Atlanta United announced today that three of the club’s U-19 Academy players will have a two-week training stint at Aberdeen FC. Jordan Matthews, Marzuq Puckerin and Garrison Tubbs will join the Scottish club for training from Jan. 18-Feb. 1.
“This is a huge opportunity for each of these three young men,” Atlanta United Academy Director Tony Annan said. “Each has developed significantly over the last two years and earned opportunities at the USL level. Thanks to our new partnership with Aberdeen, they’ll now be afforded another opportunity to further develop their skills.”
- View photos of Matthews, Puckerin and Tubbs here
Matthews, a 17-year-old left back, joined Atlanta United Academy ahead of the 2017-18 season. This year, Matthews has made nine appearances with seven starts for the U-19s. He made 26 appearances with 19 starts, including three goals, for the U17s during the 2018-19 season. He also made two appearances and one start for ATL UTD 2 during the 2019 USL season, making his debut against Charlotte Independence on July 24. Matthews is committed to the University of South Carolina.
Puckerin, a 17-year-old goalkeeper, joined Atlanta United Academy during the 2018-19 season. He’s made four appearances with three starts so far this season. Puckerin frequently trained with ATL UTD 2 during the 2019 USL season and was on several matchday rosters; however, he did not feature.
Tubbs, a 17-year-old center back, joined the Atlanta United Academy ahead of the 2018-19 season. He made his USL debut with ATL UTD 2 on July 27 against North Carolina FC and made his first start against Hartford Athletic a month later on Aug. 24. Overall, he made six appearances and four starts for ATL UTD 2 during the 2019 season. This year with the U19s, he’s played and started nine matches. He made 24 appearances and 21 starts for the U17s during the 2018-19 season. Tubbs is committed to Wake Forest University.
The Atlanta United Academy U-19s begin the spring portion of the 2019-20 season on Sunday, Feb. 9 against Michigan Wolves.
