Atlanta United announced today it has signed American free agent goalkeeper Josh Cohen through the 2025 season with an option for 2026. Cohen most recently played for Maccabi Haifa in the Israeli Premier League where he won three consecutive league titles, was named the 2020-2021 Israeli Premier League Player of the Season and made six appearances in the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League.
“Josh is someone with a unique career path who has backed himself at every step of his journey,” Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said. “He has shown the ability to compete at the highest level in the UEFA Europa League and Champions League. We are pleased to welcome Josh to the club and look forward to him coming in and competing within our goalkeeping group.”
Cohen, 31, spent the previous four seasons at Maccabi Haifa where he made 161 appearances in all competitions and helped the club win three consecutive Israeli Premier League titles, the 2021 Israeli Super Cup and qualify for the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League. Cohen joined Maccabi Haifa prior to the 2019-2020 season and recorded 12 clean sheets in 21 appearances, conceding just 15 goals, as his team finished second place in the league standings. During the following season, Cohen helped guide Maccabi Haifa to its first league title in a decade and was named the 2020-2021 Israeli Premier League Player of the Season, recording 13 clean sheets in 22 appearances while conceding just 12 goals. Maccabi Haifa qualified for the 2021-2022 UEFA Champions League playoff round and Cohen started both legs of the club’s First Round loss to Kairat Almaty.
In 2021-2022, Cohen made 26 appearances and kept 12 clean sheets as Maccabi Haifa won its second straight league title and earned another berth in the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League playoff round. Cohen started all six matches in qualifying as Maccabi Haifa defeated Olympiacos, Apollon Limassol and Red Star Belgrade to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. He then started all six matches during the Group Stage, including a 2-0 win against Juventus on Oct. 11, 2022. Cohen made 18 league starts and recorded seven clean sheets in his final season in Israel as Maccabi Haifa won the league for the third consecutive year.
Prior to joining Maccabi Haifa, Cohen played for Sacramento Republic in the USL Championship where he made 51 appearances from 2018-2019. He started all 34 games during the 2018 season, recording 12 clean sheets, and was named to the USL All-League Second Team and a finalist for USL Goalkeeper of the Year. He started 28 games for Phoenix Rising in 2017 and 16 games for Orange County from 2015-2016 in the USL Championship.
A Mountain View, California native, Cohen graduated from the University of California, San Diego where he started 52 games during his four-year-college career.
Player Profile
Name: Josh Cohen
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6-1
Birthdate: Aug. 18, 1992 (31)
Birthplace: Mountain View, California
Nationality: United States, Israel
Transaction: Atlanta United signs Josh Cohen as a free agent through the 2025 season with an option for 2026 on Dec. 14, 2023
Atlanta United roster (as of Dec. 14, 2023)
Goalkeepers (2): Josh Cohen, Brad Guzan
Defenders (7): Luis Abram, Noah Cobb, Ronald Hernández, Brooks Lennon, Aiden McFadden, Efraín Morales, Caleb Wiley
Midfielders (11): Thiago Almada, Derrick Etienne Jr., Nick Firmino, Ajani Fortune, Franco Ibarra, Saba Lobjanidze, Edwin Mosquera, Tristan Muyumba, Santiago Sosa, Adyn Torres, Tyler Wolff
Forwards (5): Luke Brennan, Erik Centeno, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Xande Silva, Jamal Thiaré
_Player will join Atlanta United effective Jan. 1, 2024 _
