular season games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, they practice in their state-of-the-art headquarters on Franklin Gateway in Marietta.
Atlanta was recently selected as one of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup, which is being hosted in 16 cities across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. While details are scarce for now, O'Donoghue said she and the team are excited that their facility will be used by international teams.
"Just being able to build that profile of the city is very important," O'Donoghue said. "I think that Marietta tie is going to be huge because of all of the space and all of the wonderful fields."
Arthur Blank, owner of Atlanta United and the NFL's Falcons, opened the $60 million Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground in 2017. It features six full-sized soccer fields, a pavilion and an open-air weight room.
The development of the facility was also discussed — Blank built it in the corridor Marietta targeted with a $68 million redevelopment bond approved by voters. The bond was approved in 2013, setting in motion a process where the city bought up property, bulldozed blighted housing and sold the land for new development.
Atlanta United leased 32 acres of the redeveloped stretch for the next 20 years, giving the team a proper home to fine-tune its skills.
As the meeting went on, O'Donoghue shared statistics from the club, including its MLS-leading average attendance record at 44,000. She also shared information about the uniform sales that, according to her, also leads all of Major League Soccer.
Throughout her talk, O'Donoghue issued a call to action by invoking the motto for the team she serves: "Unite and Conquer."
"We came in here trying to make things better," O'Donoghue said. "We've got a long way to go, but are very committed to this team and to this city."
The facility is home to 200 different athletes, from the professional level to local beginners, training at different times. The front office brings coaches from across the globe to train the United coaching staff.